13 DIY Frankincense Diffuser Blends

Frankincense, often revered for its rich history and diverse benefits, is a cornerstone in the world of essential oils. Its versatile aroma and therapeutic properties make it a fantastic addition to many diffuser blends, helping to promote wellness and emotional balance. Whether you're looking to calm your mind, boost your energy, or simply freshen your home, frankincense can play a key role.

Below, I've compiled a list of frankincense diffuser recipes that cover a wide range of everyday needs. They're some of my favorite blends! I hope you give them a try.

Oh! And before I forget, THIS is my favorite diffuser. It has a large capacity and covers a large area.

Frankincense Diffuser Blends

1. For Anxiety & Stress Relief: Ground and Calm Diffuser Blend

When the demands of daily life feel overwhelming, this blend offers a moment of serenity.

Ingredients: 2 drops bergamot, 2 drops frankincense, 2 drops lavender.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. If your diffuser requires it, add water. Diffuse for at least 20 minutes.

2. For Deep Sleep & Fighting Sleep Disorders: Deep Sleep Diffuser Blend

Prepare for a restful night with this calming blend, designed to promote restful sleep.

Ingredients: 3 drops frankincense, 4 drops sweet orange.

Directions: Diffuse at your bedside for at least 20 minutes before going to bed.

3. For Anti-Depression: Anti-Depression Diffuser Blend

To uplift your spirits and create a more positive atmosphere, try this blend.

Ingredients: 4 drops frankincense, 3 drops sweet orange, 3 drops bergamot.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. Add water if necessary. Diffuse in the room for at least 20 minutes.

4. For Energy Revitalization: Energy Revive Diffuser Blend

If you're feeling depleted and need a natural pick-me-up, this invigorating blend is for you.

Ingredients: 2 drops frankincense, 3 drops peppermint, 2 drops sweet orange.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. Add water if needed. Diffuse in the room for at least 20 minutes.

5. For Allergy Relief: Allergy Relief Recipe

Combat seasonal or environmental allergens with this supportive diffusion.

Ingredients: 3 drops eucalyptus, 3 drops frankincense.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. Allow to diffuse in the room for at least 25-30 minutes.

6. For Sinus Decongestion: Sinus Decongestant Recipe

Clear your airways and find relief from sinus discomfort.

Ingredients: 3 drops lavender, 3 drops basil, 2 drops peppermint, 2 drops frankincense.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. Diffuse in the room for at least 25-30 minutes.

7. For Colds/Immune Boost: Colds/Immune Boost Diffuser Blend

Support your immune system and ease cold symptoms with this fortifying blend.

Ingredients: 4 drops frankincense, 4 drops eucalyptus, 2 drops peppermint.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. Add water if required. Diffuse in the room for at least 25-30 minutes.

This is one of my favorite frankincense diffuser blends.

8. For Headache/Pain Relief: Headache/Pain Reliever Recipe

Soothe headaches and alleviate general discomfort with this aromatic combination.

Ingredients: 2 drops lemon, 2 drops frankincense, 3 drops clove.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. Diffuse in the room for at least 25-30 minutes.

9. For Laser Focus: Laser Focus Diffuser Blend

Enhance concentration and mental clarity when you need to focus on tasks.

Ingredients: 3 drops frankincense, 2 drops vetiver.

Directions: Add the essential oils to your diffuser. Add water if necessary. Allow to diffuse intermittently in the room, running for 20-25 minutes, then switch off for 10 minutes.

10. For Air Freshening: Air Freshener Diffuser Blend

Naturally purify and refresh the air in your home with this clean, woody scent.

Ingredients: 2 drops frankincense, 3 drops cedarwood, 2 drops white fir.

Directions: Add the specified drops of essential oils into the diffuser. Let the diffuser run in the room for about 25-30 minutes.

11. For General Respiratory Support: Respiratory Blend

This blend provides broader respiratory assistance.

Ingredients: 10 drops Frankincense, 10 drops Ravensara, 10 drops Niaouli.

Directions: Use this blend in a room diffuser or for inhalation.

12. For Meditation and Mood Enhancement: Sacred Incense Diffuser Blend

Create a peaceful, meditative environment or uplift your mood with this sacred blend.

Ingredients: 3 drops frankincense, 3 drops galbanum.

Directions: Add to your diffuser and diffuse for 20 minutes.

Use during spiritual practices or throughout the day to enhance mood and promote positive emotions.

13. General Frankincense Diffusion: "Super Frank Blend"

For overall peace, emotional balance, relaxation, and grounding, frankincense can be diffused as a single oil.

You can also combine different species of frankincense to create a "super frank blend" for a synergistic effect.

These include:

• Boswellia carterii
• Boswellia sacra
• Boswellia frereana
• Boswellia serrata
• Boswellia papyrifera

*** You can get a ready-made blend that includes these species of frankincense HERE.

General Diffusion Tips:

• Always add water to your diffuser if required by the manufacturer's instructions.

• Avoid using diffusers that rely on heat, as this can alter the chemical makeup of the essential oil and reduce its effectiveness.

• It's generally recommended to use only one blend at a time in your diffuser to maintain the intended aroma and therapeutic benefits.

Why These Frankincense Diffuser Blends Work

Frankincense essential oil is highly valued for diffusion due to a wide array of properties that impact emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical well-being.

Properties That Make Frankincense Essential Oil Amazing for Diffusion

Volatile and Aromatic Nature Essential oils, including frankincense, are characterized as volatile organic compounds, meaning they readily evaporate and disperse into the air.

Frankincense's fragrance contributes to its appeal and therapeutic effects. Its aroma is described as rich, deep, warm, balsamic, sweet, with incense-like overtones, or terpenic, lemony, woody, spicy, and borderline balsamic. It can also mix notes of wood resin and musk with a menthol-like freshness. The aroma alone is a primary mechanism through which essential oils exert their effects.

Emotional and Psychological Impact. When inhaled, essential oil molecules travel directly to the brain, particularly the limbic system, which is the center of emotions. This allows them to affect mental and emotional states significantly.

Frankincense is known to balance mood, uplift spirits, dispel negative emotions, and create a romantic atmosphere. It enhances a sense of peace and vitality, relaxes the mind and body, aids in dissipating negativity, and reduces stress while soothing emotions. It promotes overall emotional balance, relaxation, and grounding. It is calming, meditative, relaxing, and promotes higher consciousness.

Frankincense also helps with depression and poor memory, uplifts spirits, and stimulates creativity and meditation. It can calm nerves and alleviate panic attacks. It helps to clear mental fogginess and poor focus, and can have a warming, elevating effect on the mind.

Respiratory Support: Diffusion is an effective method for administering essential oils for local action on the respiratory tract.

Frankincense is beneficial for respiratory congestion associated with conditions like asthma and bronchitis. It helps to clear the sinuses and lungs of congestion and can deepen and slow the rate of breathing, increasing amplitude, making it suitable for asthmatic conditions linked with nervousness. It has expectorant properties, aiding in the expulsion of mucus from the respiratory tract.

Immune System Enhancement: Frankincense possesses immunostimulant properties. It stimulates the hypothalamus and pituitary glands to amplify immunity. It can combat infectious diseases by acting as an antiseptic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibacterial agent.

Studies have shown that diffusing blends including frankincense can support respiratory function and reduce acute lung and systemic inflammation.

Air Purification: When diffused, essential oils can increase atmospheric oxygen and provide negative ions, which inhibit bacterial growth, eliminate odors from various sources, and purify the air.

Frankincense has been traditionally used as incense to disinfect the air and clear negative energy.

Cognitive and Focus Enhancement: Frankincense can sharpen concentration and promote laser focus.

Historically, frankincense was believed to "strengtheneth the wit and understanding". Inhaling it can increase oxygenation and activity in the brain, potentially improving mental clarity and focus.

Pain and Stress Relief: Frankincense helps relieve stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. It has analgesic (pain-relieving) properties and can significantly reduce pain, as demonstrated in studies with cancer patients.

Energy and Vitality: It can contribute to improved vitality and provide an energy boost.

Diffusion Mechanisms and Considerations: Diffusers, particularly cold-air nebulizing diffusers, are recommended because they disperse essential oils as a fine mist of microparticles without using heat, which can alter the oil's chemical makeup and reduce its therapeutic qualities.

Inhaling essential oils is considered the fastest method for them to enter the body. The small molecular size of essential oil constituents allows them to quickly penetrate tissues, including the olfactory system, and then enter the bloodstream and brain.

Important Distinction: It is important to note that while frankincense resin contains boswellic acids, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, these compounds are typically not present in steam-distilled frankincense essential oil.

Contraindications For Diffusing Frankincense Essential Oil

There are no specific contraindications for diffusing frankincense essential oil. In fact, frankincense is widely recognized for its safety and beneficial properties when diffused.

Frankincense Diffuser Blends - Safety

General Safety: Frankincense essential oil is explicitly described as "non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitising". It holds a "Generally regarded as safe (GRAS)" status by the FDA for human consumption. It is not listed among oils that are considered highly toxic or should never be used.

Diffusion-Specific Safety: For psychological applications, which are a common use for frankincense diffusion, "no precautions are necessary" because the brain naturally stops perceiving a fragrance it dislikes or that has been present for too long, due to olfactory fatigue.

Inhaled essential oils are generally "unlikely to produce a toxic reaction" under normal diffusion conditions, and an "unsafe psychotropic effect is unlikely from massage or inhalation with any essential oil".

Use Around Children: Frankincense is listed as a "Room method oil" suitable for children over 3 years of age. While general warnings exist for oils high in 1,8-cineole or menthol near infants' faces, frankincense is not characterized by high levels of these constituents and is not typically associated with these specific risks.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Frankincense oils are "not hazardous in pregnancy," based on the low reproductive toxicity of their constituents like sabinene, α-pinene, (+)-limonene, and octyl acetate. It is also notably absent from most comprehensive lists of essential oils to be avoided during pregnancy.

While one source generally advises "use with caution during pregnancy" for frankincense, this appears to be a broader precaution rather than a specific contraindication for diffusion.

Epilepsy: Frankincense is explicitly not listed among essential oils to avoid for individuals with epilepsy. In fact, one source even lists frankincense as a recommended single oil for epilepsy.

Respiratory Conditions: Frankincense is frequently recommended and considered beneficial for respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis, and congestion, as well as for immune support.

While some essential oils may trigger attacks in individuals with asthma or multiple chemical sensitivities, frankincense is generally presented as a supportive oil for respiratory health.

Oxidized Oils: A general caution for frankincense (and essential oils in general) is to avoid old, oxidized oils, as this can increase the risk of skin sensitization.

While this primarily concerns topical application, using fresh, properly stored oil is always best practice for diffusion as well.

General Diffusion Best Practices (Applicable to All Essential Oils):

• Ventilation: Ensure the area where you are diffusing is well-ventilated, especially when children or pets are present.
• Diffuser Type: Use cool-air diffusers (like nebulizers or ultrasonic diffusers) as heat can alter the chemical composition and reduce the therapeutic effectiveness of essential oils, and can potentially leach toxins from plastic components. I love THIS diffuser.
• Duration: Start with shorter diffusion times (e.g., 15-30 minutes per day) and gradually increase as you become accustomed to the oils and recognize their effects, up to 1-2 hours or more, depending on the desired outcome.
• Blends: Avoid using more than one blend at a time in a diffuser, as this can alter the smell and therapeutic benefits.
• Flammability: Be aware that essential oils are flammable. Use care when diffusing near open flames, especially oils with low flash points. Frankincense generally has a higher flash point (>200°F).

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