Heidi Norton
Incense is an ancient tradition that has been practised for thousands of years, with natural incense sticks having a long history in China and Japan. The process of making incense is meditative, and the final product is calming. Making your own incense sticks allows for endless customisation, and they can be gifted to friends and family. You can make incense sticks with natural ingredients like wood, herbs, flowers, resins and essential oils. The traditional Chinese method uses incense powders, while the other main type uses bamboo sticks.
How to Make Homemade Incense Sticks
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| History | The history of incense burning dates back more than 6000 years, with links to ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilisations. |
| Incense was used in balms during the mummification process and spread to India, Southern Asia, and Roman and Greek societies. | |
| Incense stick-making has a long history in China, with records dating back over 500 years, and it later spread to Japan and other East Asian regions. | |
| Ingredients | Traditional Chinese incense uses powders made from various woods, resins, herbs, or floral incense (e.g., sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh). |
| Essential oils like lavender oil are popular for their calming and therapeutic effects. | |
| Customisation | Homemade incense sticks allow for endless customisation with different ingredients and essential oils. |
| Process | The process involves blending and sieving powdered materials, rolling the mixture into sticks, and drying them. |
| For scented sticks, unscented sticks can be coated with essential oils and allowed to rest before use. | |
| Tools | Tools like trays, aluminium foil, droppers, and glass jars are used in the process. |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing your ingredients: wood, herbs, flowers, resins, essential oils
The ingredients you choose for your incense sticks will depend on the scent you want to create. You can use a combination of wood, herbs, flowers, resins, and essential oils. Here are some tips for choosing and preparing each of these ingredients:
Wood
Wood is a key ingredient in incense sticks, providing a base for the other scents and contributing to the overall aroma. Common types of wood used in incense include sandalwood, cedarwood, and palo santo. When choosing your wood, consider the type of scent you want to create. For example, sandalwood has a warm and woody aroma, while cedarwood has a fresh and slightly sweet smell.
Herbs
Herbs can add a wide range of scents to your incense sticks, from earthy and grounding to bright and uplifting. Some popular herbs used in incense include lavender, rosemary, sage, and basil. When choosing herbs, opt for dried herbs as they will be easier to work with and will help your incense sticks burn more evenly.
Flowers
Flowers can add a delicate and sweet touch to your incense sticks. Common flower choices include rose, jasmine, and chamomile. When using flowers, it's best to use dried flower petals or buds to prevent moisture from affecting the burning of your incense sticks.
Resins
Resins are tree secretions that are hardened into a solid form. They are known for their strong aromatic properties and are often used in incense to provide a deep and rich base note. Frankincense and myrrh are two of the most popular resins used in incense making, offering earthy and warm scents. When working with resins, it's important to pulverize them into a fine powder to ensure they blend well with the other ingredients.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that provide powerful aromas. They are a great way to customize your incense sticks and create specific moods or therapeutic effects. For example, lavender essential oil is known for its calming and relaxing properties. Other popular essential oils for incense include rosemary, lemongrass, and eucalyptus. When using essential oils, a little goes a long way, so start with a small amount and adjust to your preference.
Remember, when choosing your ingredients, consider the scent profile you want to create and feel free to experiment with different combinations to find your unique blend.
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Preparing your incense powders
Firstly, decide on the type of incense stick you want to make. Traditional Chinese incense uses powders only, without essential oils, whereas other types of incense incorporate them. For beginners, a simple combination of sandalwood and 2-3 other types of powders is recommended. If you are using resins such as frankincense or myrrh, use them sparingly. You can also add essential oils like lavender, which is known for its calming and relaxing properties.
Next, prepare your chosen materials by pulverising or grinding them into a fine powder. This can be done with a pepper mill or a coffee grinder. The powder should be fine enough to pass through an 80-mesh screen sieve (0.18mm/0.007”) at a minimum, and ideally through a 100-mesh screen sieve (0.15mm/0.0049”). Powders that are too coarse can affect the flammability, scent, and brittleness of the final product.
Once you have your incense powder, you can move on to the next steps of making your incense sticks, such as mixing, shaping, and drying.
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Blending your ingredients
To make natural incense sticks, you can use a variety of wood, resin, herb, or floral incense powders. Sandalwood is a popular choice and can be ground using a pepper mill or coffee grinder. Other types of wood, such as kyara and aloeswood, can be filed or pulverized to create a fine powder. If you're using resins like frankincense or myrrh, be sure to use them sparingly as a little goes a long way. You can also add herbs, flowers, and traditional Chinese medicine spices to your blend.
When blending your ingredients, it's important to ensure that your powdered materials are fine enough. Ideally, they should be able to pass through an 80-mesh screen sieve (0.18mm/0.007”) or even better, a 100-mesh screen sieve (0.15mm/0.0049”). Powders that are too coarse can affect the flammability, scent, and brittleness of your incense sticks.
If you're using essential oils to scent your incense sticks, you'll want to add them after you've blended and prepared your base ingredients. Popular choices for essential oils include lavender, which is known for its calming and relaxing properties. You can also experiment with other essential oils like sweet and floral fragrances or fresh, herbaceous scents.
Once you've blended your dry ingredients and chosen your scent, you're ready to move on to the next step of preparing your incense stick mixture.
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Shaping your incense sticks
To begin shaping your incense sticks, you will need to decide on the type of stick you want to make. There are two main types of incense sticks: those with a bamboo centre (or core) and those without. The traditional Chinese method uses only incense powders, resulting in a truer scent, while the Japanese-style incense sticks have a bamboo core.
If you opt for the powder-only method, you will need to pulverize or finely grind your chosen wood, such as sandalwood or kyara. This can be done with a pepper mill or a coffee grinder. You can also add other ingredients such as herbs, flowers, resins like frankincense or myrrh, and essential oils to create your unique scent blend. However, ensure that your powder is fine enough to pass through an 80-mesh screen sieve to prevent clumping and affect flammability.
Once you have your powder blend ready, it's time to roll the incense sticks. You can roll the dough into equal-sized balls and then carefully roll them into thin sticks by hand. This step can be tricky, so some people use paper as a surface to roll on, preventing the mixture from sticking to their hands or the work surface. Others have suggested using a clay extruder to shape the dough into sticks.
After shaping your incense sticks, they need to be dried. Place them on a sheet of wax paper that has been accordion-folded to provide a narrow bed for drying. This prevents the sticks from curling or bending as they dry. Finally, allow your incense sticks to rest for at least 24 hours before using them.
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Drying your incense sticks
Prepare a suitable drying surface: It's essential to use a surface that allows your incense sticks to dry without curling or bending. One effective method is to use wax paper and create an accordion fold to form a narrow bed for the sticks. This setup provides a stable base and prevents the sticks from sticking to the surface.
Roll the incense mixture onto the drying surface: When shaping the incense mixture into sticks, aim for uniformity in thickness and length. Carefully roll the incense dough into thin sticks, ensuring they are evenly spaced on the wax paper.
Allow adequate drying time: The drying duration may vary depending on the ingredients used and the environmental conditions. However, it's generally advisable to let the incense sticks rest for at least 24 hours. During this time, the sticks will harden and become suitable for burning.
Consider the environmental conditions: The ideal drying environment is well-ventilated and dry. Avoid excessively humid conditions, as they can hinder the drying process and affect the quality of your incense sticks.
Avoid touching or moving the sticks during the drying process: It's important to let the incense sticks rest undisturbed. Any manipulation or contact during the drying process may cause the sticks to lose their shape or become brittle.
Once the incense sticks have dried completely, you can carefully remove them from the wax paper. At this stage, they are ready for storage or immediate use. Remember to store them in a dry and airtight container to maintain their freshness and aroma.
By following these steps, you can successfully dry your homemade incense sticks, ensuring they are ready for use and provide the desired fragrance experience.
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Frequently asked questions
Making your own incense sticks allows for endless customisation and the ability to add calming, gentle aromas to help evoke relaxation and serenity.
You will need various wood, resin, herb or floral incense powders, and essential oils. Beginners should start simple with sandalwood and 2-3 other types of powders, using resins such as frankincense or myrrh sparingly.
You will need a tray or dish, aluminium foil, unscented incense sticks, a dropper, and a glass jar.
First, line your tray with aluminium foil and place your unscented incense sticks on top. Using the dropper, add 20 drops of essential oil to each stick, ensuring an even distribution. Keep the sticks in a glass jar for 24 hours before use.
There are two main types of incense sticks: those with a bamboo centre and those without. The type without a bamboo core uses incense powders to achieve a truer smell.
