Guide to essential oils

Essential oil of Frankincense

Highly spiritual, frankincense essential oil is used to calm tension. Harmonising, it's also good to use when morale is low. In psycho-energetic aromatherapy and olfactotherapy, it is used to soften mental rigidity, moderate obsessions and lift resistance to change. Purifying, frankincense essential oil also clears the respiratory tract and stimulates the body.

How to use

  • Skin application and massage

    Skin application and massage

    Suitable

  • Diffusion

    Diffusion

    Suitable

  • Aromatherapy bath

    Aromatherapy bath

    Appropriate

  • Cosmetic active ingredient

    Cosmetic active ingredient

    Suitable

Features

Properties and uses

Precautions

Find out more

Features

Production process

Complete distillation by low-pressure steam distillation

Part of the plant used

Oleoresin gum

Botanical name

Boswellia carterii

Warning

The properties, information and methods of use below are quotes from reference books or websites on aromatherapy, hydrolatherapy and phytotherapy. This general information is provided for informative purposes only and in no way constitutes medical guidance. Under no circumstances can this information be used as a substitute for a medical diagnosis, consultation or follow-up, nor can it incur our liability. We recommend that you consult the guide to essential oils before using them, so that you are aware of any precautions that need to be taken. If in doubt, consult a doctor before using essential oils.

Properties and uses

Frankincense oil is traditionally used for : Anguish, anxiety, panic attacks, wrinkles, fine lines, depression (nervous), low mood),bedsores, immunity (stimulates the immune system).

Health

Beauty

Wellness

Fragrance

Find out more

Properties

Frankincense essential oil is renowned for its health properties:

  • Traditionally reputed to support the natural immune system

  • Anticatarrhal, expectorant

  • Skin healing

Uses

It is traditionally used to improve the following situations:

  • Breathing problems: bronchitis, asthma

  • Immune system: reduced immunity

  • Skin problems : skin ulcers, dry wounds, scabs

In practice

Stimulates the immune defence system: Mix into your oil blend. Massage your mixture locally along the spine, on joints and muscles.

Respiratory comfort: Mix in your oil blend. Massage or rub your blend into the chest and upper back.

Respiratory comfort: By air diffusion.

Precautions

  • Not recommended during the first three months of pregnancy.

  • Not for internal use.

  • Always dilute for cutaneous application.

  • Keep out of reach of children.

  • Certain natural compounds contained in this essential oil may present a risk of allergy in certain sensitive individuals when the essential oil is incorporated into a cosmetic composition (according to the 7th Amendment of the European Directive on cosmetic products (2003/15/EC)): limonene, and to a lesser extent, linalool.

  • As a general rule, always carry out a test application of your mixture, in the crease of the elbow, at least 48 hours before using it.

  • Dangerous. Observe safety precautions.

  • Flammable liquid and vapour. May cause skin allergy. Causes skin irritation (risk associated with the product in its pure form). May be fatal if swallowed or if it enters the respiratory tract (if accidentally swallowed, do not induce vomiting). Very toxic to aquatic organisms, causing long-term adverse effects (in the event of massive spillage of the product into a watercourse).

Find out more

Frankincense is the name given to the resin of a shrub with small white or pink flowers: Boswellia. Incisions are made in its trunk to extract the whitish, aromatic resinous substance, which turns orange as it hardens.

A sacred substance among all others, incense is probably the most powerful resin in the world.

Equivalents

Essential Oils

1 ml = approximately 35 drops (with our Aroma-Zone dropper caps)

Carrier oils

1 pump (Aroma-Zone aluminium pump) = approx. 0.15 ml

Mass / Volume conversion (for a liquid)

Mass (g) = Density x Volume (ml) at 20°C

Further information

1 full teaspoon = between 3 and 4.5 ml

1 full tablespoon = between 7.5 and 10 ml


However, these spoon ratios depend on a number of factors (e.g. viscosity of the liquid, temperature, depth and size of the spoon, rheological behaviour of the liquid), and we strongly advise you to use precise measuring equipment, such as graduated test tubes, graduated pipettes, and precision scales.

Aromatherapy recipes from the bibliography

EO = Essential Oil VO = Carrier Oil or Macerated Oil

Baby Blues - "A shot in the arm against baby blues" (for breast-feeding mothers, on medical advice) (N. Purchon)

Health & wellbeingProduct for pregnant or breastfeeding women

  • Bergamot essential oil: 60 drops

  • True Lavender essential oil: 60 drops

  • Geranium or Frankincense essential oil: 40 drops

  • Grapefruit or Mandarin essential oil: 40 drops

Directions for use: Pour a teaspoonful of Grape Seed oil and 10 drops of the mixture into a bowl. Mix and pour into the bath, shaking the water Use: After a shower, moisten a damp glove with 2 or 3 drops of the mixture. Lightly rub over the body.

For a body massage, add 15 drops of the mixture to a tablespoon of Grape Seed oil.

The product can also be used for deep massages, kneading the flesh Note Aroma-Zone: Bergamot and Grapefruit essential oils are photosensitising. Do not expose yourself to the sun after applying this preparation. We recommend replacing them with Bergamot and Grapefruit essential oils without furocoumarins, which are not phototoxic.

Nervous breakdown in adults (D. Baudoux)

Health & wellbeingNerve pain and disorders

  • Marjoram essential oil: 3 drops

  • Petitgrain essential oil: 5 drops

  • Ravintsara essential oil: 2 drops

  • Ylang-Ylang essential oil: 2 drops

  • Lemon Verbena essential oil: 1 drop

  • Frankincense essential oil: 1 drop

Use: 3 drops of the mixture on the solar plexus and on the inside of the wrists 2 to 3 times a day Note Aroma-Zone: Lemon Verbena essential oil is photosensitising. Do not expose yourself to the sun after applying this preparation.

Distress, Phobia (D. Baudoux)

Health & wellbeingNerve pain and disorders

  • Frankincense essential oil: 0.5 ml

  • Myrrh essential oil: 0.5 ml

  • Rose essential oil: 0.5 ml

  • Marjoram: 1 ml

  • Chamomile: 1 ml

  • Seville orange essential oil: 1 ml

Use: 3 to 4 drops as needed on the solar plexus or chakras or along the spine.

Immune suppression (D. Baudoux)

Health & wellbeingLow energy, fatigue

blend 1

  • Clove essential oil: 2 drops

  • Ravintsara essential oil: 5 drops

  • Tea tree essential oil: 3 drops

  • Frankincense essential oil: 1 drop

Use: 10 drops of blend 1 on the chest and 10 drops of blend 1 on the back 3 times a day for 3 weeks.

Anxieties (D. Festy)

Health & wellbeingNerve pain and disorders

  • Rosewood essential oil: 4 ml

  • Roman chamomile essential oil: 1 ml

  • Ylang-ylang essential oil: 3 ml

  • Frankincense essential oil: 1 ml

  • Myrrh essential oil: 1 ml

Use: Diffuse this mixture for 20 minutes. Repeat if necessary up to 3 times a day.

Stopping smoking (A. Maillard)

Health & wellbeingNerve pain and disorders

Olfactory use: Aroma-Zone tip for stopping smoking Use in a 10 ml tinted glass bottle with dropper

  • Sandalwood, Santalum album essential oil 1.5 ml

  • Frankincense, Boswelia carterii essential oil 0.5 ml

  • Mentholated essential oil, Eucalyptus dives essential oil 0.5 ml

  • Peppermint, Mentha x piperita essential oil 0.5 ml or 10 to 15 drops

  • apricot kernel carrier oil 7 ml

For each time you feel the compulsion: 1 drop on the inside of the wrists, while inhaling deeply 5 times in succession. Repeat 6 to 8 times a day throughout the withdrawal period. CONTRA-INDICATIONS: people with cardiac and/or hypertensive issues, people with epilepsy, pregnant and breastfeeding women. Extract from the book 'Le grand guide de l'aromathérapie et des soins beauté naturels', by Aude Maillard and Aroma-Zone, published by J'ai Lu, 2016

.

Inhalation for anxiety (R. Wilson)

Health & wellbeingNerve pain and disorders

  • 3 drops Benzoin oleoresin or absolute

  • 2 drops Geranium Essential Oil

  • 2 drops Rosewood Essential Oil

  • 2 drops Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil

  • 1 drop Frankincense Essential Oil

  • 1 drop Vetiver Essential Oil

Procedure: Mix all the ingredients in a small airtight bottle Use: Breathe directly over the bottle to soothe or prevent an anxiety attack. Repeat as often as necessary.

Nervous shock in adults (Aroma News - NARD)

Health & wellbeingNerve pain and disorders

  • essential oil Chamaemelum nobile (Roman chamomile): 2 ml

  • Citrus aurantium ssp aurantium fe (Seville orange): 2 ml

  • Boswellia carterii essential oil (Frankincense olibanum): 0.5 ml

  • Cinnamomum camphora essential oil (Ravintsara): 0.5 ml

Use: 3 to 4 drops on the solar plexus, the inside of the wrists, the arch of the foot or along the spine 4 to 5 times a day.

Painful, tense neck and cervical spine (L. Bosson)

Health & wellbeingMuscles and joints

  • Elémi essential oil: 8 drops

  • Peppermint essential oil: 2 drops

  • Frankincense frankincense essential oil: 1 drop

Use: Massage into painful areas.

Bibliography

1

'Huiles essentielles - 2000 ans de découvertes aromathérapeutiques pour une médecine d'avenir'

Dominique Baudoux

2

Aromatherapy

Dr Jean Valnet - Éditions Maloine

3

"L'Aromathérapie exactement"

P. Franchomme and Dr D. Pénoël

4

'La Bible de l'aromathérapie'

Nerys Purchon

5

"ABC des huiles essentielles"

Dr Telphon

6

"ABC des huiles essentielles"

Dr Telphon

7

Aromatherapy

Nelly Grosjean

8

'Les huiles essentielles pour votre santé'

G. Roulier

9

'Les cahiers pratiques de l'aromathérapie française - Pédiatrie'

Dominique Baudoux - Editions Amyris

10

Aroma-News newsletters

The NARD association

11

'Aromatherapy - Healing with essential oils'

Dominique Baudoux - Editions Amyris