The Different Types of Incense
Incense has been used for many purposes over thousands of years. From religious practices to meditation to simply covering up unwanted odors, many different cultures across the world have incorporated incense into their daily lives.
Many consider incense as belonging to one of two different types and within those types, incense can also come in many different forms.
The two incense types are based on the way they burn: direct-burning incense is incense that you directly light to produce the aromas, and indirect-burning incense uses a separate heating source (like charcoal).
There are many different forms of incense of each type. The most common forms for personal use are stick incense and cone incense. WeIncense only carries stick and cone incense at the time of writing this. Our goal is to make the world of incense scents simple for all, and we believe sticks and cones are the way to go for most people since sticks and cones:
- Require fewer specialized accessories,
- Don’t need hotter-burning heat sources like charcoal,
- Are more widely known. Many more people, especially in the U.S., are more familiar with these forms and how to enjoy them safely and easily.
Stick Incense
Probably the most common type of incense is stick incense. Stick incense is generally regarded as the easiest and simplest to use. Stick incense consists of a stick (often bamboo) with fragrant substances attached that slowly burn and create the smoke and aromas. The type of stick and the type of fragrant substances vary across different makers and products and regions. Many brands use essential oils, fragrance oils and other fragrant substances to create the aromas you know and love. There are many varieties of stick incense, often called by other names. Other varieties use different types of cores and some varieties (like dhoop) don’t have a stick core at all. Famous varieties of stick incense include joss sticks, masala, agarbatti, and champa.
You’ll need:
- Heat-resistant container - any standard incense burner will work
- Matches or a lighter - if you’re not familiar with using these, longer matches and lighters are generally a safer bet as they keep your hands removed from the flame
- Stick incense
To light cone incense…
Either place your incense stick into the holder or hold it angled upward in your hand. Light the tip of the stick until it has a flame when you remove your match or lighter. After a few seconds, the tip should glow, then gently fan or blow the flame out if it doesn’t go out on its own. If the stick doesn’t keep burning afterwards, try re-lighting it and waiting a bit longer. Once you put out the flame, the tip should continue to glow and will continue to burn on its own. Make sure the stick ends up positioned in your holder so that any ash will fall within the holder.
How to put out stick incense…
Incense will naturally burn out on its own eventually. To preserve the rest of an incense stick for later you can either ‘blot’ it out or cut it. To blot, carefully remove the stick from the burner and push the tip into a safe surface until the ember breaks off. Leave the ember to safely cool. To use the ‘cut’ method, simply take a pair of scissors and cut the ember part of the stick off - just make sure to do it over a safe surface so the ember lands where it can safely cool. After putting your incense out, it’s always best to double-check and make sure the remaining parts of the incense are cool to the touch before storage.
Cone Incense
Cone incense is simply the fragrant incense substances molded into a cone shape. Most cones are relatively small in size but generally burn hotter and smokier than stick incense. Generally, cones don’t burn as long as sticks and can be safely burnt in any heat-resistant dish.
You’ll need:
- Heat-resistant container - metal or stone/ceramic dishes work great, especially when placed on top of something else heat-resistant like a stone block
- Matches or a lighter - if you’re not familiar with using these, longer matches and lighters are generally a safer bet as they keep your hands removed from the flame
- Cone incense
- Optional: sand or dry rice to cover the bottom of your heat-resistant container
Place the cone (tip facing upward) in your heat-resistant container. Placing the cone on a layer of rice or sand within the container can help with airflow and also help reduce the heat transferred through the container. Make sure your cone is stable so that it won’t fall over during or after lighting. Light the tip of the cone until it has a flame when you remove your match or lighter. After a few seconds, the tip should glow, then gently fan or blow the flame out if it doesn’t go out on its own. If the cone doesn’t keep burning afterwards, try re-lighting it and waiting a bit longer. Once you put out the flame, the tip should continue to glow and will continue to burn on its own.
Other forms of incense
Coil incense is best burned in special coil incense burners and tends to burn much longer than other types of incense. Coil incense generally doesn’t have a stick core and can also be hung. It can be frequently seen in religious ceremonies and settings since it can burn up to a full day, depending on the size and diameter.
Powder incense and resin pieces are typically burned on (or heated over) burning charcoal. Charcoal produces much more heat than incense, so extra care needs to be taken to ensure your burning area is safe. Powder will burn through fairly quickly and resin pieces will last longer.
Many other forms exist, like kneaded and pressed incense pieces, aromatic wood, and paper incense.
Smudge sticks, which we do carry on WeIncense, are generally bundles of herbs and woods that can be lit to produce aromatic smoke. Smudge sticks are often used for spiritual cleansing for both people and spaces.