FAQs

What is incense made from?

Incense can be made from a variety of different ingredients; it all depends on the technique or tradition of the maker. Some incense is made by dipping pre-made sticks into fragrance oils, some incense is made by blending plant-based materials with gums, water or other liquids before forming into sticks, cones or pellets. My incense belongs in the latter category. Broadly speaking, this is called blended incense.

What is this incense made from?

Burn It Botanical Incense is made from sustainably harvested Australian sandalwood, as well as tree resins, plants and essential oils. I don’t use any artificial fragrances, animal products, lighting agents, or fillers.

To read more about where I source my materials, please see my Ethics in Sourcing page.

Why don’t these incense sticks have a bamboo core?

This style of incense originates from Japan, and is called senko or joss stick incense. Because it’s thin it produces less ash and creates less smoke than thicker sticks or cones.

For reference, Tibetan stick incense is similar in structure to Japanese incense but is much thicker, and incense formed around a bamboo stick (the kind many of us in Western countries picture when we think of incense) comes from both India and China. The term joss stick is used for a variety of different styles of incense across South and East Asia.

It depends! Some people use it for the scent, some people use it for meditation, ritual or ceremony; many people use it for both. I make incense without a specific tradition in mind, so please feel free to incorporate it into your own practices as you wish. 

Many cultures have their own traditions around incense. Learning about the history and use of incense across the world is fascinating – but it’s important to keep cultural appropriation in mind too.

Where can I learn more?

Follow me on Instagram (or sign up for my newsletter below!) if you’d like to learn more about me and Burn It Botanical Incense.

If you’re interested in learning about the history of incense in Japan and the art of Koh-do (listening to incense), you may want to read The Book of Incense by Kiyoko Morita.