Scent as a small courtesy · Handmade in rural Zhejiang, China
Studio Notes · Series
Types of Incense: A Beginner’s Path to Botanical Scent
Incense is not only a stick you light. Some kinds burn, some are only warmed, and some you carry or wear.
Seven reads, in the order we would give them to a friend who is new to it.
Series · 7 reads
Read in This Order
Each read answers the question the last one leaves open.
No. 01
No. 02
No. 04
No. 06
Types
The Main Types of Incense
There are two ways to sort incense. By form, which decides how the scent reaches you. And by scent: wood, flowers, herbs and leaves, resin, and citrus and peel. The table sorts by form.
| Type | How the scent comes out | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Sticks, cones and coils | Lit. They burn and give off smoke with the scent. | No. 01 What Is Incense? |
| Resin and powder | Set on charcoal or an electric burner. | No. 01 What Is Incense? |
| Incense pellets | Warmed, never lit. No smoke, no ash. | No. 02 Is Incense Bad for You? |
| Sachets | No heat. Carried or hung, the scent stays close. | No. 04 What Is a Sachet? |
| Incense beads | Worn on the wrist, body warmth brings out the scent. | No. 05 Incense Beads: A Quieter Way to Carry Scent |
The same material behaves differently in each form. Sandalwood in a stick is burned; in a pellet it is warmed; in a bead it sits against your skin.