Find Your Scent: What Does Incense Smell Like?

Incense is popular for both its fragrance and spiritual significance. It’s often used as a deodorizer in the home and to create a peaceful atmosphere perfect for cleansing and meditation.

Here’s a guide to help you understand how incense is made, the different fragrances it can emit, and some scents to try next.

What Is Incense?

Incense is a substance that gets burnt to release fragrant smoke. There are many different types of incense including incense sticks, incense cones, powders, and coils. 

Incense consists of two parts: a base material, and fragrant ingredients. The base material is something combustible like charcoal or wood. The fragrant ingredients are aromatic substances like herbs, spices, flowers, and resins. 

To incorporate incense smells into perfumes, these same ingredients are used to create essential oils. These oils are combined with other aromatic substances to create a perfume that smells like incense and other complementary fragrances.

What Does Incense Smell Like?

Incense fragrances are commonly described as warm, woody, and aromatic. That said, its specific scent profile depends on the fragrance ingredients used to make it. 

For example, burning incense sticks made of agarwood and patchouli will smell earthy and spicy, while burning incense powder made of copal and rose will smell sweet and clean.

What Scents Pair Well With Incense?

One of the best parts of there being so many different forms of incense is that it’s easy to pair with other scents. Here are some fragrances that complement incense.

Black Tea

Incense pairs nicely with black tea because they are both warm and rich. Black tea tends to be more robust while incense is famously soothing. Together, the result is a spicy, malty fragrance that doesn’t overwhelm the senses. 

Golden Ticket is a tea fragrance blending black tea with incense, bergamot, amber, and vetiver for a magical, mystical scent experience. 

Lavender

Lavender goes well with incense because they both have calming properties. In the same way people use incense for meditation, lavender is often used to promote peaceful atmospheres. They are an ideal combo for aromatherapy.

To get the best of lavender and incense, reach for Honey Suite — a honey scent with warm, spicy, woody fragrance. 

Amber

Incense pairs nicely with amber because they are both warm aromas. Amber’s scent profile features vanilla, resins, and spices. When blended with incense’s scent profile of sandalwood and frankincense, amber becomes a more complex, layered fragrance.

Myrrh

Myrrh goes well with incense because together the scents create a serene atmosphere. Myrrh is smoky and grounding while incense is woody and spicy. The uplifting combination can be used for prayer and meditation.

For a seamless blend of myrrh, amber, and incense, try Suganami — a natural scent complemented by cypress and bright spices.

Light Up, Wind Down

A high quality incense can bring peace and relaxation. Now that you know how to pick out the best incense for you, and what scents pair nicely, it's time to light up, wind down, and let that healing incense scentwaft throughout your home.

Sources:

Meditation: What It Is, Benefits & Types | Cleveland Clinic

Incense - Aromatherapy, Meditation & Rituals | Britannica

Essential Oils and Health | PubMed

Effect of aromatherapy on sleep quality of adults and elderly people: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis | PubMed