Resin incense is one of the widely used aromatics since ancient times. For centuries, the practice of burning fragrant incense has always been tied to sacred rituals and is said to promote healing and invigoration.

As years passed, the variety of resin incense options has dramatically increased. There is now a diverse range of botanicals that are turned into indifferent shapes and sizes of resin that can overwhelm anyone who's just getting started with the practice.

So how do you choose the best? And what factors should you consider? To help you make an informed choice, we cite some important criteria to consider when shopping for resin incense in this post.

Incense Type and Burning Method

First things first: choose your incense based on form and burning method. In terms of ease of burning, cones and sticks top the list. But if you want to burn aromatic plants in their purest form, then resin incense is the best choice.

Incense is further classified into 2 categories according to how they're burned: direct and indirect burning. What's the difference?

Direct burning incense contains a combustible material, making it easier to burn continuously without the aid of an external fire source. Included in this category are coils, cones, and sticks. Whereas Indirect burning incense has no combustible material. Thus, an external heat source is needed to burn the incense. This heat source could be charcoal or ember. Examples of this type of incense are your resin and powder incense.

Source and Composition

Is the incense healthy and organically produced? This should be your next consideration when shopping for incense products. Your incense is your tool to calm your mind, body, and spirit and to block negative energies from your personal space. So it's important to ensure your incense is ethically sourced, is of high quality, and is healthy for the people around you. What makes an incense worth using? The wealth of options available in the market will at first make sifting through the best options a little challenging. But products that fit these descriptions should be a healthy choice:

Natural (i.e., the incense is made of 100% natural ingredients and has no chemicals) Not dipped in strong perfume oils to enhance their aroma Made of pure and organic herbs

An incense (whether it's a stick or resin) that ticks all these features releases a cleaner smoke and a more relaxing and smoother fragrance, making it safe and convenient for use.

Be extra careful of cheap, mass-produced incense. These substandard products might have synthetic fragrances that may cause headaches and allergic reactions.

Scent

Scents have a deep impact on our psychological state. They have the ability to alter our emotions and moods, according to neuroscientists. This is because scents stimulate the part in the brain that processes emotions and memories.

Therefore, your incense choice must be determined by the fragrance that you like and the mood that these scents elicit. This is true whether your purpose for incense use is for meditation or energy cleansing. For example: sandalwood calms the environment, while vanilla can make you feel warm and sensual.

Learning which smells bring about which feelings (or amplify which intention) is an important step to know which incense to choose. Below are some possible choices to start with:

Palo santo - Mild, woody, and sweet-smelling. Palo santo clears negative energy and helps relieve pain, stress, and headache.

Copal - A fresh-smelling, fast-burning resin used to purify energies, raise vibrations, attract love, reveal invisible energies in a given space, and inspire insights into the Divine. Also used for clearing mosquitoes and diseases.

Frankincense - It's often used as an ingredient in soaps, lotions, and perfumes. With a piney to lemony scent to it, frankincense induces tranquility and deepens spiritual experiences. It also increases strength and motivation on days when you're low on energy and inspiration.

Myrrh - Its warm, earthy, and slightly bitter scent helps enhance spiritual awareness before and during rituals. Myrrh is also used to conjure happiness, confidence, strength, and stability.

Dragon's blood - This dark red resin is an excellent option for setting a calm ambiance. It produces a soft and sweet scent (almost similar to amber but sweeter) with some earthy tones that elicit healing and increased contemplation.

Benzoin - This herb resin is known for its vanilla-like scent with earthy tones. Benzoin resin is burned to clear negative energy, balance the emotions, and soothe sadness, anger, greed, loneliness, and weariness. It's also believed to attract prosperity. Benzoin resin comes from the trunk of trees that belong to the styrax family.

These resins can be used anytime and for any purpose. Additionally, there are no right or wrong scent combinations. This choice is absolutely personal, so pick the one that appeals to you.

It's also important to consider the room you're planning to light incense in when choosing incense. Some scents have a relaxing effect and induce good sleep such as lavender, so it's a good pick as a bedroom incense.

Smoke

How much smoke can you tolerate? You can narrow down your options based on how much smoke you can take when burning incense.

Incense sticks are smokier because they burn longer. The same is true for charcoal tabs. But if you really want to use sticks and/or resins make sure you have a window open so the smoke can escape. Using an oil warmer is also a great way to burn resin incense for extended hours without producing too much smoke.

Buy From a Reliable Local Source

Finally, choose a supplier that's proven to offer a wide array of incense products produced ethically and sustainably. A trusted shop can help you decide which products to go for, especially if you're just starting out with the practice.

If it's your first time learning about the magic that is resin incense and you're looking for a supplier of organic resins, you've come to the right place. Stonebridge Imports, through Peace Streaks, provides a wide range of aromatics.

We supply resin varieties such as copal, frankincense, myrrh, palo santo, dragon's blood, and benzoin in bulk quantities. We also offer different tools for all types of smoke cleansing rituals.

Browse your options today to get started!

Show me bulk resin incense options

Sources:

Australia, N. T. P. (2021, June 21). Incense Basics: How to Choose & Use Incense Incense Types and Uses NaturalTherapyPages.com.au. Natural Therapy Pages. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/incense-basics

Gillespie, C. (2021, October 4). This Is Why We Associate Memories So Strongly With Specific Smells. Verywell Mind. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/why-do-we-associate-memories-so-strongly-with-specific-smells-5203963

Hemincense. (2021, February 16). How to Choose the Right Incense for Yourself. Blog Hemincense. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.hemincense.com/usa/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-incense-for-yourself/

Hemincense. (2022, March 16). Best Ways to Use Resin Incense for Healing & Rejuvenation. Blog Hemincense. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.hemincense.com/usa/blog/best-ways-to-use-resin-incense-for-healing-rejuvenation/

Seladi-Schulman, J., PhD. (2019, March 8). Burning Incense. Healthline. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-incense

Wellbank, L. (2020, May 29). How to Choose the Right Scent to Complement Your Home's Vibe. Martha Stewart. Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.marthastewart.com/7796006/choosing-scents-for-home-candles-diffusers

wikiHow. (2021, September 16). How to Burn Resin Incense Without Charcoal. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://www.wikihow.com/Burn-Resin-Incense-Without-Charcoal