The 4 most common types of Incense

Powdered incense - Also called "Loose Incense"
This is simply crushed or powdered herbs, which are burned on a charcoal block.  The charcoal used is not the same charcoal as you use in a BBQ, it has been specially designed for burning incense.  These blocks are usually available in most “new age” shops and are quite inexpensive.  The herbs are ground into a fine powder (some herbs like lavender, Frankincense etc. may be left whole or only crushed slightly), you may also add a few drops of essential oils if you like, but be sure to blend the mixture well.  The charcoal is lit and then a small amount of the incense is placed on the charcoal block and allowed to burn. Directions on how to light a charcoal block are found here

Self burning powdered incense - Also called "Self Igniting" also called "Smoldering Incense"
This is powdered incense that is made the same as above, but rather than burning it on a charcoal block, you add a SMALL amount of Salt Petre to the powdered herb (mixing very well)  and this keeps it alight while it burns.  Use extreme caution when experimenting with Salt Petre, start off with about 5% of the total weight of the incense, and if this is not enough, then add slightly more.  If this burns too quickly, reduce the amount next time you make it.

To use this incense place a small amount of the powder in a pile on a heatproof dish and light it.  It should smoulder and have occasional flare-ups due to the Salt Petre.  Please remember to test your incense outside the first time you make a new blend…. and stand well clear, in case you have added too much Salt Petre (it happens!).  In my opinion the powdered incense you burn on a charcoal block is better (and certainly safer).

Incense cones
These are little cone shaped blocks of incense, which have Salt Petre mixed through them to keep them alight.  The herbs are crushed then mixed with a binding agent and water, then shaped into cones and allowed to dry.  You can burn these in a dish of salt or sand, or in a specially designed incense cone holder.  As they don’t burn as hot as charcoal blocks, you can also put them straight onto a heatproof dish without salt etc. if you wish.  Some people make them into other shapes, which is fine, as long as they will burn properly and not fall over.

Incense sticks - Also called "joss sticks" or "Stick Incense"
These are sticks covered in incense.  Made the same way as an incense cone but with the paste moulded around a stick instead of in a cone shape.  Sometimes you can buy “pure incense” which is an incense stick without the bamboo stick inside.  Incense sticks are handy as you can quench the stick and reuse it if necessary, and a simple blob of plasticine or a bowl of sand/salt will make a substitute holder for an incense stick.  They are a little more difficult to make though.

So... which is best?
Well that depends on your personal preference. I like Loose Incense, but some people prefer incense sticks.  Buying ready-made incense sticks or cones is by far the easiest option, and if you want to make your own incense, making loose incense is the easiest one to make.  If you can't find Salt Petre, you find it hard to make cones, sticks or self burning incense.

Making your  Incense
This section deals with how to make your own incense.  Please be aware that Salt Petre is a dangerous product and should not be used in anything other than tiny amounts.  Please also remember to wash your hands after making incense, as some of the herbs you use could be toxic, and to make sure you aren’t going to be burning herbs that will trigger Asthma or other health problems.

Loose/powdered incense
This is the easiest form of incense to make, as all you need are the herbs, a mortar and pestle or food processor and the charcoal block to burn it on.   Simply grind your herbs into a powder (The finer the herb mixture the easier it will burn) and sprinkle a small amount of this onto your charcoal block.

Self burning incense
I cannot stress enough the use of caution when making this kind of incense.  Salt Petre is used to provide sparks which ignite the incense and keep it burning.  Too much and you will produce fire works (or little explosions – trust me, I know!), not enough and you will have incense that refuses to stay lit.   

To make this form of incense, take your herbs, grind them into a powder and then add a small amount of Salt Petre.  As this stays in powder form you can make your blend and add a small amount of Salt petre, test it  and if it doesn’t stay lit you can add a teeny bit more.  You’ll have to experiment with the amount of Salt Petre that you will need, but in my opinion about 5% should be used.  (ie. if you have 10 parts of incense powder, then you use no more than 1/2 part Salt Petre)  Some people say 10%, but I think that this could be too much, but that depends on how quickly you like your incense burning, you can always add more, but you can't remove it once the blend is made!

Incense Cones
The basic idea is to make up your herbal powder (as you would for making powdered incense) then add other ingredients to form a base and to bind the ingredients together.  Then finally add the Salt Petre to keep it burning.  Scott Cunningham suggests the mixture be weighed and then 10% of that is the amount of Salt Petre used.  However most people don't have access to accurate scales and a tiny bit of Salt Petre can make a large amount of difference.

The following is my recipe for the cone base.  

I used 1/2 a teaspoon as 1 part for the following recipe (It will make 6-10 cones, depending on the size you make).  You can halve or double the mixture if you need to.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons (4 parts) of Wood powder (Sawdust, Sandalwood, cedar etc.)
1 teaspoon (2 parts) Gum (Benzoin, Myrrh, Frankincense etc.)
1 1/2 teaspoons (5 parts) Herbal mixture (powdered)
1/2 teaspoon (1 part) Essential/Fragrant Oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon (approx) (1 Part) Salt Petre  (or 10%)

Binding “glue”:
1 cup (I use approx 1/2 a coffee mug full) warm water
1 teaspoon of Acacia Gum (Or Tragacanth if you are rich)

Method:
Create your herbal blend, by grinding any herbs you want to use into a powder.   Grind up any Gums you are using separately.  Put the Acacia in a cup and add the warm water, stirring well to remove lumps. Leave to thicken slightly as you blend your herbs. In a glass or ceramic bowl (or your Mortar and Pestle) mix the first 3 ingredients together.  Add the drops of Oil and blend well.  Weigh the mixture if you are going to add the 10% Salt Petre based on the weight, and add that or just add the 1 part of Salt Petre.  Mix very well.  When all the ingredients are well combined, add enough of the Acacia gum “glue” mixture to form a paste (You’ll have to experiment with the exact amount).  You can add food colouring if you wish to give a specific colour to your incense cones.  When you are happy with the consistency, form the paste into several cones (Use a bought incense cone as a guide to shape and size).  The “proper” way to dry them is to leave them sit outside (if possible) for 24-48 hours.  I am impatient and put mine on an oven tray and bake them on a VERY low heat (as low as the oven will go) to dry them out.  (About 2 hours, depending on the size of cones and consistency of your mixture).

Incense Sticks
Make the incense mixture with the same recipe as the incense cones, but instead of shaping them into cones, take your stick (A bamboo skewer is apparently fine, but a nice alternative is a lavender stalk) and roll it in the mixture, making sure that you have an even coverage along the stick.  Roll it until it is evenly coated.  Remember to leave space at the bottom of the stick to stand it in the holder!  Stand the sticks up in a bowl of sand or something similar to dry for about 24-48 hours.  Then they are ready to use.

If you can’t be bothered making incense sticks from scratch, you can always buy plain (or slightly) scented incense sticks, and add Essential/Fragrant oils (or even tinctures) to them.  Sandalwood incense makes a good base for these as it is hard to find non-scented incense, and the sandalwood usually gives a nice subtle base scent for your oils.  Simply take the incense stick and apply a thin coating of the oil/tincture along it.  Allow it to dry before using it.

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