Boswellia carterii aka Olibanum resin, steam distilled from Egypt.
Frankincense resin begins as a milky-white sticky liquid that flows from the trunk of the tree when it's cut, healing the wound.
Aroma: A base note with a medium aroma, Frankincense Essential Oil has a warm and spicy, woody odour, sometimes with a hint of citrus. It is a grounding aroma, and often used in meditation.
History: Frankincense has been widely known since biblical times. Frankincense is from the French word 'Franc' meaning 'luxuriant' or it could be 'real incense'. Also known as Olibanum, Frankincense was used by the ancient Egyptians in their religious ceremonies and was used as incense by the Greeks and the Romans.
Common Uses: Frankincense works on the nervous system, relaxing and revitalizing. It has long been used for making incense, helping calm and prepare the body-mind for meditation and prayer.
The therapeutic properties of frankincense oil include use as an antiseptic, astringent, carminative, digestive, diuretic, sedative, tonic and expectorant. Frankincense oil is said to help rejuvenate an aging skin, is a skin tonic and is effective with bacterial and fungal infections. The anti-inflammatory properties of this oil is reputed to be an effective treatment for joint pain and arthritis. Frankincense can also be used as an insect repellent and is also widely used in cosmetics and soap manufacturing.
Possible Uses: Anxiety, asthma, bronchitis, extreme coughing, scars, stress, stretch marks. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 59-67.] Frankincense is used in religious ceremonies as an incense to unite body and mind in preparation for prayer and meditation - TTF
Colour: Light Yellow to green
Consistency: Thin to medium
Perfumery Note: Base
Strength of Initial Aroma: Mild - Medium
Constituents: Limonene 11-15%, a-Pinene 41.3% (32-45%), Borneol, Farnesol, Phellandrene, Myrcene [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]
octanol: 7-9%
para-mercrene 9-12%
a-thujene 509%
Cautions: Frankincense oil is non-toxic and non-irritant and could be used by most people. Some sources however advise caution "Dilute before use; for external use only. May cause skin irritation in some individuals; a skin test is recommended prior to use. Contact with eyes should be avoided."
Safety Information: Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand does not indicate any special precautions when using this oil. [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 206.]
Photo By Mauro Raffaelli (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons