Ideal for burning sacred herbs and resins.
20 Blocks
There’s something primal about burning charcoal. After all, the first recorded use of the material comes from black pigment found in European cave paintings dating from around 32,000 years ago. However, it’s not known whether this charcoal was made deliberately.
Coming forward in time, it’s thought that people may have been using charcoal as a fuel by approximately 5500BC in the smelting of copper.
How is charcoal used in the burning of incense and resins?
Thanks to its impressive burning qualities, charcoal is perfect for heating incense or resins. If you’re thinking of doing this, rest assured the process is easy.
As well as some charcoal and your fragranced products of choice, all you need are a heatproof container, a lighter and possibly some metal tongs. It’s also a good idea to place a little earth in your container for extra heat insulation.
A quick guide
Firstly, light your charcoal using a candle, lighter or match. To protect your hands when you’re doing this, you might want to use metal tongs. If you’re using charcoal discs, you’ll quickly see sparks emerging from them when the source of heat is applied. This is caused by a special coating that’s added to the products to ensure they light quickly and easily. Once lit, you can put the charcoal tablet into your container. A little patience is then required. Instead of adding your resin immediately, wait for a few minutes until the charcoal has had a chance to heat through. Once you’re satisfied that the disc is at the right temperature, carefully spoon your resin onto it. You can add more as required.
