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People spend a LOT of money on skincare products to achieve younger, brighter, and blemish-free skin. However, over the years, I’ve come to realize there are no skincare products that do a better job of helping me achieve these skincare goals than a simple jar of coconut oil and certain essential oils. Frankincense has become my primary go-to daytime and nighttime skincare product, and never fails to earn me lots of compliments as I go about my usual daily activities.

What Is Frankincense?

Frankincense 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 number of ailments and to improve the appearance of the skin, and may even have been used by Cleopatra as part of her beauty regimen. Frankincense has a woodsy, spicy scent and is generally used topically, though it may also be inhaled, consumed as tea, or taken as a nutritional supplement.

How Does Frankincense Work?

Frankincense has powerful anti-inflammatory effects that make this oil highly useful in treating and improving a variety of inflammatory-related health 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, pharmaceutical companies and other manufacturers of drugs and skincare products likely won’t spend money on studying the benefits of frankincense for skin, and the FDA will never approve this oil for the treatment of any health or medical condition. This Healthline feature states that a common “myth” about frankincense is that it effectively reduces acne and the appearance of wrinkles (because no studies exist to support these claims). However, that simply means no funding has been provided to conduct research on the topic — it doesn’t necessarily mean this “claim” is a myth or that frankincense doesn’t accomplish those things.

According to a 2017 study published in Biochimie Open, frankincense affects many important signaling pathways that play a role in skin inflammation, immune response, and tissue remodeling. Frankincense has been 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 religiously 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 effectively treated using a variation of this anecdotal eggplant-ACV remedy). My family and I have witnessed 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 and contributes to a healthier, more youthful-looking appearance. As I edge closer to the age of 40, more and more women have been asking me about my secrets to maintaining young-looking skin. My answer is always the same: regular exercise, a healthy diet of whole foods (no foods containing man-made ingredients or chemicals), and frankincense with coconut oil.

I recently spoke with a woman at Trader Joe’s who praised this Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer for its anti-aging effects. It contains a wide range of moisturizing ingredients including aloe leaf juice, green tea, birch leaf, and milk thistle extracts, and retails for $8.99. However, I find that this product makes my skin feel stiff and lacks the same moisturizing quality and feel as coconut oil, so I’ve gone back to using coconut oil and frankincense.

Where To Buy Frankincense and Coconut Oil

I usually buy frankincense all my other essential oils from Ola Prima on Amazon.com. Oils by Ola Prima are extremely cost-effective and high in quality. I also buy their Peppermint Oil (for our teeth and gums), Rosemary Oil (for my teen’s acne), Clove Oil (also for oral health), and Tea Tree Oil (a household staple with countless uses!).

As for coconut oil, I usually purchase the 16 oz jar of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Trader Joe’s for $4.99, which goes a long way for both cooking and skincare needs, and is 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 $20 and $25.

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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