Antonio Mcgowan
Incense has been used for centuries for its healing, spiritual, and mental benefits. Making your own loose incense is a simple process that allows you to create unique blends tailored to your preferences. With a few basic ingredients and tools, you can craft your own aromatic treasure that stimulates the senses and encourages mindfulness. The key to successful incense-making lies in choosing the right base, binder, and aromatic ingredients, as well as understanding the proper techniques for mixing and burning your creation.
How to Make Your Own Loose Incense
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Base | Resin, such as frankincense, myrrh, or conifer tree sap |
| Binder | Honey, water, gum (guar or xanthan), dried fruit soaked in wine, or wood |
| Burner | Charcoal, makko, or mica |
| Ingredients | Herbs (dried, ground, or powdered), resins, woods, essential oils, dried fruit, flowers, roots |
| Tools | Electric grinder, mortar and pestle, bowl, plate or parchment paper, ceramic jar or glass container |
| Process | Mix ingredients, grind, add binder, form into cones, sticks, pellets, or other shapes, dry, burn |
| Benefits | Aromatic, stimulating, healing, protective, purifying |
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What You'll Learn
Choose your base
Choosing the base for your loose incense is a key step in the incense-making process. The base material replaces the charcoal or other outside heat source used in non-combusting forms of incense. Good base materials burn well and burn evenly. You can choose a base with very little scent or one with a scent that complements the rest of your blend.
Resin is a popular choice for the base of your incense blend. It not only improves the smell but also prolongs the burn time. Most resins are the dried sap of a tree or powdered wood. You can buy commercial resins like frankincense or myrrh or gather your own from conifer tree sap. If you gather your own, be mindful not to take resin that is still on the tree as this serves as a protective barrier for the tree. Instead, look at the base of the tree for pieces that have fallen off. Only gather hard resin, not soft sticky sap. To make resin easier to crush, place it in the freezer for a few hours to make it brittle. Frankincense, copal, dragon's blood, and sandalwood are all popular choices for resin incense bases.
Wood can also be used as an incense base. Sandalwood, cedar, and pine are all excellent choices that will add a very strong scent to your incense blend. If you prefer a base with very little scent, you can use red sandalwood (which is not actually sandalwood), alder, or charcoal.
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Select your herbs
When selecting your herbs, it's important to consider the desired effect you want your incense to have. Incense blends are often created to encourage mindfulness and focus, or to promote specific moods and energies.
For example, if you're looking to create a blend that encourages relaxation and calmness, you might choose herbs such as lavender, rose, or jasmine. These herbs are known for their soothing and uplifting properties. On the other hand, if you're seeking a blend that boosts motivation and energy, you could opt for herbs like cinnamon, patchouli, or orange peel, which are invigorating and stimulating.
Additionally, you may want to consider the medicinal properties of certain herbs. For instance, thyme has been associated with healing, love, and purification, while sage is believed to clear out negative energy. The ancient Greeks burned thyme incense in their temples, considering it a source of purification and courage. The story of the "'Four Thieves'" in the 15th century also highlights the protective and healing powers of herbal blends, as a combination of herbs was said to protect a group of thieves from the plague.
When creating your blend, it's recommended to use dried and ground herbs, comprising about half of your mixture. A variety of bitter and sweet herbs can be used, such as sagebrush, mugwort, rosemary, thyme, rose petals, lavender, or cinnamon. You can also experiment with dried fruits like raisins, prunes, or apricots, which can be soaked in wine to add depth of flavour.
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Prepare your ingredients
Preparing your ingredients is the first step in making loose incense. The ingredients you choose will depend on the scent and properties you desire. For example, frankincense is burned to drive away negativity and purify spaces, while lavender is calming to the mind. You can also use dried herbs and resins to create your own unique blends.
Begin by selecting your base material, which will serve as the foundation of your incense blend. Good base materials burn well and evenly. Examples of base materials include sandalwood, cedar, and pine, which will add a strong scent to your blend. If you prefer a more subtle scent, you can choose red sandalwood (which is not true sandalwood), alder, or charcoal. These options have very little scent and will allow the other ingredients to shine.
The next step is to choose your aromatic ingredients, which are the herbs, resins, and woods that will provide the desired scent and therapeutic properties. You can use dried and ground herbs, such as sagebrush, rosemary, thyme, lavender, or cinnamon. Resins, such as frankincense or myrrh, can be purchased or gathered from conifer tree sap. If you choose to gather your own resin, be mindful of the tree and only collect pieces that have fallen to the ground. To make the resin easier to crush, place it in the freezer for a few hours until it becomes brittle.
In addition to the base and aromatic ingredients, you will need a binder to help your incense mixture stick together. Common binders include honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine. Gum binders, such as guar gum or xanthan gum, are more potent than wood binders and require only a small amount. Essential oils, decoctions, hydrosols, and other liquid extracts can also be added to enhance the scent and properties of your incense. However, keep in mind that essential oils do not contain water, so you will need to adjust the amount of liquid in your recipe accordingly.
Once you have gathered and prepared your ingredients, you are ready to begin mixing and blending them together to create your unique loose incense blend.
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Combine and bind
Once you've gathered your ingredients, it's time to combine and bind them. The first step is to mix all your dry ingredients together. This includes your herbs and woods. Separately, mix all your resins together. Then, add your resin mixture to your dry mixture and combine thoroughly. At this stage, you can add essential oils and other liquid scents.
Next, you'll need to add a binder to help your mixture stick together. Common binders include gum arabic, tragacanth, guar gum, xanthan gum, honey, water, and dried fruit. If you're using a gum binder, you'll need to add water to activate it. You can use plain water or a water-based liquid like tea, coffee, milk, fruit juice, or wine. However, if you're using essential oils, you'll need to supplement these with some water, as oils alone won't activate the binder.
Add a small amount of your chosen binder to your mixture and mix well. You want a stiff dough-like consistency that's crumbly but sticks together when squeezed. If you're using honey as your binder, slowly drizzle it into your mixture until it can be kneaded together.
Now, you're ready to form your incense. You can roll your mixture into pea-sized balls or cones, or form it into sticks. If you're making pellets, you can roll them in powdered herbs to keep them from sticking. Place your formed incense on a ceramic plate or parchment paper to dry. Allow them to dry for at least several days and up to a couple of weeks, turning them occasionally to ensure even drying.
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Burn or dry
Burning or drying herbs and flowers is an important step in making your own loose incense. Incense is any material made from plants that are burned for fragrance. The process of drying herbs and flowers helps to preserve them and intensify their aroma. Here are some detailed instructions on how to properly burn or dry your herbs and flowers for making loose incense:
Drying:
- Gather your favourite fresh flowers and herbs: Pick a variety of flowers and herbs that you like and ensure they are in season. You can also use leftover herbs from your garden or kitchen. Some popular options include lavender, roses, thyme, rosemary, sage, and eucalyptus.
- Prepare the drying setup: Find a cool, dry space with good air circulation to hang your herb and flower bundles. This environment will help ensure proper and even drying.
- Bundle and hang your ingredients: Use cotton twine to securely tie your flowers and herbs together. Wrap the twine tightly, as the herbs and flowers will shrink as they dry. Hang the bundles upside down from a hanger or hook in the designated drying area.
- Allow for complete drying: Leave the bundles to air-dry for about 2-3 weeks. It is important to be patient and ensure that the bundles are entirely dry before moving on to the next step. Incomplete drying may result in poor burning or mould formation.
Burning:
- Prepare a safe burning space: Choose a heat-proof dish, such as a metal or ceramic bowl, to burn your incense. Avoid using materials that can be damaged by fire, such as glass or plastic. Ensure that the burning area is well-ventilated and away from flammable objects.
- Light the incense: Once your herb and flower bundles are completely dry, cut them down to size and place them in your heat-proof dish. Light the herbs with a lighter or match until they ignite and begin to smoke.
- Extinguish and smoulder: After a few seconds, blow out the flame and let the herbs and flowers smoulder. You can gently wave your hand or use a fan to circulate the air and keep the embers burning for a longer duration.
- Enjoy the aroma: As the incense smoulders, the fragrant smoke will fill the room. Be mindful of proper ventilation, especially if you have pets, as they may be sensitive to smoke.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use dried and ground herbs, resins, woods, and essential oils. Common herbs include rosemary, thyme, and sagebrush. Common resins include frankincense and myrrh. Common woods include sandalwood, cedar, and pine.
Common binders include gum arabic, tragacanth, guar gum, xanthan gum, honey, water, and dried fruit.
Avoid using saltpeter or charcoal that contains saltpeter because it is a toxic substance.
First, mix all your dry ingredients together. Separately, mix all your resins together, then add this mixture to your dry mixture and combine thoroughly. You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients together.
You can burn loose incense by heating it over charcoal or mica on top of charcoal. You can also burn it on mica on top of ash under which hot charcoal is buried, or on top of makko.
