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General Description
At present there are approximately twenty species of Frankincense trees that produce the resinous gum which enables Frankincense Oil to be produced. Nearly all the species grow across the African and Asian continents and the most popular species for aromatherapy use goes under the botanical name of ‘Boswellia Carterii’ which is predominately grown in Somalia (Africa).
In our opinion you should only use Somalian Frankincense Oil in Aromatherapy as it boasts a superior natural chemistry to the materials that come from any other country in the world and anywhere else across Africa as this particular African grown Frankincense contains a high percentage of octanol, incensol, Linalool and Octyl acetate which are hardly present at all in any other Frankincense Oil regardless of Origin or botanical name.
History
No aromatic commodity has a more interesting history than Frankincense. The first ever Christmas Story suggests upon the birth of baby Jesus he was visited by three wise men who each gave him a gift of great meaning, as we all know the gifts where Frankincense, Myrrh and Gold.
Personally what fascinates me the most is as early as the seventh century (I think!) Frankincense was one of the most valuable and heavily traded commodities along the Silk Roads. The Silk Roads where a network of connected trade routes that spanned from Europe all the way to the Asian and African continents. Simply put this was World trade in earliest format and Frankincense is said to have had higher value than rare silks, human beings and Gold.
The name Frankincense’ is derived from the Old French meaning 'real incense'. ‘Olibanum’ another name for Frankincense is a corruption through the classical languages of the Arabic luban, which strictly means 'gum' but, in practice, is always applied to this commodity.
In Egyptian history, Queen Hatshepsut, a Pharoah of 18th dynasty Egypt, prized Frankincense so highly that she sent an expedition to the land of Punt, present day Somalia, in order to bring back huge quantities of the gum and the living trees. The expedition, led by one San An Mut took three years and is accredited with being the foundation of the priestly gardens in which medicinal and fragrant plants were studied and used for the next thousand years or more.
At Tel El Amarna, the capital of the heretic king Akhnaten, vast quantities of Frankincense were burned in the streets to ward off pestilence and to perfume the air. The medicinal effects of Frankincense were appreciated early in the history of Egypt (as they are to a certain extent today) and it was also used to an extent in the mummification process but its most important function by far was to carry the supplications of the priests to the gods. This particular use was almost certainly suggested by the contemplative effect of the drug and for its continued use in churches, mosques and other places of worship.
Extraction
Frankincense Oil is obtained by steam distillation of the resin. Whilst this is relatively straight forward a great deal of hard work goes into obtaining the resinous gum and I would like to explain a little about the process involved. Frankincense trees are very odd looking which is probably due to the trees growing mainly in desert conditions, subject to extreme winds, extreme sunshine and a soil which has little in the way of nutrients. In my opinion they look like big bonsai trees.
The tress are bushy in appearance and for many thousands of years, nomadic families continue to travel into the desert to collect the highly prized Frankincense resin (at this stage a milky white resin) which flows from the tree when a tool called a ‘mengaff’ (very sharp at one end and blunt at the other end) is used to scrape about a five-inch section down the trunk of tree. This hardens under the hot sun into amber or orange brown ‘tears’ between the sizes of a pea and a chestnut. The tree is marked and the harvester returns inside a fortnight to scrape what has become hardened Frankincense resin from the tree.
Resins which fall to the ground are collected on large palm leaves placed when first tapping the tree. The process repeats itself for about 3 months during harvesting. The frankincense tears are scraped off into a basket and transported to the ports for world-wide shipment.
Aromatherapy Uses of Frankincense Essential Oil
Along with an impressive history, Frankincense has a wide array of therapeutic uses in the world of Aromatherapy. Frankincense Essential Oil is especially useful for people who suffer with painful muscles and joints. Many qualified aromatherapists will likely recommend blending it with other anti-rheumatic oils such as Celery Seed, Juniper Berry Super, Lavender High Altitude, Marjoram and even Rosemary.
Frankincense oil is regarded as a tonic with particular benefits to oily skins - although to counteract its possible drying effect, it is best to incorporate it into a base cream or dilute in a carrier oil such as Jojoba or Rosehip Seed. Frankincense Essential Oil is highly beneficial in helping people that suffer with sinus conditions, inhale directly from the bottle for a few minutes at a time upto 4 times per day or use in an oil burner and you will benefit from improved conditions.
Safety Data
Frankincense Essential Oil is very safe when used within the normal therapeutic guidelines.
