Katrina Rosales
Burning resin incense is a great way to fill your home with fragrance. However, it can be a little more difficult to light than other types of incense. The most popular way to burn resin incense is to use charcoal tablets and a charcoal incense burner. This method produces a lot of smoke, which can cause breathing problems for some people. To avoid this, you can burn resin incense without charcoal by using an aromatherapy oil warmer or a tea light candle. When using charcoal, it is important to use natural charcoal to avoid a bad smell. You should also be cautious and never touch the charcoal tablet once it is lit, and always allow it to cool before discarding.
How to Properly Light Resin Incense
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Charcoal | Use natural charcoal to avoid a bad smell. |
| Charcoal burner | Use a charcoal burner or a candle incense burner. |
| Charcoal tablets | Use charcoal tablets with tongs. |
| Charcoal ignition | Light the charcoal tablet with a candle. |
| Charcoal temperature | Allow 5-15 minutes for the charcoal to come to temperature. |
| Charcoal cooling | Allow the charcoal to cool completely before discarding. |
| Charcoal ventilation | Ensure proper ventilation in the room. |
| Charcoal alternatives | Use an electric burner, candle, or tea light. |
| Charcoal residue | Use a non-flammable dish to avoid residue. |
| Charcoal base | Use sand or small pebbles as a base. |
| Charcoal preparation | Remove any excess wax before use. |
| Resin form | Use resin in the form of powder or grains. |
| Resin application | Sprinkle a small amount of resin onto the charcoal. |
| Resin replacement | Replace the resin after 3-4 days of daily use. |
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What You'll Learn
Using charcoal disks
Charcoal disks are a great way to light resin incense. Charcoal comes in rolls or boxes of tablets and is available at a low cost anywhere that sells resin incense. Charcoal disks can be self-lighting or regular. Self-lighting charcoal is the most popular and easiest for beginners to use. It is mixed with a combustible agent, usually saltpeter, that ignites with a flick of a lighter. Regular charcoal is compressed vegetable charcoal with nothing added. It requires sustained heat to light, but some prefer it as it doesn't interfere with the fragrance of the incense.
To light your charcoal disk, you will need a safe, heat-proof container. A stone bowl filled with sand is your best option. If you are using a metal incense burner, place a wooden coaster or cloth underneath to avoid scorching your table. Hold the charcoal disk with tongs and light it with a candle, torch lighter, or regular lighter. The charcoal will start to spark. Avoid the first smoke released from the sparkles. When the charcoal gets a ring of ash, it is ready for the incense.
Now, it's time to add your incense. Add a pinch of loose incense with your fingers, or use a metal spoon if you want to be extra careful. The resin will boil and then melt into the charcoal. You can add more incense once your last pinch has burned up entirely. To make the charcoal burn hotter or faster, tap the ashes off. To burn at a slower pace, leave the ashes.
Remember to always be cautious when lighting charcoal disks and burning incense. Keep your burning incense away from pets, children, and flammable materials.
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Using tongs to hold the charcoal
To properly light resin incense, you will need to use charcoal tablets or disks. Using tongs to hold the charcoal is a good way to avoid getting burned, but you must exercise caution when handling hot coals. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Using a pair of tongs, hold the charcoal tablet or disk over a flame until it starts to crackle. You can use any type of tongs, such as cooking tongs, special charcoal disk tongs, needle-nose pliers, or even tweezers. If you are using natural charcoal, it may take a while for it to catch fire, so be patient and hold it over the candle for several minutes. Once the charcoal is lit, it will stay hot for a long time.
Place the hot charcoal onto a bed of sand or small pebbles inside your charcoal burner. If your burner has a mesh screen, you can place the charcoal on that. You can also flip the mesh screen to create a bowl-like shape to hold the charcoal. Allow the charcoal to heat up for 5-15 minutes. You will know it is ready when a layer of ash forms on the tablet.
Once the charcoal is hot enough, use a metal spoon to add a small amount of resin on top of it. Be careful not to touch the charcoal with the spoon as it will be very hot. The resin will start to release fragrant smoke. You can add more resin as desired until the charcoal is exhausted.
When you are finished, allow the charcoal to completely cool down in the burner before discarding it. You can speed up the cooling process by dousing it with water, but make sure to exercise caution. Do not leave burning charcoal or incense unattended, and ensure proper air ventilation in the room.
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Placing the charcoal on a bed of sand
To properly light resin incense, you'll need to use charcoal tablets or disks, as resins won't burn on their own. When using charcoal, it's important to place it on a bed of sand or a similar non-flammable base to avoid any accidents. Here's a step-by-step guide to placing the charcoal on a bed of sand:
Preparing the Charcoal
Before you begin, ensure you have the right tools. You'll need charcoal tablets or disks, a charcoal burner or non-flammable dish, bowl, or plate, and a layer of sand or small pebbles. You will also need a pair of tongs and a candle to light the charcoal.
Lighting the Charcoal
Using the tongs, hold the charcoal tablet or disk over the candle flame, following the lighting instructions provided with your charcoal. Hold the charcoal until it starts to crackle, indicating it has ignited properly. Be cautious, as the charcoal will be very hot at this point.
Placing the Charcoal on Sand
Once the charcoal is lit and hot, it's time to place it on the bed of sand. Use the tongs to carefully transfer the charcoal from the flame to the centre of your prepared bed of sand inside your charcoal burner or dish. The sand will act as a heat-safe base and help insulate the hot charcoal, preventing it from burning any surfaces.
Allowing Charcoal to Reach Temperature
After placing the charcoal on the sand, give it time to reach the optimal temperature. This usually takes around 5 to 15 minutes. You'll know it's ready when a layer of ash forms on the tablet or disk. This layer of ash indicates that the charcoal is hot enough to release fragrant incense smoke when resin is added.
Adding Resin to the Charcoal
Once the charcoal is ready, use a metal spoon to add a small amount of resin on top of the hot charcoal. The resin will start to smoke, releasing its fragrance into the air. You can add more resin as desired until the charcoal is exhausted. Remember to allow the charcoal to cool completely before disposing of it and ensure proper ventilation in the room during the process.
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Adding resin to the charcoal
To burn resin incense, you will need a few things. These include resin, charcoal tablets, a charcoal incense burner, tongs, and a candle. Some sources suggest using natural charcoal to avoid a bad smell. You can also use a tea light candle and a soda can, or an aromatherapy oil warmer.
Now, for adding resin to the charcoal:
First, light your charcoal tablet. Using a pair of tongs, hold the charcoal tablet over a flame until it starts to crackle. Place the hot charcoal tablet on a bed of sand or small pebbles inside your charcoal burner. You can also place it on a mesh screen, flipping the screen to create a bowl-like shape to hold the charcoal. Allow the charcoal to come to temperature, which should take 5-15 minutes. You will know it is ready when a layer of ash forms on the tablet.
Next, add the resin. Using a metal spoon, sprinkle a small amount of resin on top of the hot charcoal. You can also powder your resin into a fine powder and sprinkle a little at a time to ensure it completely burns. You can also place a teaspoon of salt between the resin and the coal to help it burn at a lower temperature. The resin will start to release fragrant smoke. Repeat this process as desired until the charcoal is exhausted.
When you are finished, allow the charcoal to completely cool before discarding. You can also douse it with water. Do not touch the charcoal tablet once it is lit, as it will be very hot. Always ensure proper air ventilation when burning incense.
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Using an aromatherapy oil warmer
Ceramic Oil Warmer:
- Place a small amount of vegetable oil or almond oil in the dish of your ceramic oil warmer. The amount of oil will depend on the size of the dish.
- Add a few pieces of your favourite resin incense to the oil.
- Light a tea light candle and place it underneath the dish. Alternatively, you can light the tea light first and then carefully place it underneath the dish. Make sure to use an unfragranced tea light, so the aroma doesn't mix with that of the incense.
- Allow the oil to heat up. This may take a few minutes, depending on the size of your oil warmer and the amount of oil used.
- You'll know the oil is hot enough when you start to smell the fragrance of the resin incense.
- Enjoy the subtle scent of the resin incense as it infuses the oil.
- Remember to blow out the candle when you are done and let the oil warmer cool completely before cleaning it.
Electric Oil Warmer:
If you have an electric oil warmer, simply follow these steps:
- Add a small amount of almond oil to the bowl of your warmer.
- Place a few pieces of resin incense in the bowl with the oil.
- Plug in your electric warmer and turn it on.
- Allow the oil to heat up and infuse with the fragrance of the resin.
- Enjoy the scent as it fills the room.
- Unplug the warmer when you are finished and allow it to cool before cleaning.
Tea Light Cup Warmer:
Another option is to use empty tea light cups as warmers:
- Clean out an empty tea light cup and fill it halfway with oil and resin.
- Place the cup over the bowl of your oil warmer.
- Light a tea light and place it underneath the bowl to heat the oil and resin mixture.
- As the oil heats up, the resin will release its fragrance.
- Remember to blow out the tea light when you're done and allow everything to cool before cleaning.
Always exercise caution when using an aromatherapy oil warmer, as the dish can become very hot. Never leave it unattended while in use and make sure to use it on a heat-resistant surface. With these methods, you can enjoy the wonderful fragrance of resin incense without the smoke!
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Frequently asked questions
You will need resin incense, charcoal tablets, a charcoal burner, a heat-safe surface, and a source of ignition such as a candle or tea light.
Using a pair of tongs, hold the charcoal tablet over a flame until it starts to crackle and turns red hot. Alternatively, you can use self-igniting charcoal disks.
Allow the charcoal to heat up for 5 to 15 minutes. You will know it is ready when a layer of ash forms on the tablet.
Using a metal spoon, place a small amount of resin on top of the hot charcoal. You can also sprinkle powdered resin onto the charcoal to ensure it burns completely.
Allow the charcoal to cool completely before discarding. You can speed up the process by dousing it with water. Do not touch the charcoal tablet or burner until they have cooled down as they will be very hot.
