Stamford Aromatherapy Collection Incense Review: Are They Natural?


Stamford is a London, UK-based company and is one of their leading incense producers. They make traditionally hand rolled masala incense sticks and cones, as well as charcoal-based incense sticks.

They’ve released multiple collections in over 100 fragrances. Certified vegan, they use natural, cruelty-free ingredients that are sustainably sourced and never tested on animals. Although their products are high quality, they are not completely natural.

Stamford Aromatherapy Collection Incense Review

Stamford Aromatherapy Collection Incense Review

120 Sticks of Stamford Premium Aromatherapy Hex Range Incense Sticks - Relaxing, Stress Relief, Meditation, Refreshing, Sensuality & Energising Incense Gift Pack. by Stamford
  • Stamford Premium Aromatherapy Hex Range Incense Gift Set 120 Sticks
  • Stamford Incense Sticks are famous for their quality products and the refined nature of the fragrances produced by them. These incense sticks are made...
  • Hand-rolled with natural ingredients, Made from perfumery raw materials only
  • Gift set with 6 Stamford incense stick scents Contains 48 incense sticks approx & Decorative Sheesham Wood Box & Also Free Stamford Shakti Incense...
  • For best results place in on incense holder

One of Stamford’s most popular bundles, this set of six incense fragrances can help you relax, relieve stress, and meditate. These scent blends can also be refreshing, sensual, and energizing.

Each box contains 20 incense sticks that are about 9 inches long. They burn for 30-45 minutes, which is slightly above average for longer sticks with a bamboo core. 

Stamford states that these charcoal-based sticks are fragranced with “perfumery raw materials only.”

They use essential oils, absolutes, safe synthetics, and natural raw materials to fragrance their products. Synthetics are used the least frequent of them all.

Fragrance blends are as follows:

Energizing: lemon, lime, grapefruit

  • Citrus fruits have been shown to be invigorating. They can also help you focus, and can elevate your mood.

Meditation: vanilla, sandalwood, and chamomile

  • Chamomile is a calming herb that has sedative effects. Vanilla is a grounding fragrance that can help fight symptoms of depression. Sandalwood is a calming earthy fragrance that can help clear your mind as you meditate.

Refreshing: mint, sage, clove

  • Mint is mentally stimulating and energizing. Clove is stimulating and cleanses like sage. 

Relaxing: cardamom, cedarwood, patchouli

  • In addition to being relaxing, patchouli helps alleviate symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Cedarwood helps reduce stress, tension, and clears the mind. Cardamom soothes.

Sensuality: ylang ylang, nutmeg, patchouli

  • Nutmeg can stimulate blood circulation, which can aid in sensual activities. Ylang ylang aids in relaxation and sensual desire.

Stress Relief: lavender, orange blossom, thyme

  • Reduce anxiety with orange blossom as well as lower blood pressure and reduce bodily stimulation. Thyme eases anxiety and lavender is notorious for its stress relieving effects.

This collection covers all the bases for those looking to create a tranquil, stimulating, or passionate environment within the home.

Pros

  • Long, slow burning time
  • They burn clean
  • Wonderful smells are true to nature
  • Makes a nice gift
  • Nice fragrance variety

Cons

  • They can be smokey
  • You may not like all the fragrance blends

== Check Price on Amazon ==

Things to Consider Before Buying Stamford Incense

Stamford offers a wide range of incense products that meet the needs of those who prefer non-toxic charcoal-based incense as well as traditional masala incense sticks.

When choosing what kind of Stamford incense to purchase, you will want to consider how it is being made.

While all of their products appear to be made well, there are differences in production methods.

Premium Incense Sticks

When comparing Stamford’s premium sticks to their masala incense, it’s apparent that they are made differently. 

Their premium sticks are made of charcoal that is dipped in fragrance oils. They use the phrase “perfumery raw materials” to describe these oils. 

The company also makes mention of absolutes, which are essential oils that are extracted using a solvent. Only a minor trace of the solvent remains in these oils but even those low amounts prevent them from being labeled essential oils.

I mention this because there are distinctions between these terms, and it can sometimes be misleading.

My understanding of Stamford’s premium incense is that their “perfumery raw materials” are likely a combination of any of the four fragrance sources they’ve mentioned: synthetic oils, natural raw materials, essential oils, and absolutes.

There’s no way of knowing what percentage of each is added to their formula. But if ingredients are important to you, you should know that there is at least a small percentage of synthetic fragrances.

In this article I write a little more about synthetic oils for clarification. 

Masala Incense Sticks

Since Stamford’s masala sticks are traditionally hand-rolled, it is likely that they have the least amount of synthetic oils in them. 

Masala sticks are hand-rolled, so the oils are mixed into the raw materials, there’s no dipping involved. 

I presume that Stamford’s masala sticks are their most natural product option. If this is what you prefer, I will include these as an alternative below.

Stamford Incense: Features & Benefits

120 Sticks of Stamford Premium Aromatherapy Hex Range Incense Sticks - Relaxing, Stress Relief, Meditation, Refreshing, Sensuality & Energising Incense Gift Pack. by Stamford
  • Stamford Premium Aromatherapy Hex Range Incense Gift Set 120 Sticks
  • Stamford Incense Sticks are famous for their quality products and the refined nature of the fragrances produced by them. These incense sticks are made...
  • Hand-rolled with natural ingredients, Made from perfumery raw materials only
  • Gift set with 6 Stamford incense stick scents Contains 48 incense sticks approx & Decorative Sheesham Wood Box & Also Free Stamford Shakti Incense...
  • For best results place in on incense holder

Here are some additional highlights that you might encounter when purchasing Stamford incense. 

Clean-Burning Incense

Although this brand produces a moderate amount of smoke, it’s not the sooty black smoke that will cause you to choke. Unlike some brands, burning Stamford incense won’t fill your room with a cloud of smoke, either.

Slow-Burning Incense

When incense burns quickly, it produces more smoke. Stamford incense is longer lasting. In some cases, it can burn up to 45 minutes. This helps me understand why it doesn’t produce an unbearable amount of smoke.

A slower burning pace also indicates the absence of a chemical accelerant. This supports their claim that there aren’t any harsh or unsafe ingredients in their products.

Naturally-Derived Fragrances

As mentioned, synthetic fragrances are used in their product formulas, but their scents are still nature-based. If their incense was primarily synthetic, their incense would be less fragrant and more like a stench. 

When burning Stamford incense, jasmine smells like jasmine flower buds. Vanilla incense smells like natural vanilla beans, and so forth.

You won’t experience any harsh, artificial scents when burning their incense sticks.

Ethically Made

I think it’s commendable that the company considers its carbon footprint and the welfare of its makers. When companies pay attention to how their products are made and they care for those who make them, I think it has an impact on the final product. Stamford incense is noticeably of better quality than some mass-marketed incense brands.

Stamford Incense: Social Proof

Customer feedback is often that they’re pleasantly surprised at how much they like burning this incense.

  • Stamford incense burns cleanly, but they still produce a decent amount of smoke. 
  • Their incense sticks smell lovely. Customers who would only rarely burn incense prior to trying Stamford now burn incense daily.
  • Because this incense burns more slowly, customers feel as though they get more value for the money.
  • It’s pleasing to discover that fragrance from this incense lingers in the room long after the sticks have burned out.
  • Their fragrance blends are balanced and surprisingly delightful. Scents that you wouldn’t think work well together, do.

Stamford Incense Alternatives

Here are a couple alternatives in terms of fragrance and ingredients used.

Stamford Angel Incense Gift Set

Stamford 37158 Angel Incense Gift, 6 Packs x 8 Sticks, One Size
  • 1 Set x 6 packs (8 sticks per pack)
  • Made in India
  • Assorted Fragrances
  • A great alternative to Fragrance Oils or Candles
  • Great Gift & Premium Quality

A smaller six-pack gift set with 8 sticks per fragrance that burn for 30 minutes each..

Lovely scents include fragrance blends:

  • Dream (Jasmine)
  • Healing (Lavender)
  • Mist (Sandalwood)
  • Protection (Patchouli)
  • Romance (Vanilla)
  • Worry (Cinnamon)

This set has two advantages:

  1. It’s perfect for those who prefer singular fragrance notes
  2. There are fewer sticks, which allows you to sample the fragrance and get acquainted with this brand.

These are not masala sticks, so keep in mind that they have been dipped in a fragrance oil blend that includes synthetic fragrances.

Stamford Gugal Hand-Rolled Masala Incense Sticks

STAMFORD INC 37271 Gugal Traditional Masala Incense, 15 Sticks x 12 Packs, One Size
  • 12 packs x 15 sticks
  • Hand rolled Masala incense made in India in the traditional way
  • Use for prayers or pleasure
  • A great alternative to fragrance oils or candles
  • Premium quality from Stamford

This set includes 12 packs with 15 sticks each. Masala is incense paste that is rolled onto bamboo sticks by hand, and then sprinkled with additional incense powder.

According to Stamford, Gugal is an Indian frankincense. But other sources describe gugal as myrrh tree resin.

Either way, it has a sweet aroma that is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. This earthy incense is made in India using natural extracts and scented oils.

It’s a huge supply that will last for months.

Final Thoughts

Stamford uses a lot of natural raw ingredients, but they also incorporate some synthetic fragrances in their products. Because of this, their products are not 100% natural. 

Even so, their incense sticks have wonderful fragrance and that can help you relax, focus, and enjoy precious moments.

I think that Stamford’s Aromatherapy collection is worth a try. If you would prefer a more natural Stamford option, try their masala incense sticks.

Read more:

Grace Young

I love candles! I have personally tried over 100 brands of candles. The total burn time of these candles is over 5000 hours. I also talk about essential oil diffusers and reed diffusers. Essential oil diffusers and diffusers are also an important part of the scent in my home.

Recent Posts