Anisha Riggs
Incense is used across the world, from religious ceremonies to aromatherapy, and has a long history in China and Japan. Making your own incense is a meditative process that allows you to connect with nature and create a beautiful fragrance for your space. There are many ways to make natural incense without gums, using natural ingredients like wood, herbs, flowers, resins, essential oils, balsams, honey, and wine. You can create loose incense by grinding and mixing ingredients, or form incense cones and sticks by adding a binding agent and combustible material, such as makko powder, and shaping the mixture into your desired form.
How to make all-natural incense without gums
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Base materials | Red sandalwood, alder, charcoal, resins, woods, herbs, flowers, essential oils, balsams, honey, wine |
| Binders | Wood binders (joss powder/jiggit, tabu no ki/makko), gum binders (guar gum, xanthan gum) |
| Water | Water, tea, coffee, milk, fruit juices, herbal teas, wine |
| Molding | Cones, sticks, loose blends, pellets |
| Drying | Minimum of 12 hours, up to 5 days |
| Burning | Charcoal, makko, mica |
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What You'll Learn
- Choosing a base: Red sandalwood, alder, and charcoal are low-scent base materials
- Binders: Wood binders like joss powder and makko are alternatives to gum binders
- Liquids: Water, tea, coffee, milk, juices, and wine can be used to activate binders
- Forming incense: Makko powder and herbs can be mixed to form cones or sticks
- Burning incense: Use a cup-shaped burner filled with white rice ash, sand, or lava rock
Choosing a base: Red sandalwood, alder, and charcoal are low-scent base materials
When making natural incense, choosing the right base is crucial. The base material in your incense replaces the charcoal or other outside heat source used in non-combusting forms of incense. Good base materials burn well and burn evenly. Red sandalwood, alder, and charcoal are all low-scent base materials that can be a great choice for new incense makers.
Red sandalwood, despite its name, is not actually a type of sandalwood. It has a very low scent, allowing the aromatics in your incense to take centre stage. It serves as an excellent base for any incense blend that includes resins but can be used in virtually any recipe. Red sandalwood powder, derived from the Pterocarpus soyauxii tree, has been used traditionally throughout Africa for over 4,000 years. It has an earthy, woody, balsamic, and slightly musky aroma. It is also known to enable combustible types of incense, like cones and sticks, to burn all the way through without burning out.
Alder is another base material with a low scent, making it a good choice for those who want the scent of their aromatic ingredients to stand out. It is a type of wood that can be burned to release a subtle fragrance.
Charcoal is a low-scent base material that is commonly used in incense making. It is a form of combustible material that can be lit and placed in a bowl filled with ash or sand to burn incense. Charcoal is also used in non-combustible incense, where it serves as a heat source for loose incense or "incense pellets". However, it is important to choose a type of charcoal that does not contain saltpeter or other toxic chemical additives.
When choosing a base, it is important to consider the overall scent of your incense. You can either use a base with a very low scent, as mentioned above, or select a base with a scent that complements the rest of your blend. Sandalwood, cedar, and pine are examples of base materials that can add a strong scent to your incense blend.
In addition to the base, you will also need a binder to hold your incense together in the desired shape. Gum binders, such as guar gum or xanthan gum, are more powerful than wood binders and require only a small amount to be effective. Wood binders, such as joss powder or "tabu no ki" (also known as makko), are easier to work with and often serve as both the base and binder. However, they may require a larger quantity in your recipe.
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Binders: Wood binders like joss powder and makko are alternatives to gum binders
Binders are a form of glue that holds the incense together in the shape you choose. While gum binders are much more powerful than wood binders, wood binders like joss powder and makko are easier to work with and, in most cases, act as a base material in addition to being a binder.
Joss powder, sometimes called jiggit, is one of the most popular wood incense binders in the world. It is made from the bark of the Litsea glutinosa tree, which grows throughout Asia. It has excellent viscosity and adhesive properties, which aid continuous burning. Its near-odorless characteristic helps in retaining the original fragrance components in incense sticks. For best results when making sticks, cones, or pellets, use 1 part joss to 5 parts resins/botanicals.
Makko is a blend that often includes tabu no ki, but it is much more than that single ingredient. It is a combination of several ingredients, including wood binders, gum binders, and ingredients to improve the burn and enhance the scent of the other ingredients. Makko 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. Because it is water-soluble, the exact amount of makko to add to a mixture depends on the humidity of your environment and the amount of resins and woods in your mixture.
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Liquids: Water, tea, coffee, milk, juices, and wine can be used to activate binders
Liquids are an important component of incense-making as they are used to activate the binders. While water is the most commonly used liquid, you can use any liquid that is mostly water, such as tea, coffee, milk, juices, and wine.
Herbal teas are commonly used to activate binders. You can use tea in its liquid form after it has been brewed, or you can use dried tea leaves as a base material. Coffee can also be used in a similar way, either in its liquid form or as a base material.
Fruit juices are another option for activating binders. You can use any type of fruit juice, but it's important to note that the juice should be mostly water. This means that concentrated juices or juices with a high sugar content may not be as effective.
Wine can also be used to activate binders, and it is a popular choice for incense makers. When using wine, it's important to consider the type of wine and its alcohol content. A higher alcohol content can affect the burning properties of the incense.
Milk can also be used as a liquid to activate binders. However, it is important to note that milk has a higher fat content than other liquids, which may affect the burning properties of the incense.
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Forming incense: Makko powder and herbs can be mixed to form cones or sticks
Makko powder is derived from the bark of the tabu-no-ki tree, which is native to Asia. It is a natural combustible material that is also water-soluble. It is used as a binder to hold the incense together in the shape you choose. The amount of Makko powder to be added to a mixture depends on the humidity in your area and the amount of resins and woods in the recipe. For example, a mixture with high resin content will need more makko to make it burn (40-90% makko). On the other hand, incense made with mostly woods, spices, and herbs will need only 5-30% makko.
To form incense cones, combine 3 teaspoons of powdered herbs with 1 teaspoon of makko powder in a small bowl. Stir well. Add several drops of distilled water at a time until you reach a dough-like consistency. When the dough holds together and is easily shaped, use your hands to shape the dough into cones approximately 1” tall by ½” wide. Place the cones on a lined baking tray and let dry for at least 12 hours, rotating halfway through. When completely dry, place a cone in the centre of a heat-proof bowl. Light the tip of the cone and let it burn for several seconds before blowing out the flame. The incense should continue to smoke for between 30 minutes and an hour.
To form incense sticks, you can purchase pre-made, unscented incense sticks and scent them with essential oils. However, if you want to make the sticks from scratch, you will need something to make the powder adhere to the sticks. One source suggests using sugar, jerky, and clay extruders to form the sticks. Another source recommends a ratio of 5 parts botanical powder, 4 parts makko, and 1 part charcoal. Pack the incense sticks tight and straight to dry on a plastic or metal screen or frame that allows for free airflow. Let dry for 2-7 days.
Makko powder can also be used to make loose incense mixtures, which can be burned using charcoal, makko, or mica atop charcoal.
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Burning incense: Use a cup-shaped burner filled with white rice ash, sand, or lava rock
When burning incense, it is important to use a suitable burner to hold your incense sticks or cones. A cup-shaped burner filled with white rice ash, sand, or lava rock is a great option. These materials act as a heat buffer and protect your furniture from the heat of the burning incense.
Rice ash, for example, is traditionally used in the Japanese incense ceremony, Koh-do. In this ceremony, a small ceramic cup is filled with rice ash, and a hot incense charcoal is placed inside, covered by the ash. On top of the mound of rice ash, a small mica plate is placed, acting as an additional heat buffer. This setup allows for the release of aromas from the incense without generating an undesirable burnt scent.
Sand is another excellent option for your cup-shaped burner. It serves as a base for your incense and helps to protect your furniture from heat damage. Sand is versatile and can be used with various types of incense, including charcoal-burning resin incense, powder incense, cones, Japanese incense, and Tibetan incense.
Lava rock is also a suitable material for your burner. It can hold incense vertically, which promotes a slower burn. Additionally, some lava rock burners come with a branded cork bottom, providing stability and protecting surfaces from heat and residue.
Remember to always practice fire safety when burning incense and ensure your burner is placed on a heat-resistant surface.
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Frequently asked questions
Wood binders such as joss powder or "tabu no ki" (often called makko) can be used as an alternative to gum binders. However, they are not as strong as gum binders and a larger quantity is required.
First, mix your chosen aromatic ingredients such as herbs, resins, and woods with the wood binder. Then, add water to activate the binder and form a dough. Next, roll the dough into thin sticks and let them dry for up to 5 days.
You can use natural ingredients like wood, herbs, flowers, resins, and essential oils to create your desired fragrance. Examples of aromatic ingredients include frankincense, patchouli, sandalwood, juniper, and lemongrass.
Place your incense stick upright in a fireproof container filled with ash, sand, or pulverized lava rock. Light the tip of the incense stick and let it burn for a few seconds before gently blowing out the flame. The incense stick will then continue to burn without the flame and release its fragrance.
