Collection: Incense Burner

Wondering how to use a charcoal incense burner? Beautifully aromatic, incense burners are a wonderful addition to any home. They're so simple to use, you can bring them out anytime you feel like it.

Frankincense resin is typically burnt using a charcoal tablet (also known as a disc or puck) and a charcoal incense burner. This process releases the natural oil contained within the resin. It’s quite common to mix both frankincense and myrrh together, their aroma is very complimentary, creating yet another unique aroma to tantalise your senses. We often recommend 2-3 parts frankincense to 1 part myrrh but we encourage you to experiment and create your own favourite blend.

For a brief demonstration of how to burn resin on charcoal, CLICK HERE to watch our short video.

For a brief demonstration of how to burn resin in a tealight incense burner, CLICK HERE to watch our short video.

Or, if you’re looking for an alternative method that doesn’t require charcoal, you can also try heating frankincense resin in a tealight incense holder for a subtle and gentle burn. Choose from ceramic incense burners or brass burners made especially for tealight candles.

At Frankincense Pure we always put safety first. To safely burn incense in Australia, either on charcoal or in a tealight incense burner, ensure it’s out of reach of children and pets and that the area is well ventilated. Never leave your burner unattended and always ensure your burner is on a heat proof surface, away from all flammable items.

Step-by-step how to use charcoal incense burner:

TO START, hold the charcoal safely with a pair of tongs (never handle the charcoal directly). Light the charcoal with a lighter or match (we prefer using easy light charcoals and a click flame lighter with a long reach). Hold the flame to the edge of the charcoal until it ignites. Don’t worry if it doesn’t work on your first attempt, keep repeating until you see orange sparkles travelling through the charcoal (there shouldn’t be an actual flame, only sparkles). A COMMON MISTAKE is when people assume the charcoal has ignited – when it hasn’t. Or it may be only partially lit and they wonder why the charcoal doesn’t retain its heat for long. In most cases, this is because the charcoal has not been fully ignited.

If you want to speed up this initial ignition process, continue to apply the flame from your lighter or match to the entire circumference of the charcoal until you’re happy it’s been fully ignited with orange sparkles travelling through the charcoal. This can take from 30 to 60 seconds. ONCE FULLY IGNITED, place your charcoal in your incense burner.

THEN - WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU WAIT ABOUT 5 TO 10 MINUTES until the charcoal eventually turns grey. This provides the charcoal sufficient sitting time to reach the desired temperature to enable an even and longer burn time.

NOW – PLACE YOUR FRANKINCENSE RESIN on the charcoal and enjoy the heavenly aroma!

The charcoal will generally stay warm, continuing to release the aroma of frankincense anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your lighting technique, rate of air circulation, room temperature, type of incense burner and brand of charcoal. During the single use of your charcoal, you may need to replace your used resins with new ones. The burn time per resin is dependent upon a number of variables such as the clump size, oil concentration, age, quality and origin of your resin.

Enjoy the welcoming and relaxing aroma of your favourite resin.

TIP: Some people prefer to place a layer of sand between the base of the incense burner and the charcoal to provide heat insulation. Or some people prefer to place a thin layer of sand on top of the charcoal, then place the resin on top of the sand. You may want to experiment to find what works for you.

At Frankincense Pure, we provide frankincense resin and myrrh resin in their raw natural form. Mixing your favourite frankincense resin together with other natural resins such as myrrh provides yet another unique aroma. To buy frankincense and myrrh, check out our collection at Frankincense Pure.

Relax with the heavenly scent of frankincense or myrrh on your favourite tealight incense burner. A tealight incense burner is quick, easy and simple to use anytime. If you’re looking for an alternative to charcoal burning, this may be for you!

Simply pop your favourite resins into the tealight incense burner, pop your tealight candle in and that’s it! We find this type of burner provides a subtle, gentle and clean aroma that lasts longer compared with a charcoal burner.

Check out our range of brass and ceramic incense burners at Frankincense Pure.

At Frankincense Pure we always put safety first. Before burning any resins on charcoal or in a tealight incense holder, ensure it’s out of reach of children and pets and that the area is well ventilated. Never leave your burner unattended and always ensure your burner is on a heat proof surface, away from all flammable items.

TIP: To avoid unsightly black flame marks on your ceramic incense burners, pop your candle into your incense burner BEFORE you light it and extinguish the flame BEFORE you remove it. We prefer to use a click flame lighter with a long reach for this benefit.

Enjoy the fragrance of the incense holder for 1-2 hours (or more) depending upon the clump size, oil concentration, age, quality and origin of your resin as well as the type of incense holder you’re using.

Frankincense and myrrh are the most well-known resins to use in an incense burner.

Frankincense and myrrh have been used for thousands of years since antiquity and are still cherished for their alleged numerous benefits in our modern world today.

Frankincense comes from the genus Boswellia, a type of tree that belongs to the Burseraceae family. The more popular species you may be familiar with are Boswellia Sacra, Boswellia Carterii and Boswellia Serrata.

Boswellia Sacra is native to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman and Yemen) and horn of Africa, Boswellia Carterii is native to Somalia, and Boswellia Serrata is native to India, Arabian Peninsula and Africa. Boswellia Serrata is sometimes referred to as Indian frankincense.

Similarly, myrrh also belongs to the Burseraceae family, and is from the genus Commiphora. A popular species you may be familiar with is Commiphora myrrha. Did you notice the different spelling? Scientifically, the species is referred to as Commiphora myrrha. Myrrh is derived from the Latin word myrrha.

Commiphora myrrha is native to the Arabian peninsula (Oman and Yemen) and to Africa (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Northeast Kenya).

Both types of resins are produced from a process called "tapping” when deliberate incisions are made into the trunk and thicker branches of certain Boswellia species and Commiphora myrrha species. From the small incision made in the bark, a sticky gum-like substance is released. Once it’s in contact with the air, the exposed resin will eventually harden into its recognisable form. After a number of weeks, the hardened resins are harvested, cleaned, sorted, graded and packed for transportation.

Here at Frankincense Pure, we offer premium-grade frankincense from the Boswellia Sacra species, from Oman, and Boswellia Carterii species, from Somalia. We also offer premium-grade myrrh from the Commiphora species, from Yemen and Somalia.

Incense holders can be used both indoors and outdoors. However, we highly recommend you use them in well-ventilated areas.

Wherever you decide to use your incense holder, in Australia, make sure it's placed on a heat proof surface before you use it and ensure it’s safely secured, out of reach of children and pets, and any flammable substances such as carpets, curtains and paper.

There are many different types of incense holders depending on the type of incense you’re burning. At Frankincense Pure, we provide resins in their natural state.