Differences between incense sticks and incense coils

I. Differences in form

Incense sticksare straight strips, with one end lit;Incense coilsare coiled in a spiral, burn for a long time, and suit continuous fumigation of a space. In terms of use: incense sticks are convenient for a single tasting session, while incense coils suit long-duration fumigation.

II. The key lies in the binder powder and the aromatic materials

For incense sticks to hold their shape, they cannot do withoutbinder powder(natural, such as nanmu powder). The lower the proportion of binder powder and the more solid the agarwood raw material, the purer the fragrance. Products with added chemical fragrance essences have a single, intense aroma that irritates the nasal passages.

III. How to choose agarwood incense sticks

• Check whether the ingredients are honestly stated: legitimate products indicate the composition of the main raw materials; for vague ones that only say "natural fragrances," ask one more question
• Smell the smoke when burned: natural incense sticks produce gentle smoke that does not sting the nose or eyes; if the first reaction upon lighting is "pungent," be on guard
• See whether the fragrance has layers: good incense sticks change in fragrance from lighting to fully burning out, rather than having one smell from start to finish
• Don't look only at low prices: genuine agarwood raw material has a cost floor; abnormally low prices usually correspond to abnormal quality

Incense sticks are the category of agarwood products most easily adulterated. Better to buy less, but buy ones with clearly stated ingredients.

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