Re: New study on toxicity of joss sticks

[Guest guest]

http://nowsmellthis .blogharbor. com/blog/ _archives/ 2008/8/26/ 3856319.html

There's so much more to this story - the recycled, chemical-impregnate d

wood that's used for joss sticks, the DPG, the lead and synthetic

fragrances used in candles, etc.

--

Anya

Great, just what I needed to hear.  I'm an incense junkie and I went on a bender

this summer I must have bought over 15 kinds. I burn them several times a day

almost everyday.   I'm like a smoker and their packs of cigarettes.  I'm the

opposite, Anya, I prefer my atmosphere to be scented.

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[Guest guest]

> Great, just what I needed to hear. I'm an incense junkie and I went

on a bender this summer I must have bought over 15 kinds. I burn them

several times a day almost everyday. I'm like a smoker and their

packs of cigarettes. I'm the opposite, Anya, I prefer my atmosphere

to be scented.

>

Ya just gotta get Alfred to turn you on to his natural incense

sources! Although smoke's bad in any form if it's too concentrated.

But using a mica plate and clean bamboo charcoal as well as getting

incense that doesn't have chemicals and bad wood in it can help cut

down on those bad things. It's never too late to make adjustments to

how you burn your incense and what type you burn... : ) And really,

Alfred knows about the good stuff... Are you out there Alfred?

Cheers!

Andrine

[Guest guest]

Shea wrote:

> http://nowsmellthis .blogharbor. com/blog/ _archives/ 2008/8/26/ 3856319.html

>

>

Anya

Great, just what I needed to hear. I'm an incense junkie and I went on a bender

this summer I must have bought over 15 kinds. I burn them several times a day

almost everyday. I'm like a smoker and their packs of cigarettes. I'm the

opposite, Anya, I prefer my atmosphere to be scented.

, I have a very close friend of many years who is a junkie like

you. When she moved a few years ago, she was shocked at how the walls

were clean-looking behind the furniture that was moved, and the

yellow/brown stains on the rest of the wall showed how much particulate

matter was clinging to them.

I told her that was also in her lungs. No good to talk - she's still

burning the incense like crazy.

It really is worrisome to me. I prefer fresh, clean air. I also remember

the story of someone who dabbled in aromatherapy posting how she was

diffusing oils 24/7 in the room of an elderly person she was taking care

of. I wrote her immediately and asked her to stop. I think she did. Even

our beloved EOs are a burden on the body, we need to keep our airways

and liver as clean as possible.

--

Anya

Anya's Garden http://AnyasGarden.com - perfumes, aromatics, classes,

consultation

Natural Perfumers Guild + blog with daily updates

1600+ member Natural Perfumery group -

/

[Guest guest]

> Katlyn must be offline, because she is a fabulous creator of natural

> incenses (and perfumes.) Katlyn - you there? Give us your input.

> Anya

I believe she's at Burning Man. Might be a little while before we

hear from her - that festival takes it out of a person. Well, unless

they're still 20- or 30-something ; )

Cheers!

Andrine

[Guest guest]

> , I have a very close friend of many years who is a junkie like

> you. When she moved a few years ago, she was shocked at how the walls

> were clean-looking behind the furniture that was moved, and the

> yellow/brown stains on the rest of the wall showed how much particulate

> matter was clinging to them.

>

I'm glad you guys brought this up -- burning any kind of incense gives

me a headache. Home-made incense isn't as bad as the synthetically

scented stuff, but the smoke still bothers me.

I make beeswax cubes scented with plant materials.... I heat them up

with a tealight on one of those little oil " diffusers " -- it's a great

alternative to combustable incense and they retain their scent through

many, many uses.

Rose

[Guest guest]

>

> Well made natural combustible incense shouldn't smoke all that much;

> if it does, the recipe needs to be tweaked. As you know finding truly

> natural incense is nearly impossible today.

>

What an interesting point... I've only ever come across very smokey

incense. The farthest I've gotten in making my own is burning

materials on a charcoal block, but maybe I'll experiment with actually

forming my own cones or something.

Rose

[Guest guest]

Hi Rose

>

> What a wonderful idea! I do something similar using just the raw

incense materials, then heat it up under one of those same diffusers

with the candle underneath. Except I use a votive instead of a tea

light because it seems to need more heat to release the aromatics in

raw form. But I think I like your idea better.

>

> Patty

>

Thanks =) The beeswax is a great medium.... it really helps release

the scent (in addition to smelling fantastic all by itself!), and it

holds onto it forever. In fact, I just lit some up that I had been

using around last Christmas time, and it's still pretty potent. The

only drawback is that it's a pain to scrape it off of the diffuser if

you want to change scents... although if you heated it up for a few

seconds you might be able to slide it out or something.

Rose

[Guest guest]

> Katlyn must be offline, because she is a fabulous creator of natural

> incenses (and perfumes.) Katlyn - you there? Give us your input..>>

Hi folks,

Back from the big Burn and boy is my brain tired...

(and body ) but my soul is inspired by the sheer audacity of the

human spirt and and it capacity for deep imaginings and

manifestation of the fantastic!

Truly beyond my wildest expectations.

On the incense warning....Joss sticks and most stick incense....well

of course that shit, and I mean that literally , will be harmful. I'm

sure we would be horrified to discover what lurks in that innocent

stick of nag champa.

Yet I think this warning is a drop of rain in an ocean pollution.

Also consider the the sheer amount of smoke created in temples and

homes in the east, it is a vital part of everyone's daily life and

ancestral tradition . good incense is expensive, people use what they

can afford .

Sitting a room with cheap incense burning to me is like getting

sprayed by the perfume girl in the cosmetic isle , gives such a

headache.

That is the reason I work (as we all do) so hard to create something

pure . It is not very practical, creating natural incense . It is

fragile and expensive, the shelf life limited and it must be made in

small batches- but would I make it any other way? never again . It is

a goal of mine to get folks to try real sacred smoke , something

natural and subtle. But just as with perfume it is process of

education and experience.

I use a bark called Laha as a binder for my cone style " triangles "

that burn without charcoal. That and natural wood bases such a

sandalwood, cedar and juniper are blended with powdered resins,

herbs and EO's -try to know ( best I can) exactly where everything

sourced. With the plight of sandalwood as it is, I know I must find

alternatives very soon and am working to find other good clean burning

bases . Sandalwood is magic in incense as it is perfume, and not just

for its scent, it allows a perfect burn, it will be hard to replace.

I am hoping my supplies will last until a sustainable source is found.

For incense, I can also use the wood that is left after the oil is

mostly extracted.

To find out more about making incense check out the site:

http://incensemaking.com/

Katlyn

Katlyn Breene

Mermade Magickal Arts (since 1984)

katmermade@...

http://www.mermadearts.com/

[Guest guest]

>>>>I make beeswax cubes scented with plant materials.... I heat them

up

with a tealight on one of those little oil " diffusers " -- it's a great

alternative to combustable incense and they retain their scent through

many, many uses. <<<<<

This is a great way to scent a room, I just love using beeswax.

To me there is just something so ancient and offertory in the burning

of incense. the fire transforming the matter into scented smoke.

Alchemical transmutation, the Carrying of prayers, just the act of

burning itself, the ritual of it - I could go on and on....

excuse me while I go light up.

Katlyn

Katlyn Breene

Mermade Magickal Arts (since 1984)

katmermade@...

http://www.mermadearts.com/

[Guest guest]

>>>>>>>>>Thanks =) The beeswax is a great medium.... it really helps

release

the scent (in addition to smelling fantastic all by itself!), and it

holds onto it forever. In fact, I just lit some up that I had been

using around last Christmas time, and it's still pretty potent. The

only drawback is that it's a pain to scrape it off of the diffuser if

you want to change scents... although if you heated it up for a few

seconds you might be able to slide it out or something.>>>>

You can place a small foil in the bowl of the diffuser and then it can

be removed easily.

I offer 3 " x3 " colored foils on my site for use with incense, but any

foil will work.

Katlyn Breene

Mermade Magickal Arts (since 1984)

katmermade@...

http://www.mermadearts.com/

[Guest guest]

> You can place a small foil in the bowl of the diffuser and then it

> can be removed easily.

> I offer 3 " x3 " colored foils on my site for use with incense, but

> any foil will work.

Is there any chance of the aluminum heating up and any parts of it

becoming airborne?

Andrine

[Guest guest]

>>>>>>>Is there any chance of the aluminum heating up and any parts

of it

becoming airborne? >>>>>>

Good question Andrine, I've been doing on my incense heater for years,

never thought about.

Katlyn Breene

Mermade Magickal Arts (since 1984)

katmermade@...

http://www.mermadearts.com/

[Guest guest]

>>>>>>>Is there any chance of the aluminum heating up and any parts

of it

becoming airborne? >>>>>>

Good question Andrine, I've been doing on my incense heater for years,

never thought about.

Katlyn Breene

Mermade Magickal Arts (since 1984)

katmermade@...

http://www.mermadearts.com/