Frankincense and Myrrh

Today’s post will focus on frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense and myrrh are often associated, especially in the West, with their use as incense in religious and cultural ceremonies. However, they have been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicines to treat chronic problems. Both frankincense and myrrh resins consist of essential oils and terpenoids which impart, among other properties, their anti-inflammatory effects. Of particular interest is the fact that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, frankincense and myrrh have been used together for millennia and it has been anecdotally reported that they act synergistically - meaning that they are more effective together than either of them are individually. The effects of the combination seem magically powerful, such as anti-inflammation, analgesia, antibacterial, and blood activation, to name a few.