Frankincense was favored by the wealthy, the witchy and the holy — what can it do for your skin?
Frankincense, which originates from Oman from a three-foot, bald tree from the boswellia family, is a sap that bleeds from its branches when they are cut. Exposure to air and sunlight turns the sap into a hard and gummy resin, almost like beeswax, and this is what locals have harvested and traded as far back as 500BCE. The smoke was used for religious ceremonies as well as to drive away mosquitoes. It was offered to the gods. It masked the odor of dead bodies. It was used as deodorant, toothpaste, flavoring, and medicine.
Frankincense is hardly mentioned today. I found a website that sells it as “purely curios” but claims it will intensify any spell. A more scientific-sounding site claims that not only is the oil an effective pain reliever, its scent induces euphoria and is a good mood lifter for people suffering from depression.
Recently, London-based company Neal’s Yard Remedies was brought to the Philippines by Rustan’s The Beauty Source. At the launch of their second counter and just in time for Chinese New Year, we were treated to a day of creating our own essential oil blend. Naturally, we had to smell all the oils, which included mandarin, rosemary, cedarwood, vetiver, and frankincense. In the beginning, I wasn’t a fan of the frankincense oil’s pungent smell. This was before I tried Neal’s Yard’s Frankincense range.
The family-owned company based in Covent Garden in London has been championing holistic and natural healthy beauty and wellness for 30 years now. One of its bestselling products is the award-winning anti-aging Rejuvenating Frankincense Skincare Collection. Apart from being the perfect hostess gift for important events like, say, the birth of the Messiah, frankincense, as Neal’s Yard has discovered, is also one of the most important oils for improving skin tone and treating aging skin and wrinkles. It’s also an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, calming and uplifting. With the inclusion of mandarin and bergamot essential oils, the line is also oil-balancing and cooling. The products also contain boabab oil, which has high contents of vitamins A, D, E and F, to encourage the regeneration of cells, as well as gardenia plant stem cells to stimulate the skin’s own stem cells and protect skin from damage. Frankincense, the star ingredient from this line, comes from a Neal’s Yard-supported community in Northern Kenya.
?Rejuvenating Frankincense Facial Wash. It’s thick and very nourishing. You can feel the essential oils in its balmy texture, but it’s completely liquid. It doesn’t foam a lot; massaging it on the face is a spa-like experience. It washes off easily and keeps skin shine-free.
These frankincense-infused basics bring a spa-like experience to the often neglected practice of cleansing.
Price: P1,350, 100ml
Rejuvenating Frankincense Toner. The toner doesn’t have a strong frankincense smell (which is growing on me, by the way). No stinging, no tears. It feels like water, but cooler because it has aloe vera, which also soothes and calms skin so it’s also good for acne-prone skin.
Price: P1,550, 200ml
Neal’s Yard Remedies from Covent Garden, London, opens its second counter at Rustan’s Shangri-La.
Frankincense Intense Concentrate. It claims to boost skin’s plumpness in seven days. The immediate result is visible smoothness. It also absorbs easily.
Price: P5,050, 30ml
Frankincense Intense Cream. This super-thick, super-rich cream is also ultra-comforting. It’s hardly scented, save for a mild lingering of frankincense that encourages a good night’s sleep. It’s also very hydrating. Suitable for daytime and nighttime use.
Price: P4,250, 50g.
Neal’s Yard essential oils can be blended to create your own go-to remedy. Five parts mandarin, two parts vetiver, two parts bergamot and a drop of lavender blend into an earthy, reviving scent to uplift the mood while calming the senses.
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In the Philippines, Neal’s Yard is available at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza.
