The emphasis on interiors has been well-documented in the past year — that’s because most of us have been spending inordinate amounts of time at home. This emphasis is mirrored in our fragrances, as people choose to upgrade their scents for working from home during the day and spending more time there in the evenings.

The growing home fragrance industry includes incense. Although spending more time at home as a result of lockdown measures has certainly caused people to reconsider their surroundings, it isn’t the only thing that’s fueled incense’s popularity. Incense has long been used in religious rituals and scent has played a major role in the home for more than a year. Here’s your beginner’s guide to incense, if you haven’t already hopped on the trend.

Scent

The fragrance is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of your incense selection. It’s difficult to keep track of all the different fragrances available, let alone the names given to each one. The most important factor to consider when selecting a scent is how it makes you feel. It needs to take you somewhere, or at the very least carry the escape and expanse of the outdoors into your home, now more than ever.

Should you choose a cone or a stick?

Incense can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the most popular are cones and sticks. Though incense sticks are the most well-known, a growing number of designers and makers prefer cones because they feel more natural and handcrafted. Cones have a more distinct smell due to the lack of a wooden heart, unlike incense sticks.

While everyone had heard of an incense stick, few had heard of cones, despite the fact that they were just as practical and present in the history of incense. They are less common in the marketplace because they are usually made of less high quality materials and can’t be store as long as the sticks. Incense cones burn slower, so they’ll last longer.

Choosing the right holder

Although the smell is the most obvious concern when burning incense, it is also important to remember where you will be burning it. It’s crucial to keep in mind how the incense can appear in your room when it’s not burning.

Incense not only transforms a room with its evocative smell, but the holders and chambers that surround your sticks or cones are works of art in and of themselves (like this Air Yeezy incense chamber), adding beauty to any space they’re in, even when they’re not in use. Aside from its look, the holder serves an essential function. A decent incense holder is one that can safely hold an incense stick upright while still catching all of the falling ash. You don’t want to have to clean up after every incense fire. So choose wisely.

If you’re looking for a place to start, head over to incensesticks.com to check out their large selection of incense sticks and some starter holders.