Anisha Riggs
Incense has been used for centuries across many cultures for scenting, cleansing, and religious practices. Making your own herbal incense is an easy and creative process that allows you to fill your space with your favourite aromas. You can use fresh or dried flowers and herbs, such as lavender, rosemary, and sage, and blend them with natural resins and gums to create unique, aromatic scents. The process involves blending and binding your chosen ingredients, drying them, and then burning them on a heat-proof dish or plate. By crafting your own incense, you can create a personalised, natural fragrance for your home while also reaping the calming and relaxing benefits associated with incense burning.
How to make herbal incense
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Dried and ground herbs, flowers, resins, gums, charcoal, honey, essential oils |
| Equipment | Cotton twine, scissors, lighter, heat-proof dish or plate, hanger, matches, blender, bowls, measuring cups, wooden cutting board |
| Process | Choose ingredients, blend or crush into a fine powder, add bonding agent, form into cones or sticks, air-dry, burn using charcoal briquette or tablet |
| Purpose | Scenting, cleansing, religious or spiritual practice, relaxation, improving concentration |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing your ingredients: dried herbs, flowers, resins, and essential oils
When choosing your ingredients, it's important to select high-quality dried herbs, flowers, resins, and essential oils. Here are some tips to help you choose the right ingredients for your herbal incense:
Dried herbs: Look for dried herbs that are fragrant and have a strong aroma. Popular choices include sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme, and eucalyptus. You can also use leftover herbs from your kitchen, such as sage leaves. When preparing the herbs, make sure they are thoroughly dried before using them. Hang the herb bundles in a cool, dry spot with good circulation for 2-3 weeks until they are completely dry. This ensures a clean burn and a potent fragrance when lit.
Flowers: Choose fresh, in-season flowers that have not fully bloomed. Mature flowers are more prone to molding or losing their petals during the drying process. Roses, for instance, can create an amorous ambiance, while lavender brings a calming scent. Ensure the flowers are grown without chemicals or pesticides to avoid spreading those into the air when burning.
Resins: Resins are tree secretions that, when burned, release a fragrant smoke. They are often used as a base for incense due to their sticky consistency, which helps bind the other ingredients together. Common resins used in incense-making include frankincense, myrrh, and copal.
Essential oils: Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that can be added to your incense blend to enhance its fragrance. They come in a variety of scents and can be customized to your preference. However, use them sparingly, as a little goes a long way.
Remember, the key to choosing the right ingredients is to trust your senses. Select herbs, flowers, and oils that appeal to your taste and create a unique blend that suits your desired ambiance.
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Preparing your ingredients: crushing, grinding, and mixing
Preparing your ingredients is a crucial step in creating herbal incense. This process involves crushing, grinding, and mixing your chosen herbs and resins to create a blend that will burn evenly and release your desired fragrance. Here are some detailed instructions on how to prepare your ingredients effectively:
Crushing and Grinding: Start by gathering your chosen herbs and resins. If you're using larger pieces or chunks of herbs, you'll need to crush and grind them into a fine powder or consistency. This can be done using a mortar and pestle, which allows you to control the fineness of the powder. Make sure to thoroughly clean your mortar and pestle before use to avoid contaminating your ingredients with residual flavors or scents. You can also use a dedicated coffee grinder, but be sure to designate it solely for grinding herbs to avoid flavor transfer.
For harder resins and woods, a coffee grinder or spice grinder is often more effective than a mortar and pestle. Break the resins into small pieces before grinding to ensure a more uniform consistency. It's important to note that some herbs, like lavender buds or rose petals, don't need to be ground and can be added whole to your incense blend.
Mixing: Once you have finely crushed and ground your ingredients, it's time to mix them together. Combine your herbs and resins in a bowl, using a spoon or your (gloved) hands to blend them evenly. If you're working with multiple herbs and resins, start with small amounts of each and gradually add more to achieve your desired fragrance profile. This allows for adjustments and fine-tuning of your blend.
You can also add essential oils or fragrance oils to enhance the aroma of your incense. When using oils, add a few drops at a time, mixing thoroughly to ensure even distribution. Be cautious not to overuse oil, as it can affect how your incense burns. Always opt for high-quality oils that are safe for inhalation.
Consistency is key when preparing your herbal incense ingredients. A uniform, fine consistency will ensure that your incense burns evenly and smoothly. Take your time during the crushing, grinding, and mixing process for the best results.
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Binding your incense: using honey, gum, or resin
Binders are used to hold your incense together and allow you to shape and form your incense as you please. They range from plant gums to animal dung, with dozens of resins and gums that can be used for this purpose. The most common and ancient binder is gum arabic or acacia, which was one of the first incense binders used in the West. It is a white powder with a mild minty smell and forms a glue when mixed with water. However, it can be very sticky and tough to work with.
Another option is gum tragacanth, which is considered the best available bonding agent. It is a light tan to cream-coloured powder with a very mild scent reminiscent of sweetened flour. It is also strong and pliable, making it forgiving for novice incense makers. Tragacanth is also used to bind sticks or cones, mixed with charcoal or saltpeter to gain combustion. However, saltpeter is toxic, so other methods should be used.
Karaya, or gum sterculia, is the least expensive gum and is widely used by incense makers. It comes in small chunks that must be ground into a powder and dissolved in boiling water. Guar gum and xanthan gum are also powerful binders, with a typical incense recipe using just 1/8 teaspoon of binder for every 2 tablespoons of material.
Makko is a traditional Japanese blend that includes tabu no ki and clove, and possibly sandalwood. It is made from the bark of the tabu-no-ki tree, which grows in Asia and is a natural combustible material that is also water-soluble. When added to loose incense mixtures with a small amount of distilled water or hydrosol, makko allows for the forming of incense cones or sticks. The exact amount of makko to add depends on the humidity of your environment and the amount of resins and woods in your mixture.
Honey can also be used as a binder, although it can be endlessly sticky if too much is used. It is best to add a small amount, let it sit for a couple of hours, and then check to make sure the incense holds together. Honey is also used as a preservative for dried fruit, which can be used to make incense pellets.
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Shaping your incense: cones, sticks, or loose incense
Shaping your incense into cones, sticks, or loose incense each requires a slightly different process. Here is a guide to each method.
Cones
To shape your incense into cones, you will need to first mix and grind your chosen herbs into a powder. You can then add any other ingredients, such as honey, water, or essential oils. The mixture should be able to hold its shape. You can then shape the mixture into cones by hand or using a piping tip. Insert a toothpick into the centre of the cone to create space, which will help the cone burn better. Place the cones on a tray and leave them to dry for at least 12 hours.
Sticks
To shape your incense into sticks, you will need to create an incense dough. This can be done by mixing ground, dried herbs with a natural binder, such as makko powder, and water. You can then add essential oils to enhance the fragrance. Once you have created the dough, you can shape it into sticks by hand or using an incense-squeezing syringe. Place the sticks onto a drying screen and cut them to the required length. Leave the sticks to dry.
Loose incense
Loose incense is the simplest to make, as it does not require shaping. Simply grind your chosen herbs and other ingredients, such as woods, resins, or essential oils, into a fine powder. You can then burn the loose incense on a charcoal disc placed in a heat-proof dish.
It is important to note that burning incense can be a fire hazard, and falling ash should be kept away from children and pets. Always ensure that all incense is completely extinguished and cool before discarding.
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Burning your incense: using charcoal, sand, and a heat-proof dish
Burning incense is a great way to bring an ancient element into your home and connect with the natural world. Here is a guide on how to burn your herbal incense using charcoal, sand, and a heat-proof dish.
Firstly, it is important to prepare the area. Place your heat-proof dish on a heat-resistant surface, ensuring it is fire-safe and away from flammable materials. The dish should be filled with at least 2 inches of sand or ash, or a combination of both. This layer of sand/ash will act as insulation for your charcoal tablet, helping to regulate the heat. If you are using a charcoal disc, place it on top of the sand/ash with the \"bowl\" side up. You can also use rock salt or soil as an alternative insulator.
Now, you can light your charcoal. Using a candle, torch lighter, or gas burner, hold the charcoal with tongs and ignite it over an open flame. If you are using a charcoal burner, you can place the charcoal inside the burner and use a barbecue lighter to ignite it. Quick-igniting charcoal will spark, so be sure to avoid the first smoke released. For charcoal that does not ignite quickly, you may need to burn it for a few minutes on a stovetop or burner.
Once your charcoal has a coating of white or light grey ash, it is ready for your incense. You can sprinkle or place a pinch of your herbal incense on top of the charcoal. The resin will melt and boil, and the herbs will char. The high heat from the charcoal will ensure a complete release of the incense's aroma. You can add more incense by scraping off the charred herbs or tapping off the ashes to expose more of the charcoal.
After your incense has burnt down, allow the charcoal to cool completely. You can then break up the charcoal and ash and either discard it or recycle it by mixing it into your sand/ash base. Be sure to clean your heat-proof dish after each use.
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Frequently asked questions
Making your own herbal incense is a natural way to bring your favourite scents into your home. It is also a way to preserve leftover herbs and flowers. You can also be sure that your incense is safe and of the finest quality.
You can use any herb or flower that you enjoy the smell of. Some popular herbs and resins include frankincense, myrrh, lavender, sandalwood, juniper, cinnamon, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and cloves. You will also need a bonding agent to bind everything together and keep sticks intact. Natural herbal resins, gums, and honey can be used for this purpose.
You will need a blender, a couple of bowls, measuring cups, a wooden cutting board, scissors, a lighter or matches, and a heat-proof dish. If you are making incense sticks, you will also need cotton twine.
First, decide what scent you want to create and gather your ingredients and equipment. Ensure your herbs are dry, then use a blender or pestle and mortar to render them into a fine powder. Use this powder with your bonding agent to create a ratio of 2 parts herbs to 1 part bonding agent. Form this mixture into cones or sticks, then allow them to air-dry for 2-3 weeks. When you are ready to burn your incense, place some sand or earth in your incense dish and put a charcoal briquette or bamboo charcoal tablet on top. Light the charcoal, wait for it to heat up, then place your incense creation on top.
