Essential Oil of the Month: Frankincense

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Essential Oil of the Month:  Frankincense

By: Kathy Padecky, HHP, Aromatherapist

What you need to know about Essential oils

Unfortunately, not all essential oils are quality products.  Almost all of the oils on the market are perfume grade or lower quality oils.  These oils are over processed, chemical laden and highly adulterated.  This includes most oils found in health food stores.  Many people think that when they buy an essential oil labeled “100% Pure” they are buying good oil.  This is far from the truth.

Unadulterated essential oils can be very expensive.  One reason is it can take as many as 2,000 pounds or more of raw plant material to produce a single pound of essential oil.  To maintain all of the therapeutic qualities, steam distillation at very low pressure is essential.  Steam distillation at less than one pound of pressure ensures the highest quality of oil.

Many essential oils are redistilled to make a small amount of oil go farther.  This increases profits.  When you redistill an essential oil, you lose the therapeutic properties.  It is like using a tea bag repeatedly.  An example, France is the number one producer of lavender oil.  In 1997, they produced 25 tons of lavender oil and 67 tons of lavender oil was shipped to the United States.  Melissa oil is another example.  Melissa is very expensive to produce.  Out of 52 pounds of pure melissa oil produced, 1000 pounds were exported.  There are anywhere from 200-800 chemical constituents in a single drop of essential oil.  When an essential oil is redistilled, it can have as few as 10 chemical constituents.  Many companies will distill at higher temperatures and pressures for a shorter distillation time.  This destroys the therapeutic quality of an oil.

Essential Oil of the Month – Frankincense – Boswellia carteri

Frankincense is distilled from the gum or resin of the Burseraceae trees and shrubs.  Chemically it is 64 – 90% monoterpenes, 5 – 10% sesquiterpenes, 2 – 5 % alcohols, and zero – 1% sesquiterpenols.  Essential oils have the unique quality of crossing the blood brain barrier.  The chemical compound of sesquiterpene clears the brain of toxins and carries oxygen to the cellular level.  Frankincense is an oil I always have in my First Aid Essential Oil Kit.  In ancient times, frankincense was considered a rare treasure, more valuable than gold for its aromatic and medicinal uses.  It was used to heal practically any disease.  It is one of the three cherished gifts presented to the Christ child.  Frankincense is also known as Olibanum and “Oil of Lebanon.”  The word frankincense is said to have originated from the Frankish (French) Knights of the Crusades who treasured it.  There are over 25 species of frankincense harvested from Oman, Saudi Arabia or Somaliland.  To obtain frankincense, a longitudinal incision is made into the trunk of the tree.  Then a 5 inch section of bark is peeled back.  The sap or resin hardens to a milky substance in the dry desert air.  The essential oil is harvested twice a year, from January to March and again from August to October.

Frankincense has a profound affect on your being able to focus.  It facilitates insights in your meditative state.  It enhances your spirituality by awakening higher states of consciousness.  It enhances a greater connection with yourself and others.  It alleviates stress, tension, panic attacks and anxiety.  It is anti-catarrhal, anti-depressant, anti-infectious, anti-tumoral, anti-cancerous, an expectorant, an immune stimulant, a sedative, anti-inflammatory and an antiseptic.  This essential oil assists in oxygenating the pineal and pituitary glands.  It increases white blood cells activity to ward off infection.  Frankincense blends with all essential oils.

I apply this warm balsamic oil to my breast and ovaries twice a week.  Frankincense has deep healing properties.  In meditation you can apply a drop to your 3rd eye (the area between your eyebrows) to increase the connection to your source.

Some countries chew the frankincense resin for its healing properties.  In Arabia, the burning of the frankincense resin is used to repel mosquitoes and sand flies.  Research has found that burning the resin improves the acoustic properties of a room.  In Egypt, it was used to fumigate wheat silos and repel wheat moths.  Research at the University of Munich found its anti-inflammatory properties to relieve pain of arthritis in the joints.  It is used to treat acne, bacterial and fungal infections, wounds and scars.  Frankincense is an amazing essential oil.

Cilantro Pesto (Author Unknown)

Heavy metals affect hormones, thyroid, cancer, neurological disturbances, learning disabilities, allergies, depression and parasites.  The essential oil of coriander Coriandrum sativum is cilantro.  Cilantro has been proven to chelate toxic metals from our bodies.  It is a powerful tissue cleanser.  Two teaspoons of this pesto daily for three weeks is purportedly enough to increase the urinary excretion of mercury, lead and aluminum, effectively removing these metals from our bodies.

Cilantro Chelation Pesto

4 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium)

1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine)

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium)

2 cups packed fresh cilantro (coriander, Chinese parsley, Vitamin A)

2/3 cup flaxseed oil

4 tablespoons lemon juice (Vitamin C)

2 teaspoons dulse powder

Sea salt to taste

Process the cilantro and flaxseed oil in a blender until it is finely chopped.  Add garlic, nuts, seeds, dulse and lemon juice.  Mix until it finely blended into a paste.

Add a pinch to sea salt and blend again.

Store it in a dark glass jar if possible.  It freezes well.  Purchase cilantro in season and fill enough jars to last through the year.

Flavoring agent/flavoring additive approved by the FDA

1 drop of frankincense or 1 tsp of agave or honey

4oz of soymilk or rice milk

Bath of the Ageless

5 drops of frankincense

Draw a bath, get in the tub and add the frankincense to the water.  Enjoy!

Aromatherapy glossary

Anti-microbial:  It destroys microorganisms and suppresses their multiplication and growth.  I.e. cinnamon bark, fennel, frankincense, helichyrsum, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, Melaleuca ericifolia (Tea tree oil), melissa, Mountain savory, myrrh, palmarosa, patchouli, black pepper, pine, rosemary, rosewood, sage, spruce and thyme.

Immune stimulant:  It stimulates the immune systems and supports the endocrine system especially the thymus gland.  I.e. cistus (Rose of Sharon), Eucalyptus radiata, frankincense, lemon, Melaleuca, Mountain savory, oregano, rosewood, spruce, thyme, vetiver and Idaho tansy.

Anti-catarrhal:  It heals and relieves inflamed tissue of the mucous membranes, and bronchials.

The Quote of the month: The best way to predict your future is to create it.

May everyday be a holiday.