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Did you know the average American spends nearly $900 on their physical appearance every year? Among women, the majority of that amount goes toward skincare products.

Why do most people use skincare products? To achieve younger, brighter, attractive, and blemish-free skin.

I’ve never been very good at hair and makeup stuff, so as a result, I tend to spend less on beauty products and stick to the bare basics. Frankincense oil is my primary go-to daytime and nighttime skincare product. I receive occasional compliments about my “glowing” complexion, and when that happens, I’m happy to geek out and tell them it’s thanks to frankincense.

What Is Frankincense?

Frankincense essential oil is derived from the resin of a tree called the Boswellia sacra, which is native to northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. This essential oil has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat a variety of ailments and improve the appearance of the skin. Cleopatra may even have used it as part of her beauty regimen.

Frankincense has a woodsy, spicy scent. It’s generally used topically, though it may also be inhaled, made into tea, and taken as a nutritional supplement.

How Does Frankincense Work?

Frankincense has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, which make it highly useful at treating inflammatory-related conditions. Arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, asthma, gum disease, and cancer are some of many health conditions that may be improved with frankincense.

A 2013 study published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine suggests that frankincense may also be used as an alternative natural treatment for brain and memory disorders.

What Can Frankincense Do For Your Skin?

Very little research exists on the effects of frankincense on skin, but only because essential oils are natural substances that cannot be patented. Therefore, Big Pharma and many health institutions likely won’t spend money on studying the benefits of frankincense for skin. And, the FDA will probably never approve this oil for the treatment of any health or medical condition.

According to a 2017 study in Biochimie Open, frankincense affects many important signaling pathways that play a role in skin inflammation, immune response, and tissue remodeling. Frankincense is shown to reduce inflammation, improve wound healing, and reduce scar formation—including in skin affected by skin cancers.

My Personal Experience With Frankincense

Every night for the last month or so, I’ve been applying frankincense to a recessed scar on the bridge of my nose caused by a minor bout of squamous cell carcinoma from a few years ago, which I treated using a variation of this anecdotal eggplant-ACV remedy. My family and I’ve seen a noticeable amount of tissue regrowth on my nose since I started treating it more aggressively with frankincense.

As for the rest of my skin, frankincense improves my skin tone, for sure. Aside from frankincense and coconut oil, my secrets are regular exercise; a clean, healthy diet; good sleep; and quality time with family (which makes me glow from the inside out).

I was chatting with a woman at Trader Joe’s who praised this Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer for its anti-aging effects. It’s made with a wide range of moisturizing ingredients, including aloe leaf juice, green tea, birch leaf, and milk thistle extracts. It retails for only $8.99, which is a pretty great deal.

But after using it for awhile, I realized the Trader Joe’s cream lacked the same moisturizing quality and feel as coconut oil, so I went back to using coconut oil and frankincense.

Where To Buy Frankincense and Coconut Oil

I usually get frankincense and all my other essential oils from Ola Prima on Amazon.com. They’re usually super affordable compared with the other brands, and always high in quality.

Some of the Ola Prima oils we buy are their Peppermint Oil (for teeth and gums), Rosemary Oil (for my teen’s acne), Clove Oil (also for oral health), and Tea Tree Oil (which we use for lots of stuff, including pimples and bug spray).

As for coconut oil, I usually purchase the 16 oz jar of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Trader Joe’s, which goes a long way for both cooking and skincare needs. It’s also far less costly than the aforementioned $8.99 moisturizer. If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, you can probably find coconut oil at a decent price on Amazon, like this 54 oz jar by Viva Naturals for between $15 and $20.

Which essential oils and natural remedies do you use for your skin? Do you ever use frankincense? If so, what do you think?

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