product review

-- Product Review --

Like me, you’ve probably heard of frankincense oil but have never had any experience with it. I was totally in the dark about the oil when this review project came across my desk and as such I really appreciated the mini 9-page e-book that comes with each order of Radha’s Frankincense Oil. I did a review of the company’s tea tree oil product earlier this year and was al very impressed with the company.

We picked the package up on July 4^th via postal service a couple miles on the US side of the border (we’re located in Canada), which happened to be when we were crossing the border again, but the shipping order stated it was estimated to arrive by July 2nd.

Amazon chose a much larger box than necessary (3.5” tall X 10” long X 7” wide) for this product, and they had to use 6 air cell packages to fill the box up enough to protect the product. Radha’s product comes in a 4 fl. oz. (120 ml) blue glass bottle with black plastic screw top cap, encased in a plastic seal, and includes a long rubber-topped glass dropper for easy application. The bottle itself was housed in an appropriately sized white cardboard box and the dropper was wrapped in a minimal amount of bubble wrap. All the packaging mentioned here is recyclable, however, as is the glass dropper, plastic lid and glass bottle.

The product is bottled in the US, but the oil is manufactured in India. For the size of the bottle, the price brings amazing value. The oil is organic, all natural, 100% pure essential oil – premium therapeutic grade – no chemicals, no additives.

Between the e-book and an in-depth online search I learned quite a bit about frankincense. Frankincense oil (a.k.a. olibanum) comes from the resin of the Bosellia Carterii tree (located mainly in Somalia), through steam distillation of the tree’s fresh leaves.

This is one of the oldest medicines going back to biblical times and beyond. It has been commonly used in aromatherapy practices and massage for relaxation, uplifting moods and heightening awareness. It contains anti-aging properties when applied to the skin, boosts the immune system, and has been used in various remedies for coughs, indigestion, aches and pains. Add a couple of drops to your bath water, a few drops to a diffuser or a few drops on a damp cloth – and inhale deeply. You can also rub a few drops on the bottom of your feet.

I get regular headaches (after affect from a car accident some 18 years ago) and was really interested in trying a drop rubbed into my temples and behind my ears, as suggested by the e-book. After taking my meds as usual I put a drop behind each ear and on each temple, rubbed it in slightly and sniffed my fingers after for a moment. I felt that doing so definitely helped control the headache but I do intend on continuing the experiment as time goes on.

The e-book explained that frankincense is a natural antiseptic and disinfectant for housecleaning as well. I make my own cleaning mixture reusing a quality sprayer:

1/3 parts cleaning vinegar

6 drops each of oregano and rosemary oil

2/3 parts pure water (from our reverse osmosis machine).

Since my sprayer was getting low I decided to use 5 drops of frankincense oil in the mix and the effect was really amazing. I got things cleaner faster with a brighter shine and the home smelled very fresh after cleaning day. I use that same sprayer in the kitchen on a daily basis. From what I understand it is also a good insect repellant so I might try adding some to my homemade insect spray as well.

The Radha Beauty Products company (RadhaBeautyProducts.com) is based in Berkeley CA, (USA). They offer a satisfaction money back guarantee. This oil retails on Amazon.com for $49.99 (US) but is currently on sale for $19.89 US. It is also on Amazon.ca and has a list price there for $39.99 Canadian.