Making Incense
These cones burn slow and complete.
I love a good incense but after finding out that many have fragrance oils and other chemicals that are not good to be breathing I’ve gotten very picky with the brands I do buy. I’ve wanted to make incense from the herbs and botanicals I grow in my gardens and after finding a few receipes online and reviewing some free resources I set out to create a few blends.
Incense is typically made from some type of tree bark or root, aromatics all in a powdered form (think lavender, chamomile, sage, resins) and water (or tea or some sort of other liquid). You also need to include a binder of some sort to bind everything together to create a dough. There are a few different types of binders but my favorite is marshmallow root grown from my garden!
I created a new workshop on my YouTube Channel demonstrating the process. It actually doesn’t go according to plan; I ended up with too much water but it all worked out in the end and I decided to publish it anyway. Not everything we create goes smoothly or the way we want it to. Sometimes we have to problem solve in the moment, shift gears and work the process.
Below are a few additional free resources if you’d like to learn the process:
The Northwest School o f Aromatic Medicine
Wildmonarchincense on IG
Fresh pine I foraged on our property and powdered using a coffee grinder.
Using the powdered marshmallow root as a base is really simple to do. Before mixing the rest of your aromatics, first blend the marshmallow root with just a little bit of hot water. You want just enough to create a quick paste. Once you have the paste ready, set it aside and blend up the rest of the reciepe. Blend the paste in and give it a good stir - don’t be afraid to use your fingers to pull it all together, creating a dough. Once a dough is formed, pinch off a bit and use your fingers to from your incense cones. This may take a bit of practice so don’t be discouraged if you have some wonky shapes when first starting!
I will share some of my receipes here as well:
All ingredients are in a powdered form.
Sandalwood Incense:
5 Tsp Sandalwood
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Clove
1 Tsp Marshmallow Root
Sage Incense:
3 Tsp Sage
2 Tsp Sandalwood
1Tsp Marshmallow Root
1 Tsp Patchouli
Pine Incense:
3 Tsp pine
2 Tsp Sandalwood
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Clove
1 Tsp Marshmallow Root
A few drops of orange essential oil
Hand formed cones. It can be tricky learning to form the cones. Go easy on yourself and enjoy the process!
Have you ever made homemade incense before? Please share all your tips and tricks and share a recipe if you’d like! Happy making!