Popular Incense Brands
Several brands are frequently mentioned as favorites among incense enthusiasts. Shoyeido is praised for its high-quality scents, with specific mentions of "Moss Garden" and "Infinity" [2:2]
[5:6]. Shunkohdo also receives positive feedback for its Sarasoju and Matsuba Pine varieties
[2:3]. Goloka's premium Patchouli and Viayshree's Nag Champa are other popular choices
[2:1].
Unique and Regional Options
For those interested in regional or unique incense options, "Incense of the West" from New Mexico offers scents reminiscent of the mountains, such as cedar and piñon [4:4]
[4:5]. Floré, a Canadian company, provides a diverse selection and has been around for decades
[3:1].
High-End and Specialty Incense
Diptyque is noted for its luxurious offerings, though it is on the pricier side [5:3]
[5:5]. Nippon Kodo, available through online Japanese stores, is another source for high-quality incense
[5:9]. Fiore d'Oriente from Italy is recommended for its natural incense products
[2:1].
Considerations for Incense Use
When using incense, it's important to consider the impact of smoke on health and the environment. Backflow incense, for example, can leave oily residues that require regular cleaning [1:2]
[1:11]. Additionally, all smoke is carcinogenic, so it's advisable to use incense in well-ventilated areas and be mindful of pets
[1:9]
[1:7].
Recommendations Beyond Discussions
Based on the discussions, if you're looking for a blend of affordability and quality, Shoyeido and Goloka offer great options. For a more luxurious experience, Diptyque and Nippon Kodo provide exquisite scents worth trying. If you're interested in exploring unique regional scents, "Incense of the West" could be a delightful choice.
Had one of these. Unfortunately, the dense smoke is pretty oily as well. You end up with oily surfaces, and then they collect dust and become a nasty grime. Yuck.
I came here to ask about the effects the smoke would have on me and on my environment. Very good to know.
why does all down flow incense smell terrible though?
In my experience it isn't the incense, but the burner. It gets gacked up very quickly and stinks if you don't clean it like every day.
Gee, thanks, I was looking and getting these. Now I’d probably stick with regular incense and holders.
If I could post a picture in the comments, I'd take a pic of my backflow burner before I clean it. Backflow incense leaves pools of oil in the neat spots that direct the flow. So if you (for some unholy reason) wanted to park it on your puckers as it burns, that oil would now most likely build up in any crevice of your respiratory system, eventually filling the avioli in your lungs. Now you've got lungs full of Satan's Fruit Gushers and a cool mask with a tank that'll make bon fires an extreme sport.
I’ve not used one, but I’d imagine the VOC would be pretty high! Tempted to test it now.
Be very mindful of your pets with incense
All smoke is carcinogenic so that's worth remembering
You also need the correct type of incense cones , in this case "backflow incense cones"
if it doesn't say "backflow " then it won't do the water smoke thing , everything else is true tho
Just have it sit on a towel, and wash it every so often
The only pain is cleaning the structure itself. Depending on the material, it stains
Aaand the final nail on the coffin; it’s not very healthy at all to inhale. I really wanted one but after reading that I noped out of that.
Shoyeido - Moss Garden. Something about it just feels like the perfect incense for me. It's not as "campfire-y" as Autumn Leaves, and has a sweet almost peach-like scent to it with a hint of smoky deep campfire smell.
For me, I have a hard time deciding between Moss Garden, and Shunkohdo - Matsuba Pine. Both are magical outdoorsy scents.
oh, I love all the incense I've gotten from Shunkohdo so far, both their Sarasoju and the Matsuba Pine
I'll have to try it!
I tell you my all time favorite is galbanum.
Just some of the best raw ingredients I’ve ever had. I need to order some more now that I think about it
Koyasan Daishido Reiko in the blue box
Easily one of my top 10 favorites, and very affordable! :)
Goloka organica frangipani and gurugees pakeezah.
I don't think I will ever have a all time favorite but at the moment I'm very in love with
Goloka (premium) Patchouli, as well as with Viayshree's Nag Champa and Nag Meditation.
Oh, and Tree of Life by Fleur De Vie.
The incense brand I'm recently nuts for is Fiore d'Oriente (from Italy - produced by Natural Incense Company - they sell also under their own brand/name, seemingly same products but less expensive.)
If you ask me about loose incense / aromatics... I wouldn't want to live without Labdanum, Indian Amber or Mexican Black Copal.
I stopped buying Yankee Candle & other plug in scents, and I found this Canadian incense place called Floré. They have a great selection and have been around for decades.
I found some bricks today by a company in New Mexico. They literally smell like the mountains. As a kid my mom use to take us to visit catholic monks in silver city for the feast of Guadalupe. And the incense they used smelled just like cedar. Anyway I wanted to share this as I’m really excited and just bought an incense holder don’t know what I’m doing but here but thought this was pretty sick.
Great pick, great burn, nice soapstone holder.
I have mixed feelings about this brand. The scents are 10/10!!! But they come in these little pellets which seem overpriced imho.
Some people complain they don't stay lit, but I've NEVER had that problem with a torch lighter.
All in all, I wish the pellets lasted longer and didn't cost so much, but they smell great!
Thanks for sharing! I've seen those before and often wondered what they smelled like
They smell very woodsy and natural.
These are really nice, if a bit crumbly! My favorite is the piñon
this photo is magic. the smoke curls are so beautiful.
As these things intersect heavily with perfumery, which houses would you say make high-quality, innovative scents?
Ok so I work in a department store so I got most of these as freebies or sample size but my favorites are: Voluspa: French Cade lavender and Prosecco Bellini. Nest fragrance: Moroccan amber, rose noir and oud, velvet pear, blue garden, and holiday. Diptyque: figuier and feu de bois. Jo Malone: bluebells. Tom Ford: Tobacco vanilla. Le labo: calone and santal. The white company: orange rind and seychelles. Malin and goetz: dark rum.
Now I want a fucking Tobacco Vanille candle...
Voluspa was killer back when I worked retail. Goji Tarocco Orange was the big seller. I still have some ~6 y/o freebies that are projecting strong on the shelf unlit. Good value.
We also sold Paddywax, which I preferred for its more "natural" quality. They disco'd my fav, Tamarind and Orange. Love a tart tamarind note.
At my store all the voluspa scents are gone except for their rose line (all of them are sickly sweet and smell cheap IMO) but I remember the goji one I liked the scent but wasn’t into the red jar. Moso bamboo and French Cade lavender was our best seller from them
Figuier and feu de bois are two of their best.
Diptyque, but they're pricey.
I have the Oud one whose scent seems more potent when it's unlit than when it is. I catch whiffs of it all the time.
It's got a very high concentration of kyara/oud wood. I bought a sampler set (life altering...with a constrained budget). But Shoyeido's more sanely priced incense is also great.
Diptyque over Jo Malone over Le Labo, in that order.
All of these are pricey but Diptyque is absolutely worth it.
The Diptyque Baies candle is to die for!
Experiencing Shoyeido's "Infinity" & "Translucent Path" incenses was - quite honestly - a highlight of my life.
Seeing my kids being born was cool, too.
But that incense. My god.
Second that. Shoyeido has a good selection. I also buy a lot from online Japanese stores like nippon kodo
I’ve really enjoyed Norden’s Ojai incense lately. Frankincense, cypress, patchouli, and palo santo. Long burn time, good quality scent.
I’m sure there are probably better candles out there, but I keep coming back to PF Candle Co. I’ve had a number of them over the years, and they’ve all been wonderful. Good throw, cute jar, and for $20 or so, not too big of a splurge. Tobacco and Teakwood or Amber and Moss have been the standouts for me.
Mainly church incense, as I have a Christian background, tell me what you think or ask any questions!
Nice collection, nice censer!
Nice little collection!
Nice. I used to burn a lot of Prinknash back in the day (Basilica was my favourite). Try some of the other abbey incenses if you don't already know them, like the ones from Alton Abbey.
I checked it out and it seems great! It’s been put on my wishlist!😁
By the way, Prinknash Basilica is an attempt to recreate Ketoret from Exodus.
Heck yeah
If you want to smell like you just walked into a church, try The Alchemist's Garden a Midnight Stroll Eau de Parfum by Gucci. It instantly took my to my childhood where I'd sit in the wooden benches staring at the sculptures and architectures while smelling the burning incense coming from a swaying golden sphere and listening to passages. A bittersweet fragrance since I'm no longer religious. This scent is very unique and polarizing. If you like a perfect recreation of incense, Cade wood, and cypress, you should try a decant sample.
Highly recommend Heeley's Eau Sacrée, as well!
Will try them out. Personally, the ultimate temple/incense scent is Memo Tiger's Nest. I wear it on sacred days or when I perform religious rituals.
Me too
i am always looking to smell holy. thanks for the recommendation.
Where does this fall on the scale of 0 to Avignon?
I HIGHLY recommend you and u/olivedate look into the indie houses BPAL, Solstice Scents, and Hexennacht. The absolute best church incense scents out there imo.
Dreaming of Autumn during an excessive heat warning and would love to add an incense scent to my collection. What are some must try scents? I have a candle of Catbird Tarot deck (notes are incense, Turkish rose, pencil shavings) that I quite like but want to expand my horizons into the witchy, incense vibe.
Matiere Premiere Ensens Suave. A beautiful lux creamy vanilla incense. Smooth and modern, as opposed to an old drcrepit church pew.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mentioned Guerlain Shalimar.
Encens Suave has become one of our absolute all-time favorites. I swear it gets more perfect every time.
Agree, it's gorgeous!
Anything from the comme des garcon incense collection is good
Search the sub, we have a lot of love for incense and witchy vibes around here. 🌺
L'artisan Parfumeur Passage D'enfer🖤 Penhaligon's World According To Arthur and Terrible Teddy, Comme Des Garcons Wonderwood and Floriental, Atkinson's Amber Empire.
I’ve been eyeballing passage d’enfer but are you referring to the original EDT or the Extreme EDP version? They have slightly different notes and I’m torn!
I originally bought a 10ml just out of curiosity but it was so good I immediately got a full size. I've got both versions I've never tried them side by side. The EDP feels a little heavier but other than that I genuinely don't see a difference.
Arquiste Indigo Smoke
Anything that resembles or has supporting notes of incense sticks/headship/ceremonial incense smells.
A couple that remind me of incense are Chanel Coromandel, and APOM homme by MFK which smells like a fresh incense stick to me.
These are my favorites, though I can't wear anything super intense since it ends up becoming overpowering in hot weather.
La Couche du Diable - Serge Lutens, Allegretto 7.2 - Berceuse Parfum, Lucid Dream - Ex Idolo
For me, the list goes:
Happy Hari’s Nag Champa Gold
Mother’s Oud Masala
Ramakrishna’s Super Amber (these are super FAT sticks!)
Happy Hari Meena Supreme (no longer available, sadly)
Satya Sai Baba Super Hit (it HAS to be the Bengaluru version)
So what’s on your top 5 at the moment?
In no order:
Also really enjoying Green Tree’s Mother Earth!
I’m surprised to see Holy Smoke’s in here, their incense are alright
I haven’t ventured super far into stick incense to be honest, 95% of my incense use is loose blends I make for my electric heater.
>Leftover Hippies’ Dragon’s Blood
I was looking at LeftoverHippies' Dragon's Blood. My last purchase from Etsy was disappointing. I am a big fan of Dragon's Blood. I just purchased eight brands of Dragon's Blood cones to find my favorite. HEM came out on top for me. When I burn the ton I already have, LeftoverHippies will have to be next.
I haven't bought enough incense to try out haha but currently, these are the ones that I use for daily basis (in rotation)
Mother's Incense- Myrrh Satya- Positive Vibes Hari Dashan-Absolute Sandalwood Hari Dashan- Lavender Surya- Nag Champa
In no particular order,
Yamadamatsu Suifu Gokuhin, Sanjusangendo, Shoyeido Evening Zen, Kungyokudo Rozan sandalwood, Shoyeido Baika-ju
The Shoyeido Zen set is on my list to try.
They're a very good bang for your buck, pleasant and complex but unobtrusive and one stick burns for about two hours. Very recommended.
Dr. Incense - Processed Sinking Tarakan
Tennendo - Enkuu (Horizon)
Yamadamatsu - Gancho koh
Keigado - Ansoku (East Temple)
Sitar Dorje - Unsurpassable Healing
Best brands of incense
Key Considerations for Choosing Incense Brands:
Quality of Ingredients: Look for brands that use natural ingredients and essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances, as they tend to produce a cleaner burn and better aroma.
Variety of Scents: Consider brands that offer a wide range of scents to suit different moods and occasions, from calming lavender to invigorating citrus.
Burn Time: Check reviews for how long the incense sticks or cones burn, as longer burn times can provide better value.
Cultural Authenticity: Some brands specialize in traditional incense from specific cultures (e.g., Japanese, Indian), which can enhance the experience and authenticity.
Packaging and Sustainability: Eco-friendly packaging and sustainable sourcing practices can be important if you're environmentally conscious.
Recommended Brands:
Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa: Known for its iconic scent, this brand is popular worldwide and offers a rich, earthy aroma.
HEM: Offers a wide variety of scents at an affordable price, making it a favorite among many incense users.
Shoyeido: A premium Japanese brand that uses high-quality natural ingredients and offers a range of traditional scents.
Padmini: Known for its traditional Indian incense, Padmini offers a variety of fragrances that are well-regarded for their quality.
Wildberry: Offers a diverse selection of scents and is known for its consistent quality and long burn time.
Recommendation: If you're new to incense, starting with Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa is a great choice due to its popularity and pleasant aroma. For a more authentic experience, try Shoyeido for high-quality Japanese incense.
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