Frankincense essential oil uses for skin are well known. It is a type of essential oil that is used in aromatherapy. It is one of the most powerful and versatile oils in the whole group of essential oils. There are a variety of benefits that frankincense offer to your skin, hair, and health. if we talk about the health benefits specifically, it can help in reducing stress, boosting the immune system, improving digestion and many more. In this article, I am going to discuss frankincense oil benefits and uses for the skin. Keep reading to find out how frankincense can help you get the glowing and flawless skin.
Essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. If we talk about the history of essential oils then you would find that they have been used for thousands of years for aromatherapy for their therapeutic and healing properties. So, let’s talk about frankincense.
Table of Contents
What Is Frankincense Essential Oil?
Frankincense, also known as olibanum is an aromatic resin obtained from the trees of the genus Boswellia. The essential oil of frankincense is produced by steam distillation of resin of the Boswellia sacra, Boswellia carterii, Boswellia serrata or Boswellia frereana trees. It has a nice balsamic sweet fragrance. Frankincense is an ingredient that is widely used for making perfumes, skincare products, and incense sticks.
Now, when it comes down to skincare, frankincense essential oil provides a range of benefits to your skin. It can reduce the appearance of scars and acne. It strengthens your skin, improves its elasticity and prevents skin aging. It can also heal dry or cracked skin. It improves the defense mechanism of your skin against bacteria and infections. It can also be beneficial for fading stretch marks and surgery scars.
Frankincense Essential Oil Uses For Skin
1. Treats Acne
Frankincense essential oil can help you get rid of acne. It improves the tone and defense mechanism of the skin to fight acne-causing bacteria. It has anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing swelling and redness. It would also give you relief from pain caused by acne.
Studies show that frankincense essential oil reduces redness and irritation in the skin and produces an even skin tone. It has been found to have a soothing effect on irritated skin, which is due to the pentacyclic triterpene (steroid-like) structure shared in different boswellic acid compounds. (Source)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Jojoba Oil (Buy Here)
- 2-3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (Buy Here)
How To Use
- Take one tablespoon of jojoba oil. Mix 2-3 drops of frankincense essential oil with it. Apply it twice a day on the area concerned.
- Repeat it until you actually see the results.
Why Does It Work
- Jojoba oil is one of the best carrier oil for your skin. It has antibacterial properties that fight the growth of harmful bacteria which could lead to acne breakouts. It contains vitamin A and vitamin E which are powerful antioxidants that prevent cell damage by fighting free radicals. Scientific research suggests that jojoba oil can help in healing skin lesion and mild acne (source)
2. Prevents Skin Aging
Frankincense essential oil has astringent properties which means it causes the contraction of skin cells to tighten the skin and reduce the appearance of pores. It improves the elasticity of the skin and strengthens it. It regenerates skin cells to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Argan Oil (Buy Here)
- 2-3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (Buy Here)
How To Use
- Take one tablespoon of argan oil. Add 2-3 drops of frankincense essential oil with it. Apply it twice a day on your skin.
Why Does It Work
- Argan oil contains fatty acids that hydrate your skin. It also contains linoleic acid which improves the elasticity of the skin. It tightens the pores and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It contains vitamin E, an antioxidant that prevents cell damage by neutralizing free radicals.
3. Helps In Fading Scars And Wound Healing
Frankincense oil can be beneficial for wound healing and fading acne scars, stretch marks or surgery scars. It has cicatrisant properties that help in wound healing. It works on the cellular level to repair damaged skin cells and stimulate the healthy regeneration of new cells to fade away scars and dark spots.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil (Buy Here)
- 2-3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (Buy Here)
How To Use
- Take one tablespoon of coconut oil. Mix it with 2-3 drops of frankincense oil. Apply it twice a day on the area concerned.
- Repeat until you see the desired result.
Why Does It Work
- Coconut oil helps in wound healing by increasing the production of collagen. It acts as an antioxidant to repair damaged skin cells and help in repairing the wounded area of the skin. It is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids which have antimicrobial properties that protect your skin from harmful bacteria and infection. Scientific studies have also shown that the topical application of coconut oil can be beneficial for wound healing(source). Coconut oil also has anti-inflammatory properties which reduce swelling and heal acne scars.
4. Soothes Dry Skin
Frankincense oil can help in the soothing of dry skin. It deeply penetrates the skin to remove dead cells and encourage regeneration of new cells(as I mentioned earlier) to rejuvenate your skin. It also prevents premature skin aging which is caused by dehydration of the skin.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (Buy Here)
- 2-3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (Buy Here)
How To Use
- Take one tablespoon of olive oil. Mix 2-3 drops of frankincense essential oil with it. Apply it on your skin.
- Repeat it every day.
Why Does It Work
- Olive oil is a humectant which means it attracts moisture to the skin and seals it in the pores for a long time. It has a number of antioxidants that protect your skin from the harmful effects of free radicals.
5. Heals Sunburns
Frankincense oil is one of the effective remedies for soothing sunburned skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties reduce swelling and relieve pain. Since frankincense oil promotes cell regeneration, it would help in healing sunburned skin and restore the skin’s original luster.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel (Buy Here)
- 2-3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (Buy Here)
How To Use
- Take one tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Mix 2-3 drops of frankincense essential oil with it. Apply it to the area concerned.
- Repeat it until you see the desired result.
Why Does It Work
- Aloe Vera is very effective in soothing sunburn. It provides protective effects against sunburn by preventing UV-induced suppression. It contains glycoprotein which helps in reducing pain and inflammation. It also hydrates sunburnt skin and prevents burning sensation.
6. Controls Oily Skin
Oily skin is caused by the overproduction of sebum on the surface of the skin by the sebaceous gland. You must know that oily skin is a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus which could lead to pimples and acne. Frankincense oil works for oily skin by balancing the production of sebum in the skin. Oily skin type is more likely to have pores that look large and visible since you cannot shrink the size of pores physically, you can minimize the appearance of pores. Here, in this case, frankincense essential oil can help in minimizing the appearance of pores.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Rosehip Oil (Buy Here)
- 2-3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (Buy Here)
How To Use
- Take one tablespoon of rosehip oil. Mix 2-3 drops of frankincense essential oil with it. Apply it on your skin as a daily skin toner.
Why Does It Work
- Rosehip Seed Oil is a great carrier oil for oily skin. It is rich in linoleic acids which is unsaturated omega-6 acids. Linoleic acids help in reducing excess oil on the surface of the skin. Studies have shown that oily skin tends to have low levels of linoleic acids(source). So, fulfilling the deficiency of linoleic acid can help in reducing excess oil in the skin. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties which would protect your skin from harmful bacteria and fungal infections.
7. Makes Skin Glowing
Frankincense essential oil is great for all skin types. It tightens your skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It keeps your skin hydrated and prevent dryness. It is also very effective in the evening your skin tone by fading dark spots. It rejuvenates your skin and makes it soft and smooth.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Grapeseed Oil (Buy Here)
- 2-3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (Buy Here)
How To Use
- Take one tablespoon of grapeseed oil. Mix 2-3 drops of frankincense essential oil with it. Apply it on your skin twice a day.
- Repeat it every day.
Why Does It Work
- Grapeseed oil contains linoleic acid(the shortest-chained omega-6 fatty acids) that works best for oily skin and acne-prone skin. Scientific studies suggest that people having acne-prone skin tend to have low levels of linoleic acid in the skin(source). So, grapeseed oil can be one of the best carrier oil for acne-prone and oily skin. It contains vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant that prevents cell damage by fighting free radicals and prevent skin aging. Vitamin E is very helpful in fading acne scars and evening skin tone. It is also a great moisturizer for your skin. Thus using grapeseed oil as a carrier oil would help you get soft and glowing skin.
In a study, it was found that topical application of linoleic acid on the size of microcomedones(baby pimples) in patients with mild acne resulted in an almost 25% reduction in the overall size of microcomedones being achieved over a one‐month treatment period. (source)
Precautions
- Be sure to do a patch test to make sure your skin does not have an adverse reaction to the oils. The inner forearm is a great place to do a test since the skin is delicate, similar to facial skin.
- Additionally, pregnant women, infants, and young children should avoid certain essential oils. so be sure to do your homework beforehand.
- Keep the DIY recipe container away from sunlight.
- If you are using an essential oil blend then make sure to apply sunscreen before going out in the sun, as some essential oils can be photosensitive.
- If You have any skin disease, chronic health condition then consult your medical practitioner before applying essential oil on your skin.
- Do not put essential oils in your eyes, ears, nose or mucous membranes.
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regarding from this article.
I am glad you liked it.
Love this stuff ! As I was working on getting more things about this, the article has helped me to solve various clarifications. Thanks for the great content.
I’m glad that you liked it.
Hi Adiyta
Please could you tell me do you have to warm the carrier oil first before mixing it with Frankincense essential or mixed it with warm the carrier oil
You don’t need to warm the carrier oil, in order to mix it with frankincense oil.