Frankincense Essential Oil
The name of Frankincense oil comes from the word "franc encens," meaning in French "high-quality incense." It was called a "true incense," the most attractive of all the other forms of incense.
The essential oil of the Frankincense tree which is common to particular regions of Africa and the Middle East is extracted from the dried and distilled resin.
BOTANICAL NAME
Boswellia Carterii
ORIGIN
Southern Arabian Peninsula (United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen)
East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan)
Botanical family
Burseraceae
Additional names
Olibanum, Oil from Lebanon. The name is derived from the Medieval French word for “real incense.”
Region grown
Somalia
Plant part used
Gum/resin
Extraction method
Steam distilled from gum/resin
- Boswellia carterii is produced from the milky white sap secreted by the Frankincense flower, commonly known as Frankincense.
- Within a few days of having the sap droplets of the tree to dry and harden into tear-shapes on the tree, they are eventually scraped off to be rendered into an essential oil.
BACKGROUND
The essential oil of Frankincense is called a blessed oil in the Middle East, where it has been used for thousands of years in religious ceremonies and was one of Christ's gifts at birth In the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian scroll from about 1500 BCE, Frankincense is listed, which records its use.
USES
- It is a soft, woody fragrance that is sedative and boosts morale while enhancing focus and performance by reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
- The anti-septic oil makes a good home-made cleaner and disinfectant for washing indoor environments, eliminating harmful bacteria, and deodorizing some home space.
- Combined with baking soda and basic lemon oil, this produces a scrubbing agent that is effective to absorb stains and leave the area unsoiled and aromatic.
- It can be mixed with water and essential thyme oil to wipe down areas such as countertops to use it with a dishcloth.
