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For hundreds of years herbs, spices and oils have been blended and used as incense to cover up and eliminate offensive odours in the home, or burnt in religious ceremonies.

Burning scents like frankincense and myrrh dates back to the times of the ancient Egyptians, and the practise still has a place in our homes today: not to mask the fetid odours of yesteryear, but to perfume the air with an enjoyable sweetness.

It has also been said that churches and buildings which use incense have an uncanny absence of indoor insects, such as woodworm, white ants and cockroaches.

The following blends are delightful to use, however, with a little imagination and experimentation you will develop your own fragrances that are just as enjoyable to the senses.

It is quite possible to procure the ingredients yourself  from outdoors and from the garden and kitchen.

There is really no special formula for incense. A variety of aromatic gums, resins, spices, essential oils, crushed herbs and barks can be mixed together or utilised separately to produce perfumed smoke when burnt.

When purchasing some of these ingredients such as sandalwood powder and essential oils it will be necessary to acquire quite a significant quantity (compared with the small amount required). It is therefore a good idea to blend some of the more expensive ingredients with what you have acquired or share with friends, in preference to using wholly shop purchased components.

By incorporating a substance such as gum or resin into the incense to hold the powdered ingredients together it is possible to form a pliable 'dough' which can be formed into shapes (cones, sticks, etc.). The most commonly used agent for this purpose is gum arabic which forms a paste when mixed with water.

Charcoal slows up the incense burning process, which gives the gum or resins time to melt and slowly disperse the aroma. Unlike wood-based incense, charcoal incense burns without flame, but at a much higher temperature. Ground charcoal for incense-making can be purchased from shops specialising in church requisites. There are three basic types: quick lighting, perfumed lighting and natural charcoal which is more difficult to light but burns well and has not been chemically treated as quick-lighting has.

Different  types of charcoal can be mixed together when making incense, such as perfumed with natural charcoal.

It is possible to purchase charcoal from hardware suppliers and grind to a coarse powder. This is quite a tedious task, but considering the small amount of charcoal required, it is worth the effort.

The best method is to place a small piece of charcoal in a hessian / jute cloth or similar type of bag, then beat it with a heavy hammer until it is a coarse powder. Sieve off the larger pieces of charcoal and use the finer grains for the incense. There are other innovative ways to grind charcoal, so find one which best suits you.

Simple Incense Powder

Powdered or ganular incense is the simplest form of incense and the easiest to make. Two or three teaspoons of the powder can be burnt in a special censer containing hot charcoal.

A basic incense powder consists of the following mixed thoroughly together:

1 oz (30 g) each of sandalwood powder, gum benzoin and orris root powder, 1/2 oz (15 g) each of ground cardamon and cassia bark, plus a few ground cloves.

Experimental variations can be added to this basic mixture if preferred: crushed local herbs, seeds, spices, a few drops of essential oil of one's choice (such as cedarwood, rose, bergamot), grated dried citrus peel, bay leaves, eucalyptus oil or leaves, or resin, dried mint, lavender or crushed bark are but a few ideas.

Shaped Incense

Here are two basic recipes for making shaped incense. As in the previous recipe for incense powder, the ingredients can be varied according to personal preferences and financial resources:

Mix together one tablespoon each of fine sawdust and spice or ground herbs. Essential oil may be added if a more potent aroma is desired. Add sufficient water and gum arabic powder to make a stiff paste (i.e. approximately one tablespoon water with one teaspoon gum arabic). Shape into cones and allow to dry in a well ventilated position for 3-4 days.

Mix together 8 oz each of sandalwood powder and gum benzoin powder, 1/3 fl oz essential oil and 1/2 oz potassium nitrate. Add sufficient gum arabic and water or other binding resin or gum to form a stiff pliable paste. Mould into the required shapes and allow to dry well before uisng.

Place cones on small metal dishes, or other suitable objects, and then light - the incense will smoulder, filling the room with incense.

Incense with Charcoal

Crush together 6 oz (170 g) charcoal, 1 oz (30 g) gum benzoin, 1/4 oz (7 g) each of powdered sandalwood and cassia bark. Mix in enough gum arabic and water to form the mixture into a stiff paste. Mould into cones or other shapes. Leave to dry for two or three days in a warm place.

The basic mixture can have other ingredients added to enhance the aroma, if preferred. However, you must have half the mixture charcoal so that the incense will burn effectively. However, too much coal (i.e. more than half the mixture) will overpower the fragrant smells of the other ingredients, so it is important to find the medium between these two stipulations in order to acquire suitable charcoal based incense.

Storage

Always store incense in an airtight container or have it tightly wrapped so that it will not lose its delicate aroma.

For more exotic fragrances, or an aroma that is a little mysterious, experiment with your own blends by mixing different herbs, spices and oils.