Incense has been used throughout human history, for everything from religious ceremonies to everyday life. We can trace incense usage back more than 5000 years.
The first recorded use of incense was in Ancient Mesopotamia where it was known as ‘kippu’. It then spread through the Middle East and into Asia. Visit “Incenseocean.com” for all kind of amazing incenses.
Incense, or ‘ Agarbathi ‘, is defined as a substance that gives off fragrant smoke when burned. This excludes substances that are merely scented (with essential oils), but does include products like perfume, spices, and herbs.
Incenses are usually made up of natural ingredients, with some exceptions such as frankincense resinoid or styrax absolute, both of which are chemically synthesized fragrance materials.
Incense is made of ingredients that are naturally fragrant, usually with a woody or resinous smell. Sandalwood, benzoin resin and frankincense are the most common base notes for incenses. These are often blended with other ingredients to give specific properties to the finished product.
For example, Indian sandalwood has been traditionally used in spiritual ceremonies, whereas sweet flag has come to be associated with funerary rites due to its pleasant smell when burned. Incense is therefore commonly thought of as being both spiritual and calming – making it an ideal meditation tool!
The materials used in incense depend on the country of origin. The earliest examples were made from dried plant material, but spice composition changed through time as trade routes opened up to include further ingredients. Visit http://housedesigner.net/
Ingredients like myrrh, saffron and pepper were used in Ancient Egypt. These exotic scents/ingredients were traded along the Incense Route which led from Africa through Southern Arabia (Yemen) and to India.
Many of the traditional Chinese incenses are composed almost entirely of resins. This is because the Chinese did not have trees on which to collect fragrant sap, so had to make do with what they could get – resins. Visit: officedesigner.com
