Frankincense
Botanical Name: Boswellia carteri
Synonym: Olibanum
Botanical Family: Burseraceae
Country of Origin: Middle East
Plant Part: Resin
Extraction Method: Steam Distillation
Characteristics: Rich, warm, woody, spicy, slight lemon scent
Properties:
antiseptic, astringent, carminative, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, sedative, tonic, uterine, vulneraryChemical Constituents:
α-pinene, camphene, octanol, linalool, octyl acetate, bornyl acetate, incensole, incensyl acetate
Indications:
Mind & Spirit:
- Well known for its ability to produce calm.
- Ideal for meditation
- Slows down breathing and expands the consciousness.
- Reduces feelings of fear and anxiety
- Extremely relaxing and grounding.
Body:
- Relieves tension headaches
- Helpful with cystitis and genital infections
- Clears the lungs, use for asthma, catarrh, coughs, colds, bronchitis and laryngitis.
- Soothes the stomach easing digestion.
Contraindications: Nil
Note: Base
Odour Intensity: 7
Blends well with:
Basil, bergamot, black pepper, geranium, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lime, myrrh, neroli, orange, patchouli, pine, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, vetiver, ylang ylang
Traditions:
In Egypt Frankincense was burnt at alters as an offering to the gods and was used to aid meditation which is still in practice in some religions today. It was also used to fumigate the sick to banish evil spirits. The Egyptians and Hebrews spent a fortune importing it from the Phoenicians, the value of frankincense was almost as much as gold in those days, hence the offering of it as a gift to the baby Jesus. The Chinese found it useful in treating tuberculosis of the lymph glands and leprosy.