Heidi Norton
Incense sticks are a popular way to fill your home with fragrance, but many people are now looking for ways to make them without the use of DPG (dipropylene glycol), a synthetic ingredient that helps to reduce the amount of black smoke produced by incense. While DPG is not considered to be dangerous, it can cause adverse reactions in some people, and it is possible to make incense sticks without it. The first step is to choose your incense sticks—these need to be pre-made, unscented sticks, which can be purchased cheaply online or from local aromatherapy or Wiccan supply stores. You can then coat your sticks with your chosen essential oil or fragrance oil—a blend of a few drops of different oils will give your sticks a fragrant scent. If you are not using DPG, simply lay your incense sticks on a tray lined with aluminum foil and use a dropper or sprayer to distribute the oil evenly. Allow the sticks to dry for 24 hours, then package them in wax paper or cellophane to protect their aroma.
How to make incense sticks without DPG
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Incense stick base | Use pre-made, unscented incense sticks or make your own by hand-rolling using powdered ingredients and water |
| Scent | Use essential oils or fragrance oils |
| Oil quantity | 20 drops of essential oil for each stick |
| Oil blend | Mix oils in a graduated cylinder if preparing multiple incense sticks at once |
| Oil application | Use a dropper or sprayer to distribute the oil blend evenly over the incense stick blanks |
| Drying | Let the oil-coated incense sticks dry for 24 hours. Avoid drying on paper. Baking racks, plastic or metal sheets can be used |
| Storage | Store in a plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap |
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What You'll Learn
Use essential oils
To make incense sticks with essential oils, you will need to buy pre-prepared, unscented sticks. Ordinary bamboo sticks will not work. You can find these blanks online or at your local aromatherapy store.
If you are making a single test stick of incense, simply apply up to 20 drops of essential oil directly to the incense stick. If you are using a blend of oils, be sure to mix them before applying to ensure they are evenly distributed.
If you are preparing multiple incense sticks at once, it helps to measure out the essential oils in a graduated cylinder. You can use up to 4ml (about 100 drops) of essential oil per five incense sticks, and a little less per stick as the volume increases. Always wear gloves when working with undiluted essential oils, as they can irritate your skin.
Once you have applied the essential oil, you can burn the incense stick, or you can let it dry and package it in wax paper or cellophane to protect its aroma.
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Soak unscented sticks in oil
To make incense sticks without DPG, you will need to buy pre-prepared, unscented incense sticks. You can find these online or at your local aromatherapy store. If you want to make hand-rolled incense sticks, you will also need to purchase bamboo charcoal or makko powder, a coffee grinder, mixing bowls, and a drying cloth or wax paper.
Once you have your supplies, you can begin creating your incense sticks. First, choose an essential oil or blend of oils for your incense sticks. You can use up to 4ml (about 100 drops) of essential oil per five incense sticks, with a little less per stick as the volume increases. If you are using multiple oils, be sure to mix them before applying them to the incense stick to ensure they are evenly distributed.
Next, prepare a rectangular box or dish that is long enough to fit your unscented sticks. Measure out your essential oil blend according to the size of your batch and pour it into the box or dish. Then, use a dropper or sprayer to distribute the oil blend evenly over your incense stick blanks.
Finally, let your incense sticks soak for at least 24 hours. After they have finished soaking, remove the sticks from the oil and place them on a rack to dry for another 24 hours. You can recycle any leftover oil for future use. Once the sticks are dry, they are ready to be packaged in wax paper or cellophane to protect their aroma.
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Air-dry on a rack
If you want to make incense sticks without using DPG, you can follow these steps. Firstly, you will need to buy pre-prepared, unscented incense sticks. These are different from ordinary bamboo sticks and can be purchased cheaply online or from a local aromatherapy store.
Next, you will need to prepare your essential oil blend. If you are making a single test stick of incense, simply apply up to 20 drops of essential oil directly to the stick. If you are making a batch of incense sticks, you can use up to 4ml of essential oil for every five sticks, with a little less per stick as the volume increases. For example, to make a small batch of five incense sticks, use 100 total drops of essential oil (around 4ml). Always wear gloves when handling undiluted essential oils, as they can irritate the skin.
Once you have prepared your essential oil blend, use a dropper or sprayer to distribute the blend as evenly as possible over your incense stick blanks. Lay your incense stick blanks on a tray lined with aluminium foil.
Finally, place your incense sticks on a rack to dry. Baking racks are best for this, but you can also place the incense on top of a plastic or metal sheet. Avoid drying incense sticks on paper, as the paper may stick to the incense. Allow the incense to air-dry for 24 hours.
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Avoid paper
Avoid drying incense sticks on paper. Paper might stick to the incense after it has dried. Instead, use a tray lined with aluminium foil, a flat pan, a baking rack, or a plastic or metal sheet to dry your incense. You can also use wax paper, but be aware that wax paper may also stick to the incense.
If you are using DPG, insert your incense stick blanks into a shallow glass dish that is as small as possible while still allowing the blanks to lay flat. Once the sticks are set up, pour the DPG and essential oil blend into the container, covering the blanks completely. If you are not using DPG, simply lay your incense stick blanks down on a tray lined with aluminium foil. Use a dropper or sprayer to distribute the essential oil blend as evenly as you can over your blanks.
After soaking for at least 24 hours, remove the incense sticks and let them dry for another 24 hours.
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Store in plastic
Once you've made your incense sticks, you'll want to store them somewhere safe to preserve their aroma. You can store your incense in a plastic bag, or wrap them in plastic wrap and let them air-dry for one more night.
If you're making a large number of incense sticks, you might want to consider using a plastic container to soak your sticks in the first place. While glass containers are also used, a plastic container will be lighter and easier to handle, especially if you're making incense sticks in bulk.
If you're making a very large number of incense sticks, you can soak the sticks upright in five-gallon buckets. However, be aware that plastic can absorb some of the fragrance, so you may want to avoid this if you're making a wide variety of scents.
If you're using plastic to soak your incense sticks, be sure to use a different container for each scent to avoid any unwanted mixing.
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Frequently asked questions
DPG is a synthetic ingredient that is added to incense sticks to reduce black smoke. However, some people prefer to avoid synthetic ingredients.
You can use essential oils, fragrance oils, or a blend of oils. Common scents include sandalwood, pine, cedar, juniper, sage, thyme, lavender, cinnamon, and vanilla.
For a single incense stick, use 20 drops of essential oil. For a small batch of 5 incense sticks, use 100 total drops of essential oil (around 4 ml).
Use pre-made, unscented incense sticks. Hand-rolled incense sticks tend to hold scents better than machine-rolled sticks.
Simply lay your incense stick blanks on a tray lined with aluminum foil. Use a dropper or sprayer to distribute the oil blend evenly over the blanks.
