Stick incense is engineered to burn on its own. Resin is not: it melts, bubbles, smokes and, if the heat is wrong, scorches. Getting a clean, full scent from a resin is a small craft, and the whole of it is heat control.
The methods
Charcoal
The traditional method and the most atmospheric. You need a censer or heatproof bowl filled with sand or ash, self-igniting charcoal discs (the round, bamboo or hardwood type sold for incense and hookah; not barbecue charcoal), tongs, and a lighter.
- Hold the disc in tongs and light one edge. It will spark across its surface. Set it on the sand and wait until it is fully grey and glowing, five to ten minutes. Adding resin to a half-lit coal gives sour, chemical smoke.
- Put a small piece of resin on the coal, or better, on a small mica plate, a piece of foil or a layer of ash over the coal. Direct contact scorches most resins; a thin barrier gives a slower, cleaner release.
- When the piece has melted and stopped smoking, scrape it off and add another if you want more. Do not pile resin on; it will char.
- Let the coal burn out in the sand. Never put a hot coal in the bin.
Self-igniting discs contain saltpetre and have a faint smell of their own for the first minute; wait before adding resin. Natural bamboo charcoal is cleaner but harder to light.
Electric heater
A small electric incense heater with a ceramic or metal cup and a thermostat. Set it low to medium, put a piece of resin in the cup, and let it warm. There is no smoke or very little, the scent is the resin’s true scent rather than its smoke, and it lasts longer. The best method for benzoin, labdanum and anything that scorches easily, and for scenting a room without a haze.
Tealight warmer
An oil-burner or wax-melt warmer used dry, or with a small metal or ceramic dish over the flame. Put a piece of resin on the dish. It works, but temperature is uncontrolled: a tealight often runs too hot for benzoin and too cool for frankincense. Foil under the resin makes cleaning easier.
Directly on embers or a stove
Resin dropped on hot embers in a fireplace, or on a wood stove top, gives a lot of smoke quickly. Fine outdoors or in a big room; overwhelming in a small one.
How much
Less than you think. A pea-sized piece of frankincense on a coal will scent a normal room for ten minutes and the smell will linger for an hour. Benzoin and myrrh are heavier; use a lentil. Blends can be a little more generous because they are diluted with lighter resins.
Each resin on heat
| Resin | Behaviour | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Frankincense | Softens, bubbles, burns clean with white smoke | Easiest; fine directly on coal |
| Myrrh | Softens slowly, dark smoke, scorches | Use a plate or ash layer |
| Benzoin | Melts to liquid, heavy sweet smoke, turns acrid when hot | Low heat; best on a heater; small amounts; blend |
| Copal | Melts and burns fast, white smoke | Add a little at a time |
| Labdanum | Sticky liquid, heavy smoke | Very small amount; heater preferred |
| Elemi | Melts fast, light smoke, fades quickly | Add late to a blend |
| Storax, Peru balsam | Already liquid; heavy, spicy smoke | Absorb into powder or blend first |
| Mastic, sandarac, dammar | Light, clean, piney | Good bases; can take direct coal |
Blending
Most traditions blend, because resins cover each other’s faults. Frankincense for cleanliness and lift, a balsam (benzoin, tolu) for sweetness, myrrh or labdanum for depth, a pale resin (sandarac, dammar) to carry it. Grind coarsely, mix, and store in a jar; the blend improves after a few weeks. See DIY resin incense blends.
Ventilation and safety
All incense smoke is particulate matter. Open a window, keep sessions short, and prefer a heater for daily use. Keep censers on a heatproof surface and away from curtains, children and pets. Never leave lit charcoal unattended. Birds are particularly sensitive to smoke. See Benzoin safety and allergies.
Cleaning up
Resin residue on plates and cups scrapes off when cold or wipes off with a little alcohol when warm. Sand and ash can be reused; sift out the charcoal remains. Wash hands: resin is sticky and stains.
Frequently asked questions
Can I burn resin incense without charcoal?
Yes. An electric incense heater, a tealight warmer with a metal or ceramic plate, or an oil burner used dry all work. They give less smoke and a truer scent than charcoal, at the cost of less drama.
Why does my resin incense smell burnt?
Too much heat or too much resin. On charcoal, put a small piece on a mica plate or a layer of ash rather than directly on the coal, and add only a little at a time. Benzoin and myrrh scorch especially easily.
How much resin should I burn at once?
A piece the size of a pea or a lentil. Resins are concentrated; a single frankincense tear scents a room. Add more only after the first has finished.
Sources & further reading
- incense
- charcoal
- resins
- how-to
- pillar
