A beginner's guide to incense

Choosing your first incense

Start with the form that suits your space. Small rooms usually do better with low-smoke Japanese sticks, while bigger or well-ventilated spaces can handle Indian masala sticks and resins.

• Sensitive to smoke: try Japanese coreless sticks or heated wood.
• Want something familiar and sweet: try a masala such as Nag Champa.
• Curious about raw materials: try benzoin, frankincense or copal on a charcoal or electric burner.

How to burn each form

• Sticks and cones: light the tip, let it flame for a few seconds, then gently blow it out so it smolders.
• Resin and bakhoor: place small pieces on a lit charcoal disk in a heatproof burner, or use an electric burner.
• Wood and kneaded incense: warm gently over a low heat so the wood or blend releases aroma without burning.
• Paper: fold, light, then blow out the flame and let it smolder on a heatproof dish.

Burn safely

Incense smoke contains fine particles, as other kinds of smoke do. Enjoy it occasionally and in moderation.

• Open a window or use a well-ventilated room.
• Avoid burning around people with asthma or other breathing conditions, and around infants, pregnant people and pets.
• Use a stable, heatproof holder and keep it away from curtains, paper and fabric.
• Never leave burning incense or hot charcoal unattended.
• Let charcoal cool fully before you throw it away.

Buy with care

Some incense materials are under pressure in the wild, including agarwood, sandalwood, frankincense, white sage and palo santo. Where you can, ask sellers where their material comes from and support legal, traceable and community-led sources.