Battle with DH over frankincense and myrrh incense...

[Toposlonoshlep]

My DH and I both meditate and in the past have burned stick incense. Lately, DH has started to use myrrh and frankincense resins atop charcoal tablets, which fills our whole apartment with lingering smoke. I have read a lot of things that say incense smoke increases risks of childhood leukemia and other cancers. He is arguing that because myrrh and frankincense are naturally derived, they are not releasing carcinogenic substances into the air. He gets the resin pieces from a Muslim shop in the city, and they come in little zip lock baggies with no way to know how pure they are...in my opinion, all this smoke is probably not so good for our two year old. Is he right? That myrrh and frankincense resins are less likely to have additives? I don't want to come down hard on him, but I don't like feeling like I am putting DS at risk.

[lynsage]

If what he's buying is the pure resin of the plant and not a prepared, scented incense, it's not toxic. Pure frankincense is edible and myrrh is used in natural mouth rinses and cosmetics.

I am under the impression that burning anything  various substances that aren't great for people's health, but I don't believe occasional use of a pure, natural tree resin as incense would increase anyone's risk of cancer in any significant way. Chemical-based incenses using synthetic scents are a whole other story, however, and I don't use them.

[Toposlonoshlep]

Thank you for your answer. I am pretty sure it's the untainted resin, because they are uneven lumps of sap and in the case of myrrh, bark and even leaves...I guess there is no way to be completely sure.

It's just sending me for a loop. We used to burn sticks of incense all through my pregnancy and I just found out that it's dangerous...no one ever tells me anything until it's too late...

[mum4vr]

I agree that stick incense is far more harmful than the natural resins. We burn both these resins occasionally as a part of  "home blessing"s. My xh said these were the only scented laundry products his family ever used (they'd stretch clean line dried blankets, sheets etc, over burning resins to scent them). Even w a child who has in the past (like before I began burning anything) suffered from rsv and neb treated asthma, we've never had lung problems as a result of burning resins.

You can have your pedi check your child's lungs tho, at the next visit to put your mind at ease.