Thursday, August 18, 2011

Making Vanilla-Vetiver Incense Sticks With Mylana

 Smoky, mystical, and mysterious, the aroma of burning incense has been used for centuries in many cultures for spiritual practices and rituals. Now, in modern times, it is used for meditation and worship, as well as burning it for the pure joy of the intoxicating fragrance. In the past, incense was sacred and very expensive, as it was made out of precious spices and resins, but today, it can be produced for a low cost in your own home, with your own fragrance blends.




In the following pictures, I will guide you through my first attempt at making incense. My friend, Hazel, from an online soap-making group was gracious enough to furnish me with the basic supplies. Kits with all of the ingredients included are available for 26.00 dollars online from Nature's Garden, a well know fragrance supply company: http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/candlemaking-soap-supplies/item/kit-40/-*Incense-Making-Kit.html


The beginner kit includes unscented sticks, cones, fragrance, and DPG. Wait...what is DPG and why do we need it? Dipropylene Glycol is a solvent used to cut the fragrance oil, so that it absorbs into the sticks and dries out faster. Pure fragrance is oil based and very viscous, if it is not cut with a solvent, your incense will be moist with a high oil content and be extremely smoky.


Here is what Wikipedia says about DPG, "Dipropylene glycol finds many uses as a plasticizer, an intermediate in industrial chemical reactions, as a polymerization initiator or monomer, and as a solvent. Its low toxicity and solvent properties make it an ideal additive for perfumes and skin and hair care products. It is also a common ingredient in commercial fog fluid, used in entertainment industry smoke and haze machines."


In order to make the incense, we need to first gather our materials, sticks, fragrance, DPG, and shallow container where we can lay the sticks flat to soap in the fragrance solution. Next, we need to prepare the fragrance solution. That is done by mixing 2 parts DPG to 1 part fragrance oil. Make sure you are using uncut fragrance oil from a reputable supplier that is suitable for making candles. Check your supplier specifications if you are unsure. 


For my fragrance blend, I used a combination of Moonworks ancient incense and NDA tahitian vanilla. I thought that is was a little sweet and missing some depth, so I also added some vetiver fragrance oil (not the essential) from Southern Soapers. I ended up with a combination of 6oz of DPG and 3 oz of my fragrance oil blend (vanilla, vetiver, ancient incense). Smooth, sweet, and intoxicating!


Next, I laid the sticks flat in the bottom of the shallow container and poured the DPG/fragrance solution over the sticks. Here they are soaking.


Currently, the sticks have been soaking for 24 hours; however, they are not quite ready yet. According to expert tips, the best aroma is achieved by soaking for 48 hours, then removing the sticks and laying them flat on a layer of paper towels until they are dry to the touch. The sticks are coated with packed sawdust to absorb the fragrance and the DPG solvent allows it to sink into the wood and evaporate faster. This last pictures shows the sticks right now in the solution. It has gotten dark and thick as some of the wood particles from the sticks break off and the DPG solvent evaporates. Tomorrow, I will remove the sticks and dry them in open air until they are ready to test.


Note: Moonworks and NDA (New Directions Aromatics) are two suppliers of candle and soap making fragrance oils. You can combine fragrance oils from different suppliers with the ones included in the beginner's kit, as long as they are designated safe for making candles and are undiluted. 


While I do not yet sell any incense, you can find Mylana handmade soaps in candles in my etsy shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/Mylana


16 comments:

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  2. Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. They have been used since ancient times in India, to invoke the blessings of Gods. Still widely used in Indian prayers and ceremonies, these are believed to be holy. Available in a wide variety of fragrances, agarbattis are fast replacing other harmful alternatives as room fresheners, mood enhancers and aromatherapeutics.

    Since the inception of Moksh, in 1996 , we have tried to bring the sense of history to our products while experimenting with the wide variety of formulations handed down over centuries. While retaining the old, we have also been careful to create new innovative fragrances that suit the changes in application of the product.

    Moksh’s unique fragrances have been much acclaimed, with our nature-inspired products meeting encouraging results. Many of the most popular incenses and Agarbatti Exporters in India have come from Moksh Agarbatti, including the largest selling Swarna Champa brand.

    We at Moksh kept this in our mind while developing all our products.

    We could succeed in achieving this aim by bringing in traditional and innovative concept of “Natural” and “Cosmetic” fragrances in Agarbatti,like Swarna Champa which has become an instant favourite for the consumers & won accolades from them all around the country ,for it’s natural & unique fragrance.Swarna Champa went on to become one of the single largest selling Agarbatti brands in the country.Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers – IndiaIncense Sticks, Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers, Bulk Incense Sticks India.Moksh's Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. Our Products are Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers in India.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. They have been used since ancient times in India, to invoke the blessings of Gods. Still widely used in Indian prayers and ceremonies, these are believed to be holy. Available in a wide variety of fragrances, agarbattis are fast replacing other harmful alternatives as room fresheners, mood enhancers and aromatherapeutics.

    Since the inception of Moksh, in 1996 , we have tried to bring the sense of history to our products while experimenting with the wide variety of formulations handed down over centuries. While retaining the old, we have also been careful to create new innovative fragrances that suit the changes in application of the product.

    Moksh’s unique fragrances have been much acclaimed, with our nature-inspired products meeting encouraging results. Many of the most popular incenses and Agarbatti Exporters in India have come from Moksh Agarbatti, including the largest selling Swarna Champa brand.

    We at Moksh kept this in our mind while developing all our products.

    We could succeed in achieving this aim by bringing in traditional and innovative concept of “Natural” and “Cosmetic” fragrances in Agarbatti,like Swarna Champa which has become an instant favourite for the consumers & won accolades from them all around the country ,for it’s natural & unique fragrance.Swarna Champa went on to become one of the single largest selling Agarbatti brands in the country.Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers – IndiaMoksh's Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. Our Products are Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers in India.Incense Sticks, Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers, Bulk Incense Sticks India.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. They have been used since ancient times in India, to invoke the blessings of Gods. Still widely used in Indian prayers and ceremonies, these are believed to be holy. Available in a wide variety of fragrances, agarbattis are fast replacing other harmful alternatives as room fresheners, mood enhancers and aromatherapeutics.

    Since the inception of Moksh, in 1996 , we have tried to bring the sense of history to our products while experimenting with the wide variety of formulations handed down over centuries. While retaining the old, we have also been careful to create new innovative fragrances that suit the changes in application of the product.

    Moksh’s unique fragrances have been much acclaimed, with our nature-inspired products meeting encouraging results. Many of the most popular incenses and Agarbatti Exporters in India have come from Moksh Agarbatti, including the largest selling Swarna Champa brand.

    We at Moksh kept this in our mind while developing all our products.

    We could succeed in achieving this aim by bringing in traditional and innovative concept of “Natural” and “Cosmetic” fragrances in Agarbatti,like Swarna Champa which has become an instant favourite for the consumers & won accolades from them all around the country ,for it’s natural & unique fragrance.Swarna Champa went on to become one of the single largest selling Agarbatti brands in the country.Incense Sticks, Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers, Bulk Incense Sticks India.Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers – IndiaMoksh's Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. Our Products are Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers in India.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. They have been used since ancient times in India, to invoke the blessings of Gods. Still widely used in Indian prayers and ceremonies, these are believed to be holy. Available in a wide variety of fragrances, agarbattis are fast replacing other harmful alternatives as room fresheners, mood enhancers and aromatherapeutics.

    Since the inception of Moksh, in 1996 , we have tried to bring the sense of history to our products while experimenting with the wide variety of formulations handed down over centuries. While retaining the old, we have also been careful to create new innovative fragrances that suit the changes in application of the product.

    Moksh’s unique fragrances have been much acclaimed, with our nature-inspired products meeting encouraging results. Many of the most popular incenses and Agarbatti Exporters in India have come from Moksh Agarbatti, including the largest selling Swarna Champa brand.

    We at Moksh kept this in our mind while developing all our products.

    We could succeed in achieving this aim by bringing in traditional and innovative concept of “Natural” and “Cosmetic” fragrances in Agarbatti,like Swarna Champa which has become an instant favourite for the consumers & won accolades from them all around the country ,for it’s natural & unique fragrance.Swarna Champa went on to become one of the single largest selling Agarbatti brands in the country.Incense Sticks, Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers, Bulk Incense Sticks India.Moksh's Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. Our Products are Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers in India.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bulk Incense Sticks


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    ReplyDelete
  7. Company started operations in the year 1996, in Bangalore, India. We are one of the largest manufacturer and exporter of finest quality of Indian traditional flora agarbatti and incense sticks selling it all over the world across 50 countries. Moksh’s unique fragrances have been extremely appreciated, with our nature-inspired products gaining huge popularity. Many of the popular incenses and Agarbatti fragrances in India have come from Moksh’s Agarbatti, including the largest selling Swarna Champa brand. We use R&D experts to add new fragrances to our portfolio by innovating newer fragrances. Our incense sticks, Agarbatti brand includes Swarna Champa, Rose Incense, Jasmine Incense, gold sandal, Swarna mallika, Nag Champa Incense, Sandalwood Incense, and Herbal etc.
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    for more details
    please contact
    http://mokshagarbatti.com/tesimonial.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. Moksh's Agarbatties are scented sticks that when burnt, give out fragrant fumes. Our Products are Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers in India.Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers – IndiaIncense Sticks, Bulk Incense Sticks, Incense Sticks Manufacturers, Bulk Incense Sticks India.


    for more details
    please contact
    http://mokshagarbatti.com/tesimonial.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. Agarbatti Manufacturers


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    for more details
    please contact
    http://mokshagarbatti.com/tesimonial.html

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
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    for more details
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    http://www.mokshagarbatti.com/

    ReplyDelete
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