Incense sticks?

[Blackbird]

I've been using incense sticks a couple months now, but recently I started thinking about the health affects they have.. Bit late, huh? I'm imagining they aren't very good are they? Anyone have any information on this?
What about resins?

Would a diffuser using essential oils be the best? What kind of diffusers are there? I would prefer something that doesn't need to be plugged in..

 

[Blue Skys]

I don't have anything helpful to tell you. You just reminded me of how good nag champa smelled. I used to burn that all the time... Just reminising (sp?)

 

[dragonlaurel]

Incense sticks vary in quality. The bad ones have nasty chemicals from the artificial scents. The good ones use real plant oils for the scent.
Anything you burn makes some residue that could irritate the respiratory tract and eyes. I just try to get the ones with the real oils, and not overdo. Fresh air helps too.

I better mention a caution- Check a book about aromatherapy. Some of the real oils are like medicines and should not be breathed in large amounts. Like eucalyptus. I used a candle with it once when I had a chest cold. Then fell asleep with it still going . . . It was in a very safe spot, but I woke up with such a bad headache. Way too much eucalyptus. My sinuses were mad at me all day.

added how I learned this lesson.

 

[Blackbird]

Ooh. Thank you Laura. Do you know of any reputable suppliers?

 

[dragonlaurel]

Essential Oil (EO) is top quality.
Blended oils are mixes of essential oils.
Sth pressings are more diluted, but still real oils. She carries them if the price for that particular EO would be sky high. (like jasmine)

"Fragrance oils" are synthetic.

Her selection is amazing and good prices. She sells the essential oils, blended oils, some 5 th pressing oils, and the fragrance oils. The catalog has fragrance oils in a completely different section from the essential oils.
http://www.leavesandroots.com/index.html

I get incense in person though- gotta smell it to see what you want. Some brands say what they use for the scent.
fixed typo

 

[freemotion]

BBH, EO's are wonderful and quite good for you! They are quite volatile and the scent dissipates rather quickly, so keep the cap on and open the bottle only to quickly dispense a few drops. You can get a nice little warmer that is a ceramic tea light holder with a small dish on top. You put a little water in the dish and warm it with the candle, then put 3-4 drops of the oil in it. The gentle heat diffuses the oil into the air.

You can also get a clay ring that sits on a standard lightbulb, as in a table lamp, that you can put drops of oil on.

DL, you were more likely ill from the chemicals in the candle wax than the EO's.

Lavendar balances most, if not all, other oils, so I recommend that you start with that one and get a couple others to use with it. Use 2-4 different oils together. I love lav/tangerine for general use, as it is neither masculine nor feminine but makes everyone say, "mmmmmmmm!" Another favorite is lemongrass, and this one keeps better than any of the citris, which have a short shelf life. I prefer rosemary for colds and sinus, mixed with lavendar. I also keep a mixture of lav and tea tree in my medicine cabinet for minor wounds, tick bites, pimples, etc. Warning, tea tree smells icky by itself!

 

[lorihadams]

not a fan of incense...gives me a headache. I prefer the smell of baking bread, or soup, or cookies, etc...... I haven't tried the EOs though.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

What about using/making smudge sticks?

My favorite incense started giving me a headache several months ago, so I had to quit burning it. Sweetgrass-Lavender smudge sticks are my new favorite.

I had one of the ceramic candle burners free mentioned, you can also use it with herbs in a little water. The scent isn't as strong as EOs, but still there.

 

[big brown horse]

I don't have anything helpful to tell you. You just reminded me of how good nag champa smelled. I used to burn that all the time... Just reminising (sp?)

Yup, those are my favorite too. They really help hide the "St. Bernard" smell when guests are about to arrive. And they bring back those good college memories! (Not of those college memories, the ones of me being a broke artist/bohemian....AND CHILDLESS!!)

I use EOs too, I'm going to have to use that trick Free, I have two of those burners! (Can you all tell, I'm self conscious of the dog smell? )

 

[valmom]

My SO loves incense. Me- not so much. The smoke bothers me more than the scent (which I do like without burning it). I sort of wish I could talk her into EO instead of smoke. I will investigate that site and maybe get some for her birthday.