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Resin Incense – Everything You Need to Know.

resin incense

Last Updated on June 17, 2023 by IncenseJunction

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You might have heard of resin incense before and wondered, “what is resin incense?” Well, we have all asked that question. Resin incense is among the oldest forms of incense dating back thousands of years.

Have you used resin incense before? If you have not, you might think that its use is complicated, which is not the case. Burning resin is quite beautiful but the advantages do not end there. This is the purest form of incense you will find, which means the benefits are assured. In this post, we will help you learn everything about it, including burning incense without charcoal. Stay tuned.

Understanding Resin Incense

Incense Scents and Benefits

So, what is resin incense? This is incense that is in form of beads or pellets. It is extracted as the purest and most natural resins and gums straight from a chosen plant. They are then presented in the form of a dried solid pellet. They are heated in this form. You should know that incense has been used in resin form since the olden days of the Bible.

Note: “Resin Incense” is a term that might also be used to refer to certain botanicals, as well as herbs or plant matters such as flowers, barks, leaves, or pieces of wood. These are burnt in the same manner as the solid pellets with the same results.

It might be a common thing to hear this type of incense being called charcoal incense, which is about the way this incense is burnt, which is using a charcoal disc.

Frankincense is among the most popular types of resin incense on the planet. It is derived from a shrub whose origin is in the Middle East. The resin is created from a natural gum that is harvested from incisions that are made in the bark of the tree. In most cases, Frankincense resin is used together with Myrrh incense because they have a beautiful blend. There are other types of resin incense such as Dragon’s blood, Copal, and Benzoin.

Resins are grouped depending on purity grades. They are also grouped depending on their specific plant genus and types. You might also find some groups that are based on country or color. One thing you should know is that resins are not like essential oils. However, this is not the same case for all resins. That means that you might have a Frankincense resin that does not smell like other Frankincense resins. The main reason behind the difference is that many variables play a part in the creation of resin. For that reason, you might purchase resin incense sticks from a single vendor and still experience several differences.

Benefits of Resin Incense

The resin incense benefits are the reason for its growing popularity. This is a list of the common benefits.

Air Purification

It is about more than cleansing the odor in the air. Certain types of incense are known to feature some antibacterial properties. These will allow the burnt incense to purify the air naturally. There was a study that showed that burning resin incense would be similar to sterilizing a room. If you burn incense that has high concentrations of antibacterial properties, it would work just as well as steam cleaning.

Also, read: Best Incense For Cleansing

Stimulating Creativity

A link has been established between creativity and the presence of burning incense. The burning incense acts the same as listening to motivational and inspirational music. In the same manner, the aromas are known to act as a very powerful trigger for memory and emotions, which will in turn help to stimulate creativity and thoughtfulness. The most efficient is agarwood and Lotus.

Fighting Depression and Sadness

Several studies have been conducted to determine how well resin works when inhaled. A study showed that inhaling incense will activate some channels in your brain that are associated with alleviating depression and managing emotions. Activation of these channels will result in the production of a certain protein that will reduce anxiety and additional signs of depression.

Increase Sexual Desire

Calming your mind is not all resin incense will do. It can also work as an aphrodisiac. The area of the brain that is affected by inhaling resin also handles the creation and distribution of hormones that are related to appetite, sleep, mood, as well as libido. Therefore, you can choose to burn resin incense to set a romantic atmosphere.

Burning Resin Incense

In this section, we will learn how to burn resin incense using different methods such as charcoal.

Burning with Charcoal

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You can burn the charcoal in a special burner called a censer or thurible. (check out this post for different options) In most cases, it is made using a material with heat-proof features such as brass, metal, or stone. You can use any other heat-proof material and fill it with some sand to help in the dissipation of the heat.

The second thing you need to do is light the edge of the charcoal. Start lighting one edge of the disc.

After you light one edge, continue lighting all the edges starting from the opposite side that is not lit. after it lights, you might notice that the edges will start turning grey. It is also important to remember that the conditions around the censer and the charcoal might force you to repeat this process until it is completely lit. Once you are confident that the light has started spreading by itself, you can stop putting the flame on the charcoal.

However, you have to wait until the rest of the surface is completely lit. That would be easy to note because the grey color will fill the surface of the charcoal. At this point, you are ready to place the incense on top.

At this point, you should place the resin inside the bowl. Make sure that it is directly on top of the disc in direct contact with the heat.  When placing the resin, add a few pellets at a go. You will notice that it will start melting or heating up and the smoke will start being released at this point and is accompanied by the amazing aroma produced by the resin. The resin might burn off faster than the charcoal, which means you will need to add the resin pellets as required.

Now that you have learned how to burn resin incense with charcoal, you need to know what to do after it has burned to completion. Naturally, the disc will go out after it burns completely and become ash. But you need to allow this ash to cool before you can dispose of it.

You should never put the charcoal out by putting your censer in water because the water will damage the censer because of the rapid temperature variation. Instead, pick the charcoal using tongs and place it inside a heat-proof container with water. You cannot use this charcoal again in this case.

For further reading: How To Burn Powder Incense Without Charcoal 

Burning without Charcoal

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Now, let’s learn how to burn resin incense without charcoal.

All you would require for this process is an oil burner or warmer. You can purchase an oil warmer in any store that supplies candles. You can choose between a ceramic oil warmer and a glass oil warmer. The ceramic one is a single piece while the glass type has a glass dish placed on a ceramic or metallic stand.

The first step would be to add around one teaspoon of oil to the glass dish on top. You can also choose a type of oil that will improve the general fragrance, such as sunflower seed oil.

The second thing would be to place the resin incense pellets on top of the dish with oil. Several pellets would be adequate depending on the intensity of aroma you want.

The third step is to light up a tea light and place it inside the oil warmer. Do not use a regular candle since it is tall, and avoid tea lights with a fragrance because it will affect the general fragrance of the incense.

You should then allow the oil to heat. The time might be varied depending on the size of the warmer, material used to make it, as well as the amount of oil. But generally, it is only a few minutes.

Once you are done, you should put out the tea light. You can replace the oil after around three days if you use it daily. Otherwise, just pour it out and wipe the dish.

Different Types of Resin Incense

You can only find the real aroma of a resin when you burn it. There are different types of resin incense that you can enjoy burning for their natural fragrance.

1. Dragons Blood

There is a tree, known as the Daemonorops Draco, whose berries will produce a red sap. This sap will flow down the tree to the bottom. This wild sap is then harvested and transformed into small balls, which are then sold.

It has a sweet, earthy, and sensual aroma. Some of the resins that go well with Dragon’s Blood include red Sandalwood, Patchouli, and many more. ( For more information about Dragons Blood incense have a peek here.)

2. Frankincense

This is one of the types of resin incense that features different types of components that are unique to the species. It is a fragrance that is hard to replicate artificially.

It has a clean, lemony, and piney fragrance. You should know, however, that most of the species are extinct but you can still get them from Oman. Read this article for more information.

3. Guggul

Guggul is close to Myrrh in relation. The Bdellium tree produces this sensual, clean, and sweet-smelling resin. It has a gooey and soft texture but will blend perfectly with resins such as Benzoin, Calmus, as well as Sandalwood.

4. Copal

This resin is very popular for producing a clean aroma that will also burn fast. You can find different varieties of this tree including black, gold, and white. What’s even more interesting is that the resin will blend with almost all types of incense including Juniper, Palo Santo, and cedar. In most cultures, it is a sacred resin. hop over to our article about Copal incense benefits and uses for more info.

5. Sal

The thing that you will love most about this resin is that it has notes of terpenoids, musk, and spice. It is a tree with several beliefs under it. You can choose to blend this resin with Cedar, Spruce, Pine, and Juniper.

For further reading:

Conclusion

After you learn the process of burning incense with and without charcoal, the next step would be to choose a type of incense that fits you and your situation. There is a wide range of resin fragrances, each of which features a set of benefits different from the rest. Compare their effects and benefits and choose one that you like. You can enjoy two resins at the same time for a combination of aromas and health benefits.

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