How to Use Incense
Use a smudge stick., Make your own smudge stick., Use incense sticks and an incense burner., Light an incense stick with a match or lighter., Beware of low quality incense sticks., Use an incense match.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Use a smudge stick.
Despite the disconcerting name, smudge sticks are perhaps the classiest type of incense.
The most common type of smudge stick is made by simply tying white sage into a tight bundle.
Juniper, cedar, and other botanicals can also be used.
You can acquire smudge sticks – or just the herbs to make them yourself with a bit of string
- from aromatherapy shops or herb stores.Smudge sticks are associated primarily with Native American cleansing practices, and may provide a feeling of more comfortable or more positive energy.
Light a smudge stick at the un-tied end and allow the whole end to begin to burn. “Smudge” the stick against a dish to quell any flames and allow it to smolder.
Leave the stick on its side in something that cannot light on fire, such as an ashtray or ceramic dish.
Make sure there is plenty of space around the burning smudge stick. -
Step 2: Make your own smudge stick.
Tightly bundle sage branches together before they’re dried, so that the tied end is roughly equal in diameter to a nickel.
Use branches that are slightly shorter than the length of your hand.
You can tie the bundle in more than one location, adding a few ties a finger width apart to keep the bundle tight.
Allow the bundle to dry by hanging it upside down in the sunlight.
Trim the ends of the branches once the bundle has dried so that you’re left with a tight bunch of sage about the width or your palm., Incense sticks are the most widely available form of incense, and are also very easy to use.
If you wish to use incense sticks, seek out a local supplier who makes their own and ensure they use high quality, non-toxic ingredients.
Once you find a source that uses only safe ingredients, get an incense burner to ensure that the incense can safely burn and drop ash into a receptacle that will allow simple disposal.Stick incense burners widely vary in décor, but usually feature trays with a groove for catching ash and a curved up end with a hole, in which you place the incense stick. , Allow the stick to burn for a few moments and blow it out.
A small, dull ember may remain.
A steady stream of aromatic stick should be flowing from the end of the stick.
If the stream stops or is not constant, relight the stick and allow it to burn for a bit longer before blowing it out.
If the ember is very bright or extends down the stick more and a few millimeters, press the burning end of the stick against the incense holder to reduce the size of the ember. , There are many varieties of incense sticks, and two different methods of production.
Dipped sticks are thin wooden sticks with a combustible coating – usually charcoal or wood pulp – that are then dipped in essential oils or synthetic fragrances and dried.
Hand rolled sticks are made in a slightly different way, but the end product is very similar.
Packaging for both types is not required to list all of the ingredients, which may include toxic glues or low-quality wood.Concerns about the quality of the ingredients used to make manufactured incense sticks dictate that they are likely not the safest form of incense.
The lack of mandatory labeling of the ingredients in incense makes it hard to determine what incense sticks are safe to use.
Since you can't assume a product is safe, only use incense stick with packaging that explicitly states that the product is non-toxic. , Incense matches are extremely easy to use.
They are essentially miniature incense sticks that come on cardboard matches and are sold in matchbooks.
The quality of ingredients used in incense matches, again, is often unspecified.If you do wish to use an incense match, strike the match away from you, hold it vertically, and allow it to burn about a quarter of an inch down.
Blow the match out, and set it in an inflammable receptacle, such as an ashtray or small dish.
Prop the match against something inflammable within the dish, as this will help the match burn more steadily. -
Step 3: Use incense sticks and an incense burner.
-
Step 4: Light an incense stick with a match or lighter.
-
Step 5: Beware of low quality incense sticks.
-
Step 6: Use an incense match.
Detailed Guide
Despite the disconcerting name, smudge sticks are perhaps the classiest type of incense.
The most common type of smudge stick is made by simply tying white sage into a tight bundle.
Juniper, cedar, and other botanicals can also be used.
You can acquire smudge sticks – or just the herbs to make them yourself with a bit of string
- from aromatherapy shops or herb stores.Smudge sticks are associated primarily with Native American cleansing practices, and may provide a feeling of more comfortable or more positive energy.
Light a smudge stick at the un-tied end and allow the whole end to begin to burn. “Smudge” the stick against a dish to quell any flames and allow it to smolder.
Leave the stick on its side in something that cannot light on fire, such as an ashtray or ceramic dish.
Make sure there is plenty of space around the burning smudge stick.
Tightly bundle sage branches together before they’re dried, so that the tied end is roughly equal in diameter to a nickel.
Use branches that are slightly shorter than the length of your hand.
You can tie the bundle in more than one location, adding a few ties a finger width apart to keep the bundle tight.
Allow the bundle to dry by hanging it upside down in the sunlight.
Trim the ends of the branches once the bundle has dried so that you’re left with a tight bunch of sage about the width or your palm., Incense sticks are the most widely available form of incense, and are also very easy to use.
If you wish to use incense sticks, seek out a local supplier who makes their own and ensure they use high quality, non-toxic ingredients.
Once you find a source that uses only safe ingredients, get an incense burner to ensure that the incense can safely burn and drop ash into a receptacle that will allow simple disposal.Stick incense burners widely vary in décor, but usually feature trays with a groove for catching ash and a curved up end with a hole, in which you place the incense stick. , Allow the stick to burn for a few moments and blow it out.
A small, dull ember may remain.
A steady stream of aromatic stick should be flowing from the end of the stick.
If the stream stops or is not constant, relight the stick and allow it to burn for a bit longer before blowing it out.
If the ember is very bright or extends down the stick more and a few millimeters, press the burning end of the stick against the incense holder to reduce the size of the ember. , There are many varieties of incense sticks, and two different methods of production.
Dipped sticks are thin wooden sticks with a combustible coating – usually charcoal or wood pulp – that are then dipped in essential oils or synthetic fragrances and dried.
Hand rolled sticks are made in a slightly different way, but the end product is very similar.
Packaging for both types is not required to list all of the ingredients, which may include toxic glues or low-quality wood.Concerns about the quality of the ingredients used to make manufactured incense sticks dictate that they are likely not the safest form of incense.
The lack of mandatory labeling of the ingredients in incense makes it hard to determine what incense sticks are safe to use.
Since you can't assume a product is safe, only use incense stick with packaging that explicitly states that the product is non-toxic. , Incense matches are extremely easy to use.
They are essentially miniature incense sticks that come on cardboard matches and are sold in matchbooks.
The quality of ingredients used in incense matches, again, is often unspecified.If you do wish to use an incense match, strike the match away from you, hold it vertically, and allow it to burn about a quarter of an inch down.
Blow the match out, and set it in an inflammable receptacle, such as an ashtray or small dish.
Prop the match against something inflammable within the dish, as this will help the match burn more steadily.
About the Author
Catherine Wood
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Catherine Wood combines 2 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Catherine's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: