How "natural" is incense?

[jkg]

I can't seem to find any information about this. DH and I like the Bodhi Sattva sandalwood incense, but I don't know what we're burning off into the air. Any resources or info?

Thanks!

[*andiflipping*]

I was wondering the same thing...Sits and waits with you

[EricaLeigh]

I want to know too! Maybe a bump will get us an anwser!

[sunshinestarr]

Great question! If anyone knows anything about Nag Champa (in the blue box from India) I would be happy to hear about that too!

[EricaLeigh]

Originally Posted by sunshinestarr

Great question! If anyone knows anything about Nag Champa (in the blue box from India) I would be happy to hear about that too!

I have that kind too! It makes the house smel so exotic & surprisingly my DH even likes it! I didn't think he would but it is his favorite of all the insence we have so far.

[MidwifeErika]

Part of it depends on if they use sandalwood essential oil or sandalwood synthetic fragrance oil. My bet would be on the fragrance oil because the essential oil is pretty pricey. How natural the whole thing really depends on the maker. They might make each stick themselves through a pretty natural process, or they might buy the sticks already made in a mass-produced, commercial process and then they scent it with a fragrance and a cutting solution so that the fragrance goes farther. I would do research on your individual brand to find out more info.

[Samjm]

Because of the flammability of incense, I don't know how natural the mass-produced stuff is.

But you can make your own incense. here's a great page about it

How to Make Incense

[EricaLeigh]

I guess I'm concerned about brething in the smoke that the inscense lets off. Is there anything in it that would cause problems?

[SharonAnne]

I seem to remember reading something somewhere a long time ago that said that incense has a carcinogen in it, but htat you'd be okay if you burned it in a well ventilated area.

Again, this was a long time ago, and I don't remember WHERE I read it, so who knows if it was a reliable source.

Sorry I'm not much hlep; should ahve kept my mouth shut, huh/ :

[mystic~mama]

seems to me that incense like anything else would have to do with quality...I stopped buying cheap incense about the same time I stopped buying cheap food...I usually burn hand dipped incense from a local artisan or my favorite is the japanese style stick incense, it is expensive and has a light scent and very high quality ingredients.

[mother nurture]

To be honest w/ you...I have no information on incense and whether or not it is natural, but I agree w/ the pp that researching your own brand is the best bet.

I did, however, just wanna throw out there that we stopped using most stick incenses and now only occasionally use the Japanese incense-it gives off a lighter scent. But, we really have gotten into a diffuser and using EOs. It is a very light scent. You can always make up your own combos.

[Avena]

Depends on which kind..I used to work for a Japanese Incense company..

So here's what I know:
*Nag Champa: It has a bamboo core-which is dipped in something to make it light..and it's rolled in cow poo! So not only are you burning the supposed scent of Nag, also cow poo!!

*alot of incense has animal parts used to bind the incense!
* The Bamboo core is coated w/funky stuff IMO...
* Most incense uses weird perfumes etc....


*I worked for a company that does not use a bamboo core and no animal ingred..The incense is made purely from plants, even the "binder" that is made up of plants and fruit based to hold the incense together...It's soo amazing once you start burning pure, clean incense vs. cheap crapp that smokes like mad!

[mystic~mama]

EO's in a diffuser sound nice I think I'll be switching to EO's and the japanese sticks...I really dont know the ingredients of the incense I have been using but, the man who makes it is a righteous positive man so I always feel good about burning it.

thats very interesting about Nag Champa, it has always been one of my favorites.

Avena~ I'm curious what company you worked for that made this plant based incense? it sounds nice

[grahamsmom98]

Hate incense smoke, love incense scent. Hmmm, what to do?

We use an inexpensive steam vaporizer and put essential or fragrance oils in the diffuser cup. It puts both moisture AND scent into the air and no smoke. We have one in the living room, bedroom and in our sunroom.

We use a variety of oils in each. Neroli is great for the bedroom (claming and lovely). The living room had fir needle and a holiday blend during Christmas and I vary it the rest of the year (citrus is really nice in the Summer!). Our sunroom vaporizer currently has neroli and orange in it. Bayberry is wonderful, too.

You can buy wonderful Nag Champa fragrance oil (skin safe to use in soaps) from Bramble Berry. It works perfectly in the vaporizer. The scent is terrific!