I am always open to learning more about incense and the many ways that I can use it within the home, so let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Best-Incense-Brands-800.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBest Incense Brands on Amazon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
With this list I\u2019ve tried to include a variety since we all have different preferences, while at the same time keeping in mind the points I\u2019ve already mentioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I\u2019m considering a \u201cbest\u201d brand is one that creates incense using the least amount of synthetic ingredients possible. They offer at least two incense formats, and their product burns consistently without producing an overwhelming amount of smoke.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This list is grouped by country in order to communicate the distinctions in the way each culture approaches the process of making incense. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s hard to compare incense across cultures because they’re created for different uses and often with local ingredients so the result is unique to that ethnic group and it’s like comparing apples to oranges because they each have unique qualities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Indian incense is usually more pungent than Japanese incense. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with either one, they simply approach the process differently and use different ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some key points that describe incense that originates in China:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This company produces a lot of incense that makes its way to the states. Joss sticks tend to be thinner than the masala sticks made in India. <\/strong>These Chinese incense sticks produce less smoke and burn consistently for forty minutes to an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only three ingredients are used to make the joss sticks:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This combination creates a natural, subtle woody fragrance when burned. Chemical-free, dye-free, toxin-free, you can safely burn these even around children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is an example of their Sandalwood Joss Sticks<\/a>. This company also makes Sandalwood Incense Sticks<\/a> without a bamboo core, with all other ingredients being the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n This is another Taiwan-based factory that makes joss sticks with a bamboo core. This set of sticks was made using Taiwanese cedarwood, phoebe bark, and Chinese herbs. Each stick burns for thirty minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Some key points that describe incense that originates in Japan:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is not easy to access traditional incense. The top three export companies are: Shoyeido, Baieido, and Nippon Kodo. This is what makes the specialty retailer, Japanese Incense<\/a>, a valuable resource, because you can find rarer brands there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based in Japan with a United States presence, Shoyeido<\/a> is one of the most well known Japanese natural incense brands; it has been in business for twelve generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Often described as elegant, Shoyeido incense is known for its delicate fragrances that result from use of natural ingredients. Their scents are complex without being too overwhelming.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sandalwood or agarwood is used in all or most of their fragrances; they also use a lot of spices like the Chinese. While the majority of their ingredients are natural raw elements, some of their collections also have added fragrances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aromatic wood chips, incense coils and cones are part of their expansive product offerings. You can find a wide variety of scent collections to try through this brand. Some of their popular scents include Five Hills<\/a>, Plum Blossom<\/a>, and Avenue of the Villa<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Shoyeido is largely traditional, they incorporate commercial elements in order to reach a broader audience, like with stick length, for instance. Some of theirs are close to nine inches, instead of the under six-inch traditional length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Founded in 1657, this is another well established Japanese incense company. Following a skilled handcrafted process<\/a>, Baieido incense powder is made using roots, bark, wood, plants, herbs, flowers, and spices – but either sandalwood or agarwood is the foundation of each incense recipe.<\/strong> For some collections, essential oils are used for added fragrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baieido also sells incense coils and fragrant wood chips, and you won\u2019t find any of their incense sticks with a wooden core, unlike Shoyeido which offers both types. Their Kobunboku incense sticks<\/a> are made with sandalwood, agarwood, camphor, and cinnamon, as an expression of the plum tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would say that Baieido maintains more traditional aspects of incense making than Shoyeido.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Using recipes that\u2019ve been protected for hundreds of years, Nippon Kodo incense continues to be skillfully made mostly by hand using raw natural materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their base ingredient is the bark of machilus thunbergii<\/em>, a Japanese bay tree. And then sandalwood or agarwood is added along with spices and other elements. Woods, resins, gums, and flowers are combined with other organic matter to create incense sticks, cones, and coils.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to Shoyeido, Nippon Kodo offers a wider range of fragrance families: herbal, floral, earthy, woody, and sweet. Stick lengths are also varied and some incense sticks are offered with a bamboo core. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Morningstar<\/a> is their \u201cdaily use\u201d incense collection. While the Kayuragi Collection in sticks<\/a> or cones<\/a> places emphasis on scent and the beauty of wafting smoke. If you prefer joss sticks<\/a>, you may want to try their Herb & Earth collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japanese brands are the perfect choice for subtle, yet complex incense fragrances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Some key points that describe incense that originates in India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n More traditional brands like Patanjali and N. Ranga Rao & Sons are difficult to get a hold of at a decent price outside of India. So these brands below are the most authentic that I was able to locate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a fair-trade brand<\/a> worth keeping an eye on. Their incense is hand rolled and is not dipped in fragrance oils. All ingredients are natural and free from chemicals and toxins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kasa Style artisans actually roll the bamboo core in natural oils and use that as an adhesive to mold the powdered woods and other ingredients like honey, herbs, and spices onto the bamboo stick.<\/strong> Their 8-inch sticks burn slowly for about an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Currently this company only makes incense sticks, but it has other distinctions that can\u2019t be ignored. What stands out about their incense is it\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last point is the most intriguing to me. In order to reduce river pollution they collect flowers that have been discarded after being used in religious ceremonies, take them through a cleaning and drying process before crushing them into powder form to be added to their incense dough. Other ingredients include Ayurvedic herbs, resins, wood, and water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each stick of incense is fragranced with essential oils, hand-rolled, and then sun-dried before packaging. This process helps to preserve marine life and clean a primary water source for 400 million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A couple scents include eucalyptus<\/a>, and rose<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being that their formula is different from most other Indian incense, Brahmas incense has a softer scent. If you are looking for stronger fragrances, then try the Kasa Style brand. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Some key points that describe incense that originates in Indonesia:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Bali Soap is a natural body care brand, they\u2019ve begun to sell incense sticks and cones as well. Around a bamboo core they add powdered wood, charcoal, barks, spices, tropical flowers, and natural fragrances. Just like their soaps, Jembrana incense is made by hand<\/a>. Sticks burn for at least 45 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You won\u2019t smell much wood with these. If you are looking for complex floral incense, then try this Indonesian brand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Here are a couple brands on Etsy that sell handmade incense with a few points about why I think they might be worth a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCountry of Origin: Taiwan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Taiwan Incense House <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Sandalwood](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51fgL0BRKCL.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n ![\"Amazon](\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/aawp\/assets\/img\/icon-check-prime.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/a> <\/div>\n\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>\n Price incl. tax, excl. shipping<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nSheng BaoHua<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Incense](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/414wfNCeeYS.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n Country of Origin: Japan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shoyeido Incense<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"SHOYEIDO](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41Erz2uwsoL.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/a> <\/div>\n\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>\n Price incl. tax, excl. shipping<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nBaieido Incense<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Baieido](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51CXGXYeCAL.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/a> <\/div>\n\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>\n Price incl. tax, excl. shipping<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nNippon Kodo Incense<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"nippon](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/418G5pKm3GL.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/a> <\/div>\n\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>\n Price incl. tax, excl. shipping<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nCountry of Origin: India<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kasa Style Incense<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Kasa](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41jjFLY6kuL.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/a> <\/div>\n\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>\n Price incl. tax, excl. shipping<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nBrahmas Incense<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"BRAHMAS](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51Alxhf-L7L.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n Country of Origin: Indonesia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bali Soap Company: Jembrana Incense<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Jembrana](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51bk5hBkQtL.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/a> <\/div>\n\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>\n Price incl. tax, excl. shipping<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nBest Handmade Incense Brands on Etsy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lunar Witch Baths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Deep Green Light <\/h3>\n\n\n\n