Tag Archives: frankincense

Doterra Essential Oil Reviews: Frankincense

Posted on 5 June, 2017 by Will Nicolson | Leave a comment

In case you hadn’t already noticed, we’re big on essential oils. We use them for anything from fighting off colds to cleaning around the house. It’s fair to say that there’s a doTERRA essential oil for almost any ailment, and in the right hands essential oils can really be a powerful therapeutic tool. Today, my focus is going to be on doTERRA’s frankincense essential oil, easily one of our top five most-used essential oils. Stay tuned for more reviews on our favorite oils, as we examine the scientific evidence for their effectiveness and how they help us on a personal level.

Frankincense essential oil uses

Frankincense essential oil is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and analgesic…meaning it can be used for a wide range of applications in and around the home. Here’s a quick overview of the more popular uses for doTERRA’s frankincense essential oil.

Relieve indigestion

Frankincense essential oil can help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as gas, bloating, tummy aches, constipation, IBS and cramps. Frankincense essential oil acts similar to a digestive enzyme, speeding up the process by which your gastrointestinal system breaks down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. You can simply rub frankincense oil straight on your stomach to get the benefits, or, if you’re planning on taking it internally, make sure you use only 100% therapeutic-grade essential oil. If you’re using doTERRA frankincense essential oil, it meets this important criterion so you’re good to go.

Treat skin problems

For whatever reason, anecdotal evidence suggests that frankincense essential oil can speed up the healing of superficial wounds and visibly reduce scarring over time. It can be used to treat eczema (just make sure you mix it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba to reduce potential sensitivities), stretch marks, blemishes, and acne. Remember: a little goes a long way, so just a drop or two mixed with a carrier oil should be enough for each application.

Relieve joint and muscle pain

This is where the anti-inflammatory powers of frankincense really come into their own. Frankincense has been used to effectively relieve joint pain, muscle pain, and areas of swelling from blunt trauma injuries. Usually just rubbing a drop of doTERRA frankincense essential oil along with a small amount of carrier oil on the affected area is the most effective way of treating the inflammation and pain, but for faster relief try putting a drop of frankincense on a warm, moist towel and leave it on the affected area until it cools.

Reduce wrinkles and signs of aging

Frankincense essential oil is an astringent, meaning it causes the skin cells to contract and appear smoother and younger. This means that applying frankincense to your skin, along with a moisturizing carrier oil like jojoba or coconut, can not only reduce the development of wrinkles, it can actually make your skin appear younger. Essentially the same as what a toner and moisturizer would do, but without the chemicals and nasty side effects.

Alleviate stress

The aroma of frankincense oil is amazingly soothing, make it a great companion to lavender essential oil for relieving stress and relaxing your mind and body. The best way to whip up an anti-stress remedy with doTERRA frankincense essential oil is to simply put 3-4 drops in your diffuser and allow the aromatics to spread throughout your home. If you haven’t yet invested in a diffuser, sprinkle 2-3 drops in a hot bath and soak away your worries for 20 blissful minutes.

The science behind frankincense oil benefits

It’s one thing to read about all the anecdotal success that people have had with frankincense essential oil, but what about the cold, hard facts? I’ve reviewed the scientific literature, and here’s what I found.

Frankincense oil fights cancer

Happily, the claim that frankincense can actually inhibit the development of cancer is very much true. There’s countless articles in the literature demonstrating frankincense essential oils ability to kill tumor cells and induce cancer cell death. In addition to fighting breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, frankincense has also been shown to alleviate bladder cancer via oxidative stress.

Frankincense oil and immunity

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of evidence to back up this claim, however what research has been completed suggests that frankincense essential oil exhibits “lymphoproliferative activity“. This means that it supports your lymphatic system, a critical part of a healthy functioning immune system.

Frankincense oil and microbes

There’s plenty of research showing the antimicrobial prowess of frankincense essential oil (which comes from the genus Boswellia, FYI). As this study indicated, frankincense essential oils were particularly effective against the fungal strains B. carteri, B. papyrifera and C. albicans. Another article indicated that frankincense may also be effective against B. cereus and E. coli.

Frankincense oil and inflammation

They weren’t lying when they said that frankincense is anti-inflammatory. This 2006 study tested frankincense’s anti-inflammatory effects on mice, and the results were favorable. Another study in the same year indicated that frankincense species are effective in treating a range of chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative bronchitis. Another study found much the same thing, concluding that frankincense can be used to treat inflammatory diseases and inflammatory pain.

Our personal experience with frankincense essential oil

We probably bust open a bottle of doTERRA frankincense essential oil 2-3 times a week. I use frankincense oil on the bottom of my feet after my bi-weekly sprint sessions, as I used to have plantar fasciitis and it reduces post-workout inflammation. I also use frankincense on a mole or two on my stomach that I don’t want to turn into melanomas, and I often mix it in with some coconut oil and lavender essential oil to create a soothing aftershave, or even a beard oil when I’m giving my razor the cold shoulder. Liivi likes to diffuse frankincense when she’s feeling uptight or stressed, and rubs some on her adenoids when she feels a sore throat coming on.

If you’re keen on getting your hands on some wonderful therapeutic-grade frankincense essential oil, or you’d like to learn more, click here.

doTERRA Balance Essential Oil: Benefits & How to Use

Posted on 4 February, 2015 by liivih | Leave a comment

Don’t we all need a little more balance in our lives? This is definitely something that I’m seeking in my quest for a slower, more natural lifestyle.

Even if you’re rushing around in the city, at the office, through the supermarket, in and out of appointments and vehicles, you can maintain a little bit of connection to the Earth with the grounding, woodsy scent of Balance.

Balance is one of my favourite essential oil blends. To begin with I know it’s pure and safe for the one precious body I have to care for, because of where it comes from. Whenever I inhale it, I immediately get images of beautiful shady trees, dappled sunlight and warm earth. My lungs open, I breathe deeper, and I feel muscles that I didn’t even know were tense begin to relax. I feel clearer like I’ve just taken a mini little mental walk in the forest.

The blend is made up of 5 different essential oils in a base of coconut oil. Frankincense, Blue Chamomile, Blue Tansy, Ho Wood, and Spruce. Each of these have potent molecular activity on the brain and cell processes, however even just the pure aroma itself, and the act of taking a quiet moment to yourself to inhale it, is very therapeutic.

Here are some details about the 5 essential oils which make up Balance: (source)

Spruce: Spruce is found to ground the body and balance our ability to give and receive. Its herbaceous scent helps expand the bronchials to deepen breathing and release tension or emotional blocks that may reside in the throat, jaw and chest.
Ho Wood: Ho Wood is slowly taking the place of Rosewood. Rosewood is becoming endangered and so good companies are choosing to remove it from their blends. It is very similar in composition, just simply more sustainable. Ho Wood is a powerful sedative, offering grounding and calming effects on the nervous system and emotions.
Frankincense: This oil has been used for centuries in physical and emotional healing. It contains sesquiterpenes, which oxygenate the pineal and pituitary gland, passing the blood brain barrier to promote brain health. It strengthens skin and nails and promotes cellular regeneration to prevent the appearance of aging. It also balances mood and strengthens a person’s spiritual connection and sense of understanding. See more on this incredible essential oil here.
Blue Tansy: This is a detoxifying oil, thought to help detoxify the liver and lymphatic system, which is closely related to the emotions of anger and depression. The mind-body connection allows this oil to aid in promoting self-control and well-being.
Blue Chamomile: A calming and sedative oil, Blue Chamomile has also shown properties of being pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory, which helps when dealing with stress, joint support and muscle health.

Why buy ready-made essential oil blends?

It’s fun to make your own blends too (I’ve collected lots of recipes on Pinterest) but when you buy a pre-made blend you know that it has the correct and unique proportions which make the plant constituents interact and compliment each other effectively. With so many incredible properties in one bottle, the Balance blend from doTERRA can take a lot of the guess work out of worrying about which oil to use.

The therapeutic-grade quality of each individual oil and the particular proportion of each is what makes Balance such a valuable and effective tool for grounding techniques.

When and how to use the Balance blend

These are suggestions gathered from various essential oil resources and success stories. Use them as inspiration to see what works for you and your family. If in doubt or if you’re using oils on babies / children / during pregnancy or breast-feeding, please dilute your oils with a carrier oil such as coconut oil, and research first.

Topical uses for Balance

Use topically for the following conditions. Apply 2-3 drops to the bottom of the feet in the morning, at bedtime, or when experiencing symptoms. You can also apply oils specifically to reflex points on the feet that are associated with particular organs or systems in the body.

The reason that oils are recommended to apply to the feet is that the feet have the largest pores, so applying oils here lets them enter the blood stream quickly (20-30 seconds). The feet also have hardy skin which won’t be irritated by any hot or tingly oils (although Balance is not a hot oil – this is more for oils like cinnamon, clove, oregano)

The throat, back of the neck, wrists, around the ears on the lymph nodes, and on the solar plexus are also good places to apply oils topically.

Note about topical use: If you ever feel that an oil is too intense on your skin, do not apply water – water and oil don’t mix so it won’t help. Just apply more clean carrier oil (ie coconut oil) to the area. This will dilute the oil and relieve the sensation quickly.

ADHD or lack of focus
Anxiety, stress and mental or emotional balance
Back pain and muscle pain (you can also use a blend such as Deep Blue)
Bursitis
Brain healing and regeneration
Convulsions and seizures (after seeking medical attention)
Hot flashes
Jet lag
Lupus
Metabolism balance
Parkinson’s disease
Patience
Vertigo
Spirituality

Aromatic Uses

Using a diffuser is the best way to breathe the benefits of essential oils. The Home Essentials Kit comes with one plus lots of oils to get started with, at a hefty discount.

You can also inhale straight from the bottle, put a few drops in your hands and inhale, use a diffuser necklace.

ADD / ADHD and Focus
Anxiety
Depression – you can also use an elevating blend like Citrus Bliss
Dizziness
Energy
Grief or a feeling of loss
Grounding
Hot flashes
Hyperactivity
Jet lag
Mood, balance and stress-relief
Vertigo
Spirituality

Internal Use

The Balance blend is not recommended for internal use; most blends are not (other than OnGuard and Slim & Sassy which have been tested as safe for consumption). It’s easy to check by just glancing at the back of the bottle – if it doesn’t have a “Supplement Facts” table on the back, that means you should not consume that oil internally.

Want a free bottle of Balance?

During the month of February 2015 my doTERRA team is running a promotion. If you grab a kit with us this month, you’ll be entered for a chance to win!

Balance doesn’t come in some of the smaller kits so it would be great to grab a free bonus one. Or even if you do choose a kit that contains Balance, an extra bottle is great to have on hand to send to school or work with your loved ones, lend to a friend in need, or to replenish your supply quickly since it’s such a versatile, use-many-times-a-day sort of blend.

Go HERE for more info on essential oils, and why I choose to use the doTERRA brand

Go HERE to get started and buy your oils. doTERRA’s Balance is also available for $22 on Amazon.com

Go HERE to learn about partnering with Dani and I in our heartfelt holistic business

Go HERE to get in touch with questions!

How to find relief from stress and anxiety with essential oils

Posted on 6 January, 2015 by liivih | Leave a comment

This is a follow-up to my previous post on anxiety. In addition to breathing techniques, music and other strategies I’ve talked about before, I’ve recently discovered the wonderful potential of essential oils.

Not just a pretty scent…

We all understand that smelling something pretty, like inhaling the perfume of a rose for example, makes you feel happy. But it’s worth understanding a little deeper, because the therapeutic power of essential oils goes a lot further than that.

Without going too deep into the sciencey part, when your nose detects a scent, it means that tiny molecules have evaporated from an object, and entered your nose. The molecules interlock with specialized receptors and communicate with the brain through the olfactory bulb. This captures information from the scent molecules, and actually helps to form and record memories.

Ever had a sudden flashback from smelling an aroma wafting from a restaurant, or the perfume of someone walking by? I can totally recall the moldy, nasty but comfort-inducing scent of my parents’ old minivan, for example (lol). When you think about it, scent has a profound effect on our memories, feelings and emotions.

What you inhale affects your health

We all understand that inhaling bad molecules from the air can negatively affect our health. Car exhaust, glue fumes, poison gases, cigarette smoke, mold spores and airborne viruses for example. We easily acknowledge that these things, which we can’t see with our naked eye, wreak havoc on our health when we smell and inhale them into the body.

So what if good, happy, healthy airborne molecules could do the opposite? Re-program our system for better balance and energy, and help prevent and reverse illness? Well surprise, they can! Essential oils are the lifeblood of plants; they are the substances that help protect and support the successful growth of the plant. When they are harvested through gentle methods from excellent quality plants, they form wonderfully rich natural medicines for the human body.

And it doesn’t stop there…

Out of all five senses, smell is the only one directly linked to the limbic system in the brain, which is our emotional control center. The limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels, arousal, and hormone balance. What this means is that essential oil molecules can impact not just emotion, but the body’s physical function.

All of these physical functions compile to form the body’s sympathetic and asympathetic nervous systems. The asympathetic system is the one you want to activate to calm down and turn off the stress response. Influencing the limbic system with essential oils is one way you can directly activate the asympathetic nervous system, like pressing a “chill out” button.

In summary, the use of therapeutic grade essential oils can have profound effects on our physical and emotional well-being. Recent research is showing that essential oils may help relieve symptoms just as effectively as medication, but without the side effects of anxiety drugs.

The best essential oils for anxiety and stress relief

Frankincense

Frankincense is a beautiful, warm woody oil distilled from the sap of the boswellia tree. The sap is sustainably harvested in crystal form, as shown here. Then it’s steamed and the distilled oil is collected.

The sesquiterpene molecules in frankincense help calm anxiety and create feelings of joy and happiness, by stimulating healthy neurotransmitter and hormone production from the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands.

I like to rub frankincense on my face as it helps smooth and heal the skin, and that way I can inhale its calming scent and get a prettier complexion while I’m at it.

Lavender

Lavender oil is distilled from the flowering tips of the lavender plant. Hundreds of pounds are collected and steamed to make the precious essential oil.

Lavender oil has been commonly used for centuries as an antiseptic, a natural antibiotic, an insect repellent and a calming sedative.

Lavender is well-known as a natural sleep aid to bring relief from insomnia. I like to put a few drops on my pillow before I go to bed, or add some to my epsom salt bath water.

During the day I also mix a few drops with a little bit of frankincense and rub on the back of my neck. This is a nice stress-relieving ritual; take a few deep breaths as you massage your neck and clear your mind a bit. The warmth of the skin helps waft the calming aroma into the air.

Citrus Oils

Citrus oils are made by distilling the oil-rich peels of fruits such as Sweet Orange, Bergamot, and Lemon.

They are excellent for the purpose of uplifting the mood, creating a sense of well-being and chasing away those dark shadows in the corners of an anxious mind. They are said to aid in the body’s ability to respond to stress and also help with circulation and detox.

I like to diffuse these oils at home for a freshening and uplifting vibe. You can also add a drop of therapeutic-grade citrus essential oils to your drinking water or to recipes.

Quality is important

Please take into account the quality of the essential oils you purchase. By using natural medicine you are already saving a huge amount of expense on conventional medical care, plus the lost time you would have wasted with being sick, plus the side effects and toxicity that medications place on the body.

So it’s worth investing in the best quality essential oils to apply and inhale into your one precious body.

Drug-store or health food store grade oils are often laced with synthetics and they have very few quality standards applied. I choose to respect my body and my health, and in turn get the best results (!) by only using the best essential oils. Here is where I buy mine.

Please share your tips…

What oils do you like to use to relieve stress and anxiety? What strategies do you combine with essential oils? Please share so we can all help each other! :)

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