Incense has been used for centuries to perfume our homes, aid meditation and aromatherapy and support ceremonies and religious rites. These exotic, fragrant and enchanting substances are also great insect repellents and are said to improve mood, remove negative energy and cleanse a space.
We sell a wide range of incense in a variety of forms at Sirius Herbal and wanted to share the best way to burn each type in order to maximise your enjoyment of the product. Read on for explanations and please don’t hesitate to contact our helpful customer support team with questions or queries.
Incense sticks
Probably the widest used and most familiar types of incense are the sticks. These are very easy to use and there are a wide range of incense stick holders, which will keep the sticks at the optimum angle to burn steadily to the end and also collect the ash. However, you can also get creative and make your own holder out of anything which is fireproof, will allow the stick to stand up and have enough space to catch the ash as it falls.
You can make a feature out of a shell filled with sand, and simply push the incense stick into the sand. Just make sure you have enough depth to hold the stick securely. You can also fill a tea light holder or a ceramic or metal bowl with ash, or sea salt to hold your incense stick.
Once you have a holder you are happy with simple light the top of the stick using a match or lighter, wait until the tip glows red, so you know it is fully lit, and then blow out the flame. The incense will then smoulder and release its beautiful scent.
We have a number of different incense sticks with a variety of fragrances and properties. Our Palo Santo sticks come from Peru and bring a wonderful, distinctive fragrance into your home. It is named Palo Santo, or holy wood because of how it was used by indigenous people to treat pain and stress and clear negative energy. It is also great for repelling mosquitos, ants and flies.
Incense Cones
Cones of incense are another good way to perfume your home with minimal mess. They are easy to burn and similar to the sticks in terms of how to handle them, but because it’s more compact, you need a smaller surface area to catch the ash. However, an important difference is that the cone will produce a lot of heat, so you need to make sure your holder is heatproof. If using something like a ceramic bowl, use a layer of sand, salt or ash at the bottom to distribute the heat.
Place the cone “point up” in your chosen holder and light the tip making sure there is a flame when you remove the match or lighter. Let the flame burn for 5-10 seconds and then gently blow out the flame or fan with a piece of paper. Look out for an orange glow to make sure it has lit properly. This will then burn unaided for around 30 minutes, giving off lots of fragrant smoke and burning out once it reaches the bottom.
Our most popular incense cones are nag champa. This is probably what you think of when you think of the smell of incense. It is an Indian incense blend with a soothing aroma and works very well in cone form, releasing lots of highly perfumed smoke.
Resin
Although not used as widely today, resins are the original form of incense, harvested from trees. The process is totally sustainable, protecting the trees, while collecting the sweet-smelling gum. Frankincense and Myrrh, which everyone will have sung about in Christmas carols, are two of the most ancient forms of resin-based incense and have always been highly prized.
As these are not flammable in themselves, you need an incense burner. You can use charcoal to burn the resin, which is the most traditional way and there are charcoal tabs that work very well. Alternatively, you can use an aromatherapy oil warmer. Add vegetable oil, add the resin into the oil and then place a tea light underneath for all of the fragrance with none of the smoke. Find out more about the process here.
We have a wide range of resin incense with different fragrances, these include frankincense, myrrh, dammar incense and the bright red dragon’s blood resin which is central to rituals in India.
Leaves
Sage leaves have long been burnt as part of spiritual rituals, particularly by Native American people. It is said to be purifying, a spiritual tool, is said to dispel negative energy, improve your mood and aid with stress management and sleep. It has a beautiful aroma when burnt and we sell loose-leaf sage to be used as incense.
To burn it you will once again need a ceramic bowl, an incense tray or shell filled with clean sand or earth. Lay the leaves into the vessel and set it alight with a candle, match or lighter. It will catch quickly, then let it burn for just a few seconds before blowing out and allowing the embers to smoke.
We hope that this advice has helped you to understand which incense product is best for you and how to enjoy it to the full. Browse the different incense products on our website, or contact us for recommendations on what would be best for you. We can ship anywhere in the world and are here to help you if you have any questions, so please don’t hesitate to ask.