We have relied on the aromatic sap of trees for comfort and healing since the dawn of time. Pine, Spruce, Fir, Frankincense, Myrrh, Elemi, and many, many more provide us with a wide range of therapeutic properties and applications. Tree saps provide an impressive list...
This rather lengthy video demonstrates how one can make a simple and effective distillation apparatus with easily found parts. With an understanding of the underlying principles of distillation, many common household vessels can be used to distill essential oils from...
Many of you have asked for clearer instructions on the method I use for separating the resin with its Boswellic acids from Frankincense in the post “Tapping into Frankincense and its Boswellic acids. An easy extraction method”. I realize written...
Commiphora Myrrha, or Myrrh, well known for thousands of years for its value in perfume, incense, and medicine, has a wide range of medicinal applications in healing traditions around the world and throughout history. It is still well used in modern Western medicine,...
How to isolate the resin and Boswellic acids from select Frankincense oleoresins with water Lately, we have been hearing a lot about the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer compounds found in the frankincense family. The most publicized recently are the Boswellic acids...
It is very easy to distill the essential oils from our local North American Pine, Spruce and Fir tree saps ourselves, but, to fully capture the exquisite qualities this type of small-scale distillation can offer us, a different approach and perspective is called for....
How to make a wonderful winter cough and chest rub from local pine, Spruce and Fir saps. A short while ago, I published a post on making a cough and chest rub from Frankincense Neglecta, a lovely type of Frankincense from Ethiopia. It’s fragrance reminded me of...
There are many questions about Frankincense that show up regularly through the search engines. They make excellent material for posts, and since we are getting close to the “Holiday” season, with Frankincense and Myrrh such traditional symbols in holiday...
I have, over the past few days, slowly succumbed to a head/chest cold. Stuffed up, scratchy rough throat, and a cough. Yuch!! On the bright side, it motivated me to finally make a Frankincense Oil, or rather a Frankincense Neglecta Cough and Chest Rub. Since My first...
Labdanum-Beard Grooming Babylonian style Labdanum. Also called Ladanum, Cistus or Rockrose, is a fragrant mediterranean shrub, rich in history, oleo-resin, and tradition, both medicinally and aromatically. The use of Labdanum, Cistus Ladanifera,...
A Thought on the holistic tincturing of oleo-resins. Each type of Oleo-Gum-Resin such as Myrrh, Opoponax, Mastic, the many types of Frankincense etc., contain different proportions of water-soluble gum and alcohol soluble oleo-resins, (resins and volatile oils). I...