by Carl F. Neal
Once you learn to recognize the scent of sandalwood, you will be amazed at how often you smell it. Many perfumes contain sandalwood, as do other scented products. These oils are often synthetic, but not always. The perfume industry is just as enamored with sandalwood as the incense industry. When you consider that many fragrance products (soaps, air fresheners, deodorants, etc.) look to the perfume industry for inspiration and methods, the impact of the perfume industry is significant.
It is hard to imagine the incense world without sandalwood. Its amazing variety of scents, subtle variations, and the depth of its sweetness all make it a nearly perfect aromatic wood. It is used in construction, religious rituals, manufacturing, and more, but to me it will always be a gift for the incense user. Sandalwood has been used in incense since prehistory and its qualities make it clear why. I would weep should we ever lose sandalwood as an incense material. To think that future generations will not get to enjoy its magick is beyond horror for me.
The problems of endangered botanicals have not escaped the attention of governments and other organizations. The government of India has made some attempts at conservation, including the limitation of sandalwood exports from their country, but the success of these efforts is virtually impossible to measure. The level of information about the sandalwood trade in India is limited and poaching is rampant. While I advise people to know the origin of their incense materials, the issue with Indian yellow sandalwood is nearly impossible to overcome. (There is a solution for incense makers that I will discuss shortly.)
There are many dangers in this situation. First there is the financial impact. The destruction of India’s sandalwood would destroy many businesses. All aspects of India’s fragrance industry would be impacted (including the incense industry). There is also the impact on tradition. India’s traditions associated with sandalwood are deep and ancient. The loss of sandalwood would have significant social impacts in India and other cultures. Finally, and honestly less important, would be the impact to incense makers and users around the globe.
I did mention that there is hope for white sandalwood: Australia. In Australia, the sandalwood population was nearly wiped out in the mid-twentieth century. Australia is home to several different species of white/yellow sandalwood and provides some ideal environments for growing sandalwood. Excellent management and cultivation have seen the Australians burst into the incense world in recent years with their own yellow/white sandalwood. This well-managed population is entering the commercial markets and will likely become the dominant source for sandalwood in the coming decade.
The government of Australia is firmly behind the sandalwood industry, and I salute everyone involved for their foresight. Sandalwood could have easily vanished from Australia or been completely marginalized. Instead, people recognized the danger that was looming ahead, even if it was decades away. Years were invested into research and the establishment of commercial production, and people are now marketing these new sandalwood products. This was a case of people looking beyond their own lives and worrying about future generations. We are fortunate enough to be here while the products are coming on to the market.
I don’t want to leave anyone with the impression that all yellow sandalwood comes from India or Australia. Sandalwood is found in many parts of the world and is an important aspect of many economies. However, the supply level from other countries is small and the dangers of extinction are ever-present. I know incense aficionados who collect sandalwood from around the world and enjoy nearly endless combinations of scent all composed of sandalwood. I think there’s no harm in buying small amounts of sandalwood from nearly anywhere (with the obvious exception of India), but if you make bulk purchases, I would urge you to buy from Australia. Not only are there no concerns about wiping out an endangered population of sandalwood, you are supporting the efforts of people who have created far-sighted policies intended to benefit the world. As consumers, we vote with our money; I urge you to vote for the nations that have taken responsibility for conservation and preservation.
CITES Treaty
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species is another important step that may help us save many valuable species, and this is not limited to the incense world. The current CITES treaty does not address white/yellow sandalwood, but it does address both aloeswood/agarwood and red sandalwood. This treaty defines how the trade of these endangered species should be conducted and the limitations of the trade.
Sadly, poachers don’t respect this treaty, as is seen by many nations that are forced to hire police to protect these gifts of nature. This is a strain on smaller nations, but I think it’s important to recognize these efforts and salute those who dedicate their lives to protecting natural diversity. The problems of poaching continue to haunt the world, as those who are more interested in money than their children’s legacy will stop at nothing to add a few more dollars to their pockets.
Ambergris
This aromatic is rare because it is so unlikely that it will ever be created and when it is, it is rare that any is found by humans for their use. Ambergris is an excretion from sperm whales. It is believed that they expel this material as self-preservation to protect their intestines from bones or the sharp beaks of squid they consume. When first expelled from the whale, it truly isn’t usable as an aromatic. Thankfully, this means no poachers will go out to kill sperm whales in order to steal their ambergris.
For ambergris to be a genuinely useful aromatic, it needs to spend time curing in salt water. Most ambergris is collected from beaches, although it is occasionally found floating in the ocean. You can imagine how rare this substance is. The description makes it sound very unappealing, but once it is properly cured and aged, the scent is enchanting. You can also imagine that although poachers can’t supply anyone with ambergris, there are those who will adulterate other aromatics and try to pass them off as ambergris. Once again, find a supplier you can trust with a proven track record to ensure that you are buying real ambergris if you choose to use this aromatic.
Saffron
Saffron is a tiny part (the stigma) of a particular crocus (Sativus linnaeus). Saffron is rare and expensive simply because it is so difficult to harvest. Not only do these particular crocuses have to be grown, but the tiny little stigma must be picked by hand, and each flower only provides the tiniest amount of saffron. You can imagine how long it takes to collect an ounce of saffron. This also explains why it is so very expensive. There are no massive saffron farms, no saffron-collecting machines, and it can only be produced through the ancient technique of very hard work.
As you can see, there is a huge variety of botanicals that range from common plants found in most grocery stores to rare treasures. You can see from this chapter why I so love to harvest my own incense materials whenever possible. That way I know exactly where it came from and how it was handled; I understand the energies to which my materials have been subjected. That’s clearly not an option in most cases, but the use of locally harvested materials, or at the least personally harvested even if not from your local area, gives you greater knowledge and control over the energies of your ingredients.
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4
Selecting Incense
After reading all of this information about incense, how to use it, and the creative ways in which it can be employed, I hope that you are excited! It’s likely that this book will introduce you to styles of incense, burning techniques, and aromatics to which you have never before been exposed. If you are like me, reading all of this has you ready to go out and begin acquiring all sorts of tools for your new obsession. But hold on a minute! Before you rush to the Internet to order rare aloeswood and sandalwood, I think it would be great to determine exactly what you need for your uses. Not everyone needs to buy $100-per-ounce incense from Japan or the rarest woods and herbs in order to enjoy this art form.
Quality
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p; Quality is the first consideration when looking for any type of incense, paraphernalia, supplies, or aromatics. So before making any incense purchase, ask yourself where and how you plan to use this material. If your desire is to create the perfect atmosphere for your personal meditation, you would look to a different quality of materials than you would for, say, incense that will cover up the smell of a musty house. Materials for your rituals will have different requirements than those for unwinding after a long day at work. Once you know the quality of incense that will best fit your needs, you can start to look at other aspects as well.
I hope you will notice in the information in this chapter that I distinguish between rolled and dipped incense and natural and synthetic incense. I know that I, like many other incense fans, have sometimes made the mistake of assuming that all dipped incense is synthetic and all rolled incense is natural. Many of us have also been guilty of considering all natural incense to be safe and superior and all synthetic incense to be useless, inferior, and possibly even dangerous. I don’t want you to fall into that same trap.
I do feel that, in general terms, natural incense is preferable to synthetic. Yes, there are concerns about untested chemicals, inappropriate extenders, and poor quality “blank” incense that are often used in the creation of synthetic incense. However, these concerns do not apply to all synthetic incense. Likewise, “natural” is not always a marker of safety or superior quality. I will discuss these aspects in more detail in the following paragraphs, but I would ask that you keep this information in mind as you read the remainder of this chapter.
Finally, I wanted to say a word about extruded incense. Extruded incense is neither hand rolled nor dipped. It is made by blending the ingredients, aging the blend (in many cases but not all), and then forcing the incense dough through a die to create incense sticks. This is how virtually all joss sticks and Asian incense is made. There are exceptions (for example, I know that Shoyeido offers a line of incense cones that are not extruded), but most Asian incense falls into the category of extruded. The reason that I have not given extruded incense its own section in this chapter is that it generally follows the same guidelines as rolled incense. Although extruded incense is made with the help of machines, it begins as a blend made by hand. It may be synthetic or natural, but to the best of my knowledge, all of the major manufacturers of extruded incense begin by hand mixing the ingredients.
Dipped
Dipped incense is often made with low-quality synthetic oils, inappropriate extenders, poor drying techniques, and blank sticks and cones that contain questionable ingredients. That is not to say that all dipped incense falls into that low-quality category. I know there are incense makers out there trying to create dipped incense that addresses each of these concerns. So I ask that you keep this fact in mind when shopping for incense. Ask questions, look for key indicators of quality, and consider dipped incense for your needs.
With that disclaimer, I admit that I rarely use dipped incense. I have experimented with making my own incense blanks and dipping them in essential oils to achieve truly natural dipped incense. While I wish only the best for those incense manufacturers who try to do the same, I have not found it to be cost effective (not even remotely) to make incense this way. It’s a case of something that appears great in theory but fails in practice. It seems to me that dipped incense is, for the most part, created to be very inexpensive and aimed at incense purchasers who are not aware of other alternatives. I’m certain there are exceptions to this, but most incense fans quickly lose interest in over-scented, dipped incense that is still dripping with oil when it is removed from its package. Does this mean that you should never buy or use dipped incense? Definitely not!
I think it is safe to assume that the majority of incense fans in the West began their love affair with dipped incense. I like to think of it as “gateway incense” that can bridge the gap to better incense experiences. Dipped incense also has practical uses. Why would you want to spend $40 for ten sticks of incense to dispel ordinary household odors? I think most incense fans still use incense as a way to overwhelm a less desirable scent from time to time. Dipped incense is certainly one of the most affordable types you can buy and is often quite strongly scented.
Dipped incense is also a gateway incense for budding incense makers. I myself began as a reseller of other people’s incense, moved into making my own dipped sticks and cones, and then eventually on to make natural incense. Had I never put my toe in the water through incense dipping, I doubt that I would have ever become a roller of incense, nor would I have ever published any books on the topic.
Dipped incense certainly has its place in the pantheon of products available to us as consumers. For the majority of people in the West, it is the only kind of incense they will ever know. For the lucky few who learn about the myriad of other options, dipped incense is still a common starting place. Dipped incense might be the perfect fit for your needs and budget. You can still use dipped incense for making incense chains, scenting large areas, or banishing unwanted smells. Although I rarely use it, it might be the perfect solution for your needs.
Rolled
As I explained in the introduction to this chapter, it is easy to be misled by the label “rolled incense” or even “hand rolled.” Just because incense is rolled by hand does not mean that it uses high-quality ingredients or that it is natural. I know the first time I looked carefully at a stick of incense (I will not mention the brand, but it is widely available in the United States) and noticed a fingerprint formed on the surface of the stick I was thrilled. Here was proof that the incense was hand rolled, and that became a selling point to my customers. Well, for a while anyway, until I became a more educated incense user.
Further experimentation with this brand of incense led me to believe, as I still do, that it contains strong synthetic oils and possibly DPG (dipropylene glycol). Yes, it is rolled by hand, but out of inferior materials. How can the fact that incense is rolled by hand offset the fact that it is unpleasantly strong, could cause harm because of its components, and frankly doesn’t smell all that good to a practiced palette? Simply put, it can’t.
The majority of the hand rolled incense I have encountered does not fit the description I have just given. Most of it is made from wonderful materials by loving hands dedicated to incense. Hand rolled incense may be made in small batches, which is something I look upon favorably. This is not universally true, and it certainly isn’t true in the case of the hand rolled synthetic incense I mentioned previously. Small batches mean, to me, that there is care put into each piece of incense. Small batches could also mean bigger variations from one batch to another, so be aware of that.
Hand rolled incense can also fall victim to more manufacturing problems than dipped. Dipped incense, for the most part, is foolproof when it comes to burning. Incense blanks have rarely failed me when it comes to the burn test. Hand rolled incense, on the other hand, requires a great deal of skill in the creation of the recipe, the selection of ingredients, the storage of those ingredients, and the skillful hand of the roller. With so many more factors impacting it, it’s hardly surprising that you are more likely to encounter problems with burning when using rolled incense.
What is the most appropriate use for rolled incense? It’s great for virtually any use where self-combusting incense is called for. There are no hard and fast rules about how and where you use rolled incense. It is almost always more expensive than dipped incense, but that is clearly influenced by the greater amounts of time needed to create it. The only inexpensive rolled incense I have encountered was from parts of the world where labor costs are still intensely low. Those types of incense usually contain synthetic or low-quality materials. Rolled incense is not a guarantee of higher quality, but it certainly is a factor that should be considered.
Synthetic
From whence came these synthetic oils, and how did they invade our precious heri
tage of natural incense? From the Age of Enlightenment and the desire to please humans and their budgets, of course! Okay, all kidding aside, synthetic incense is the unnatural outgrowth of the perfume industry. I would call it the “fragrance industry,” since many scented products aside from perfume also fall under this umbrella, but I consider incense to be a part of that industry as well and I don’t want to confuse incense with other fragrance pursuits.
Perfume is to the West what incense is to the East. The two traditions grew up far apart culturally, but both serve many of the same purposes. The primary purpose of both is to change odors into scents, to turn the ordinary to the fantastic, and to transform the world into what we wished it were rather than what it was when we found it.
Given so much connected history and similar paths, it seems inevitable that the two professions would have an interchange of knowledge. When America experienced a sudden surge in the interest and use of incense in the 1960s and 1970s, movement into new markets caused a new synthesis between perfume and incense.
Competitive business, according to some economic models, drives innovation and results in a lower-cost product for customers. In this case, the innovation was combining oils used in the perfume industry with traditional incense making. The perfume industry had developed long before the “chemical age,” but before the incense industry could borrow from it, the perfumers had looked for alternatives to the rare materials from which they extracted the valuable oils. The synthetic chemical industry began the process of synthesizing fragrances and flavors.