Today I want to talk about Frankincense. We usually don't thing about Frankincencse at Christmas time. But we don't usually think about why the wise men brought the baby Jesus Frankincense. It is antiseptic, cytophylactic, anti-inflammatory, sedative and an expectorant. It has been used for centuries to cleanse and purify a space - a home or temple. At Jesus' time the infant mortality rate was very high. They knew that Jesus had to live long enough to complete his mission. Frankinsence was used during the black plague to help prevent the spread of the disease. Perfumers were much less likely to die from the black death than the regular population. As an antiseptic it works well to kill bacteria and viruses on surfaces. Added to a bucket of water when rinsing the floor it works as well as any antibacterial floor cleaner without having the risk of causing resistent strains of bacteria to develop that the overuse of antibiotics has been shown to cause. Cytophylactic is a fancy word for cell rejuvinating properties or the ability to promote cell growth. For this reason it is excellent added to creams or ointments that are used on cuts and scrapes. It kills germs while it helps new healthy cells grow to heal the injury. It also works well in face creams for mature skin as it helps the skin grow new, plump cells and makes the skin brighter and fuller and reduces wrinkles. It also works well in a lotion for sun damaged skin. It can be expensive, but it used in such small amounts and works so well that it is well worth the cost. The following recipes are very easy to make, work better than their commercially available counterparts and are delightful to use.

Facial oil: 1/2 oz almond or grape seed oil blended with 4 to 5 drops of essential oils.

The almond oil is lighter and soothing to the skin. The grape seed oil is a natural sunscreen, but is heavier and "oilier." The essential oils can be all the same or a blend of your favorites. Rose, lavender, sandalwood and calendula are good choices.

Body lotion: 8 oz bottle of plain, unscented lotions (not mineral oil based) blended with 20 to 30 drops of your favorite essential oils. Do not use cinnamon oil - it is very irritating to the skin.

Bath salts: 2 cups of sea salt blended with 10 to 15 drops of essential oil.

Hand and shower liquid soap: 4 oz of liquid castile soap blended with 12 to 20 drops of essential oil. This soap works very well with a body scrubber or loofah and also inhibits bacterial growth on the scrubber that can make it smell stale.

House cleaning liquid: 2 gallons of warm water in a bucket blended with 10 to 20 drops of essential oils. As well as Frankincense, you can use lavender, thymol (thyme) and tea tree are all cleansing as well as antibacterial. The chemicals used to make cleansers and soaps anti-bacterial have been shown to cause the development of resistent strains of bacteria or "super bacteria" that cannot be killed with any known antibiotic and are therefore causing infections in people that are very difficult to treat. People are dying from simple infections again, just as they did before the invention of antibiotics. As bacteria develop that are not affected by antibiotics a scrape or cut is fast becoming as dangerous as it was 100 years ago. The floor or surface can be cleaned with a soap or detergent as usual and the above cleaning fluid used for the rinse.

Shower freshener: 16 oz water in a spray bottle blended with 20 to 30 drops of essential oil. Spray this around the shower to deter the growth of mildew and mold. It can be used to freshen the inside of the car, furniture, drapes and carpets. Check to make sure it does not affect the color of fabrics prior to using on large areas.

Frankinsence oil and resin is available on my website at www.giftofgod.ispeedway.com, as are many other essential oils. I love to get in the kitchen and start cooking up my own personal care and household products. Keep them in the fridge if you make them in advance. It's great fun to experiment and play around with ingredients until you find the one or ones that work the best for you.