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Frankincense Essential Oil Uses & Benefits

What is Frankincense essential oil, and what is it good for?

Known for its grounding and calming aroma, Frankincense essential oil has a long and rich history dating back over 3,000 years. In Ancient Egypt, frankincense resin was used during important burial rituals and was featured as a sacred scent in the Bible. It’s been popularly used to increase spiritual awareness throughout the globe! If you find yourself feeling spiritually disconnected, take a page out of the history book and use the scent of frankincense. If you are wondering what else Frankincense oil is good for, this longtime favorite isn’t just a must-have for meditation sessions—it’s also popular in beauty products! Frankincense essential oil can be used to promote the appearance of healthy skin. Featured in modern beauty products like Boswellia Wrinkle Cream, it’s also had a history of helping people feel beautiful in their own skin when applied topically.

Harvesting the power of frankincense

Frankincense essential oil comes from the resin of Boswellia trees, which commonly grow in North and Central Africa and India. To harvest the resin, a Boswellia tree is carefully scored. The tree begins to repair itself by filling the hole with resin. After a few days, the resin is scraped off, and voila! High-quality, sustainable frankincense resin is now ready to be made into essential oils, beauty products, and more.

How is Frankincense essential oil made?

Frankincense essential oil is created through hydrodistillation. During this procedure, steam and pressure combine to draw the natural oils and compounds out of quality resin, where they can be preserved in liquid form. That’s how a bottle of Young Living Frankincense essential oil is made and ready to be used in your favorite spiritual practices for its grounding scent.

The natural composition of the oil

Something about frankincense has kept this luxurious, spicy scent popular throughout the ages. So what exactly is in it? Frankincense oil features the naturally occurring monoterpenes alpha-pinene, limonene, and sabinene. These straight-from-the-earth compounds, combined with Frankincense oil’s benefits and appealing aroma, help create this essential oil that’s popular in spiritual practices and skin care, with no artificial ingredients.

What are the uses and benefits of Young Living Frankincense essential oil?

Frankincense oil has a rich variety of uses, from elevating a meditation session to updating your skin care routine. Support your general well-being with the benefits of this celebrated oil.

Benefits of Frankincense essential oil

Filled with fragrant monoterpenes like alpha-pinene, limonene, and sabinene, this oil is the skin-pick-me-up and spiritual guide everyone can use. Applied topically, it can help reduce the appearance of uneven skin tones; Frankincense essential oil can be diffused to invite a moment of calm with its earthy, woodsy aroma.

Using Frankincense essential oil for meditation

Breathe in, breathe out, and let your mind be clear of worry during the ancient practice of meditation. Diffuse Frankincense oil to enjoy its grounding, calming aroma as you connect to your higher self.

Using Frankincense oil in moisturizer

Heavy-duty lotions are a must-have for dry weather and working hands. Add a note of earthiness to your favorite lotion and promote the appearance of healthy-looking skin by adding a few drops of Frankincense oil into your most-used moisturizers.

Using Frankincense oil to promote the appearance of healthy-looking skin

Use this historical beauty product today to give new life to your skin care routine. To promote the appearance of healthy-looking skin, dilute a few drops of Frankincense oil with a carrier oil and smooth it gently onto your skin.

Using Frankincense oil during holidays

Anciently, this grounding and calming aroma played an important role in ceremonies all over the world. If you feel disconnected from the spirit of your favorite holidays, tap into ancient wisdom and incorporate the aroma of frankincense into religious practices by diffusing this oil.

Using Frankincense oil for massage

Frankincense oil can take an at-home massage to the next level. Simply mix a few drops of the oil with a carrier oil according to label directions and test a small patch of skin. Once you have tested the oil, you can use the diluted mixture to massage the body, paying special attention to areas of tension or stress. Take your time and enjoy the relaxing effects of the massage and the soothing aroma of the Frankincense oil.

Using Frankincense oil for baths

Before you dip into your next warm bath, add a few drops of Frankincense essential oil to an emulsifier (such as a carrier oil), then add the mixture to your bath to distribute the oils into the water to comfort and pamper skin. Let your body soak up the benefits as you unwind and relax.

Using Frankincense oil in yoga

Frankincense essential oil can be a useful addition to a yoga practice, as it is known for its calming and grounding properties. Try mixing a few drops with a carrier oil and massage it into your skin or apply it to your pulse points before starting your practice for an earthy, woodsy, piney aroma.


*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Frankincense Vitality™ essential oil

Frankincense has been used as an incense for thousands of years, but did you know that Young Living has a culinary version you can use in the kitchen? If you’re an adventurer in the kitchen, adding Frankincense Vitality™ essential oil in flavorful dishes might just be the boost you’ve been looking for. Keep a bottle on hand and dash a few drops into your next culinary creation! CTA: Get Frankincense Vitality™ oil

Frankincense essential oil

Frankincense essential oil possesses an earthy, grounding fragrance, which makes it ideal for elevating meditation and heightening spiritual awareness, enabling individuals to concentrate on their envisioned possibilities. When applied topically, it supports the appearance of a healthy skin complexion and helps diminish the visibility of uneven skin tones.

Frankincense blogs

Find more information on Young Living Frankincense oil and ways to use it in these blog posts:

Using essential oils for massage
Our top essential oils
All about Frankincense

What blends well with Frankincense oil?

While Frankincense oil benefits are great on their own, this oil can be combined with other oils to create new blends. The earthy, piney scent can be combined with a variety of other oils, so you can find the scent that’s all your own! Mix and match with these essential oils to find a fusion that you love.

Black Pepper essential oil

Black pepper oil has a warm, spicy, and slightly sweet aroma that pairs beautifully with Frankincense oil for an uplifting blend. It is considered a top note in perfumery, meaning it has a strong, immediate fragrance that quickly evaporates.


Cinnamon essential oil

Cinnamon oil has a warm, sweet, and spicy aroma that is evocative of the familiar spice commonly used in cooking and baking. This comforting scent blends well with other aromas, making it a dreamy pairing for Frankincense oil.


Rose essential oil

Sensual and deeply passionate, Rose oil’s scent is loving and nurturing. When combined with Lavender essential oil, these peaceful and calming properties create an intoxicating aroma that promotes love and peace.


Lavender essential oil

Lavender oil has a sweet, floral, and herbaceous aroma that is often described as calming and relaxing. It is commonly used in aromatherapy to create an relaxing atmosphere while you wind down with your nightly routine. Featuring sweet, floral notes, Lavender oil adds a lighter note to Frankincense oil’s earthy aroma.


Lemon essential oil

Lemon oil has a bright, fresh, and citrusy aroma that is often described as uplifting and energizing. It adds a light, fresh note to any blend it’s in and pairs well with the earthy scent of Frankincense oil.

The benefits of premade blends

While many enjoy the creativity that comes with crafting your own unique blend, pre-made blends are formulated to bring you a consistent, balanced aroma, providing a blend you can depend on. Largely formulated by D. Gary Young himself, each blend hones in on essential oil aromas that promote specific benefits, such as a moment of clarity or an uplifted environment. Some of our favorites featuring Frankincense essential oil include the following:

Longevity™ essential oil blend
Common Sense™ essential oil blend
BLOOM by Young Living® essential oil blend
Brain Power™ essential oil blend
Awaken™ essential oil blend
Forgiveness™ essential oil blend

Frankincense Essential Oil Safety Guidelines and Notices

While Frankincense essential oil is known for calming and grounding properties, there are some safety guidelines users should follow while using it:

Keep Frankincense oil away from eyes and ears

Because these areas can be extra sensitive to essential oils, we recommend avoiding the eyes and ears when applying Frankincense oil topically. Make sure all residue has been washed off your fingers before inserting contact lenses.

Be cautious using Frankincense oil when you have health conditions

Some conditions such as asthma or epilepsy may be triggered by Frankincense essential oil. We highly recommend consulting with your health care practitioner if you have questions.

Do a skin test with Frankincense essential oil

Do a skin test with a single drop of Frankincense oil to identify how your body is likely to react. If the skin is hot or turns red, dilute the oil with V-6™ Vegetable Oil Complex (one drop of oil with at least two drops of V-6) or another carrier oil of your choice, such as grape seed or jojoba.

Consult your doctor before using Frankincense oil if pregnant or have a medical condition

If you are pregnant or have a medical condition, please consult your doctor before using Frankincense and other essential oils. Avoid contact with eyes, the inner ears, or sensitive areas.

Be cautious using Frankincense oil around pets

While it is safe to use essential oils around pets (such as diffusing), some safety guidelines should be followed when applying essential oils directly to their skin or fur. Because your pet may have individual skin sensitivities, we recommend using fewer drops of essential oil for your pets than you would use for yourself or another person. Dilute your Frankincense essential oil when applying directly to your pet’s skin or fur for the first time. Some small animals like cats metabolize essential oils differently, therefore a “low and slow” approach works best. If you have questions, consult your veterinarian.

Where to buy Frankincense essential oil

When it comes to purchasing essential oils, it’s important to note that not all are created equal. To ensure the Seed to Seal® quality of Young Living essential oils, our products are tested and authenticated for quality without compromise. Our Seed to Seal quality commitment applies to every essential oil we deliver to your home. From the trusted sources of our essential oils and select product ingredients to science-backed formulas and rigorous quality tests, we set and exceed the highest quality standards. Our Seed to Seal commitment is governed by the activities defined within our three guiding pillars—Sourcing, Science, and Standards. Pick up your first bottle and enjoy an authentic Frankincense essential oil experience with every drop.