Lance Carson
Incense is a biotic material that releases a fragrant smoke when burned. It has been used for centuries and across countless generations and cultures for a variety of purposes, from prayer and meditation to healing and cleansing. Incense can be made from a variety of materials, including aromatic herbs, resins, and woods, and can be customised to your liking. Making your own incense at home is easy and allows you to choose your own ingredients, cutting costs and avoiding unexpected or undesirable additives. To make your own herbal incense, you will need to gather your chosen dried herbs, resins, and woods, grind them into a powder, mix them with a binder, mould them into cones, and let them dry before lighting them up and enjoying the fragrance.
How to make herbal incense ingredients
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Base | Sandalwood, cedar, pine, alder, charcoal |
| Binder | Gum binders (guar gum, xanthan gum), wood binders (joss powder, "tabu no ki") |
| Burner | Cup, bowl, saucer, shell, handmade |
| Ingredients | Herbs (basil, dill, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rosemary, sage, etc.), resins, woods, honey, wine, dried fruits, hydrosols, cinnamon, frankincense, oils |
| Tools | Mortar and pestle, bowl, pin, parchment or wax paper, small heat-resistant bowl, salt or sand |
| Process | Gather ingredients, mix and grind, add liquids, mould, shape, dry, burn |
| Precautions | Keep away from children and pets, avoid flammable objects, ensure proper ventilation, do not leave lit incense unattended |
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What You'll Learn
- Choosing a base: Sandalwood, cedar, and pine are strong-scented bases
- Aromatic ingredients: Use herbs, resins, and woods to create your desired scent
- Binders: Use gum or wood binders to hold your incense together
- Charcoal: Use bamboo charcoal or makko to burn your incense
- Burners: Use a handmade bowl, shell, or specialty holder to burn your incense
Choosing a base: Sandalwood, cedar, and pine are strong-scented bases
When making herbal incense, choosing the right base is crucial. Sandalwood, cedar, and pine are all excellent options with strong scents that can enhance your incense blend. These woods can be found in "oil-extracted" varieties or lower-quality versions with minimal scent, so choose according to your desired fragrance profile.
Sandalwood, for example, has a very prominent scent that can either complement or overpower other ingredients. If you're looking for a more subtle base, red sandalwood (which is not true sandalwood) is a better option. It has a neutral scent and won't compete with your other aromatics. Sandalwood is often combined with aromatics like frankincense or patchouli to create a well-rounded fragrance.
Cedar is another strong-scented base option. It has a distinctive aroma that can be too overpowering for some blends. Red cedar, in particular, has a strong fragrance that may not fade into the background when paired with other strong scents. However, cedar can be combined with low or cool-scented materials to create a balanced blend.
Pine is the third strong-scented base you can consider. It imparts a marshmallow-like fragrance to your incense blend. Pine is also available in an extracted oil form or as a lower-quality option with minimal scent, giving you flexibility in your creations.
When selecting a base, it's important to remember that the base and binder are responsible for heating the aromatics and releasing their scents. Therefore, choose a base that complements your other aromatic components. Additionally, consider using a binder like guar gum or xanthan gum, which are more potent than wood binders and won't contribute their own scent to the blend.
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Aromatic ingredients: Use herbs, resins, and woods to create your desired scent
Aromatic ingredients are the star of the show when it comes to creating your own incense. These ingredients are what you want to smell, so choose herbs, resins, and woods with wonderful aromatic properties that work in harmony.
For herbs, you can use dried and ground varieties, with a mix of bitter and sweet. Bitter herbs include sagebrush, mugwort, yarrow leaves, juniper berries, wormwood, white sage, rosemary, and thyme. On the sweeter side, opt for rose petals, lavender, yarrow flowers, fir needles, and cinnamon. You can also add dried fruits, wine, honey, and fragrant hydrosols to your mixture.
When it comes to resins, you can obtain these from the sap, bark, roots, or wood of trees, shrubs, and plants. Common resins used for incense include Frankincense, Myrrh, Benzoin, Copal, Dragon's Blood, Palo Santo, and Styrax. If you're collecting resin yourself, look at the base of the tree for pieces that have fallen off, and only gather hard resin, not soft, sticky sap. To make it easier to crush, place the resin in the freezer for a short time to make it brittle.
For a strong-scented base, use woods like sandalwood, cedar, or pine. These can add a powerful fragrance to your incense blend. Alternatively, for a more neutral base, use red sandalwood (not actually sandalwood), alder, or charcoal, which have very little scent.
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Binders: Use gum or wood binders to hold your incense together
Binders are a crucial component of herbal incense, acting as a glue to hold the incense together in the shape you desire. The two primary types of binders used in herbal incense are gum binders and wood binders, each with its unique characteristics and advantages.
Let's begin with gum binders, which include powerful binding agents like guar gum and xanthan gum. These gum binders are highly effective, requiring only a small amount, typically 1/8 teaspoon of binder for every 2 tablespoons of incense material. It is important to exercise caution when using gum binders as adding too much can cause the incense to bind too strongly, impeding its ability to burn. One of the benefits of gum binders is that they do not contribute any additional scent to the blend, allowing the aromatic ingredients to shine through.
On the other hand, wood binders, such as joss powder (also known as jiggit) and "tabu no ki" (sometimes mislabelled as "makko"), offer a more forgiving option for novice incense makers. Wood binders are easy to work with and often serve dual purposes as both a base material and a binder. However, they may require larger quantities in recipes, with some calling for up to 75% wood binder. While they are not as potent as gum binders, this can be advantageous as it allows the wood binder to burn effectively without the risk of binding too strongly.
When creating your herbal incense, you have the option to choose between gum and wood binders based on your preferences and skill level. If you opt for a gum binder, be mindful of the quantity you use to avoid any issues with burning. Wood binders, on the other hand, provide a more flexible option that contributes to the base scent of your incense.
In addition to the choice of binder, it is important to remember to add a water-based liquid to activate the binder. While plain water can be used, you can also choose from a variety of other liquids, such as tea, coffee, milk, fruit juices, or even herbal teas and wine, as long as they contain a significant amount of water.
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Charcoal: Use bamboo charcoal or makko to burn your incense
Charcoal is an important component of burning incense. It is recommended to use bamboo charcoal or makko to burn your incense. Bamboo charcoal is of the highest quality and is traditionally used for Japanese Kodo ceremonies. It is clean-burning and scentless, offering an authentic experience of the fragrant smoke produced by burning raw incense, wood chips, resins, or herbs. To use bamboo charcoal, carefully ignite a briquette of charcoal over a hot flame using a heat-resistant utensil until the corners and edges glow red. Place the charcoal inside an incense burner filled with ash or sand, and top it with your incense mixture. The charcoal heats the materials and releases the fragrance into the air.
Makko is a special blend of base and binder that simplifies incense-making. It is needed if making cones or sticks or for burning loose incense on top of makko powder. The amount of makko in your incense mixture will affect how it burns. If your incense does not burn steadily, increase the amount of makko in the mixture. If it burns too fast, decrease the amount of makko.
When choosing charcoal, it is important to avoid charcoal with saltpeter, an oxidizer that is a common ingredient in many charcoals. Saltpeter is a toxic chemical that can be harmful if inhaled. Charcoal with saltpeter will crackle when lit. Instead, opt for pure bamboo charcoal or makko to ensure a safe and authentic incense-burning experience.
In addition to charcoal, other components such as a heat source, incense burner, and incense mixture are needed to burn incense. The incense burner can be a cup, bowl, or saucer-shaped vessel filled with ash or sand, providing a versatile way to burn different styles and types of incense. The incense mixture can be made from a variety of aromatic ingredients, including herbs, resins, and woods, chosen based on their fragrant properties and the desired scent.
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Burners: Use a handmade bowl, shell, or specialty holder to burn your incense
When it comes to burning your herbal incense, you can use a handmade bowl, shell, or specialty holder. Burning your incense in a handmade burner adds a unique, special energy to the experience that is missing from mass-produced burners. Bowls and shells are versatile options, as they can be filled with ash, sand, or pulverized lava rock to burn your incense upon. You can also use a cup or saucer, but these are less versatile and not suitable for burning coils.
There are many different types of incense burners available, and they come in various shapes and sizes, including stick holders, cone holders, and censers. You can even make your own burner, which is sure to add a personal touch to your incense-burning experience.
If you are burning loose incense, you can place it on a charcoal disc or a heat-resistant incense burner. You can also sprinkle it onto a fireproof surface. Charcoal discs are a great option, as they allow the incense to smoulder and release a rich, natural fragrance.
There are also many different types of bowls and shells available, made from various materials such as stoneware clay, resin, and natural shells. Some burners even have detailed engravings or unique glazes, making them beautiful as well as functional.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use a variety of dried herbs, resins, and woods to make herbal incense. Popular choices include basil, dill, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rosemary, sage, cedar, sweetgrass, cinnamon, frankincense, and sandalwood. You can also add aromatic ingredients like honey, wine, dried fruits, and fragrant hydrosols.
If you are using fresh herbs, make sure to dry them first. You can then grind them into a powder using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. If you are using resins, it is best to freeze them first to make them easier to pulverize. You can also use a binder, such as honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine, to help hold the ingredients together.
It is important to take certain precautions when burning herbal incense. Always burn incense in a well-ventilated area, away from flammable objects and children or pets. Make sure to place your incense in a heat-resistant bowl or burner on a heat-resistant surface, such as a ceramic tile or trivet. Do not leave lit incense unattended, and ensure all incense is completely extinguished and cool before discarding it.
When making herbal incense, it is important to use herbs that are still potent, as over time they can lose their potency and impact the aroma. You can store your incense cones in an airtight container for later use, but allow them to dry completely first. You can also try using different bases and binders, such as makko, which is a special blend that simplifies incense-making.
