Three wise men from the East brought the new baby king priceless gifts.
Gold…
Myrrh…
And a small dark bottle of a fragrant oil you can find today in any health food store:
Frankincense.
When I was a kid, I thought: What the heck is frank-in-cents?
They never explained that part of the Christmas story!
I eventually found out that it was a perfume, which made me scratch my head. Since when does anyone cover up that new baby smell with perfume?
It’s one of those gifts traditionally given to kings. The magi probably Googled “royal baby gifts” and picked the most convenient option. (Frankincense trees grow in the desert of southern Arabia.)
Mary would have been thrilled with her new baby gifts.
I can imagine her smiling politely at the gold and myrrh … and then her eyes widening with joy at the sight of the jar of frankincense. Just what she needed!
Women have long been the keepers of folk medicine wisdom. They know which tea calms an upset tummy and which leaves ease the sting of an insect bite.
Essential oils are a powerful home remedy, which Mary no doubt knew. Frankincense is a master oil, which means it has a dizzying array of uses.
And NOTHING could support the health of her new baby better.
The Many Uses of Frankincense
Frankincense is one of the few essential oils safe enough to use with newborns.
It must be diluted first (1 drop per 1 Tbsp of a gentle carrier oil, like jojoba oil), but it can then be used to rub on little feet or a tight chest.
Its scent is soothing and might have helped baby Jesus drop off to sleep faster. Breathing in the scent can help a child who’s congested or coughing.
When your child is born in a stable, you can’t help but worry about germs. Luckily, frankincense is an excellent antiseptic and disinfectant. (Add a few drops to a vinegar-and-water solution to use as a cleaning spray.)
It can also inhibit the spread of cold or flu germs, in case you catch someone sneezing around your baby.
It makes a wonderful massage oil that soothes skin conditions and protects the skin from infection. Which the baby Jesus might have needed, given he was lying in a straw-filled manger!
If you’ve still got some left, you can rub it on your own stretch marks to help them fade, as well as on your face for a powerful wrinkle-busting anti-aging boost.
In fact, I mix frankincense with rosehip oil (sometimes with a few drops of lavender or rose) for a night treatment that leaves my skin glowing.
Why You’ll Get Hooked
So why bother with frankincense?
If you don’t already have some, why would you bother going out of your way to get some?
Essential oils are one of those things where, once you get started, you just can’t stop.
It’s just so FUN to be able to make soaps, creams, and cleaning supplies yourself.
Not to mention the way they make your home smell amazing.
If you enjoy burning smelly candles, the easiest way to get into essential oils is to buy a few of the most fragrant for use in a diffuser.
Then you can try adding a few drops to your bath or sprinkling a drop or two on your pillow at night.
Then you can try adding essential oils to unscented beauty products to create your own custom scent.
The list of uses goes on!
At first, there’s nothing wrong with choosing essential oils simply because you like the smell. I can’t get enough of rose and jasmine. I buy these oils pre-mixed with jojoba oil so I can use them directly on my skin.
The more you learn about essential oils, the more you’ll want to try creating your own custom blends for specific purposes.
For example, frankincense is good for pain relief. You can add frankincense and rose to magnesium oil to create a pain-relieving spray.
Eventually, you’ll find yourself with a neat collection of essential oils in your bathroom cabinet for any occasion.
So where you do buy your essential oils?
It’s not like three wise men from the East are going to drop them at your feet. 😉
Although there are some high-end essential oil companies out there, touting the purest form for a price, it’s easier to get started with something more affordable.
Most of my essential oils are from Aura Cacia, simply because I can find them in most retailers at an affordable price.
Always look at the label. Although some essential oils come pre-mixed with a carrier oil for cost reasons (like rose or jasmine), you want to look for products that are pure and ideally organic. If you want to take an essential oil internally, make sure the specific product you purchase is marketed as safe for oral use.
So the next time you get invited to a baby shower…
Gift-wrap a bottle of frankincense and throw in some myrrh (yes, that’s available as an essential oil, too) for good measure.
After all, it’s the baby gift of royals.
Let us know what you think!