Burning incense has been done for thousands of years, there was talk of burning incense in various religious texts and today people still use this type of fragrance for many different things.
From spiritual rituals to a beautiful aroma in the home, incense sticks and incense cones are some of the most popular types of incense products available today. But are there any major differences or are they two on the same thing?
In this short article, we are going to outline the differences between the incense stick and the incense cone, allowing to choose which would be better for you.
Incense Sticks vs Incense Cones
While incense cones and incense sticks may look drastically different, they are essentially the same thing, in the sense that they are both used for burning incense and are infused with high-quality incense.
The key difference is the shape of the incense stick compared to the incense cone and how well incense infuses into them. According to experts, it is much easier to infuse essential oils and fragrances into an incense stick than it is into an incense cone.
An incense cone is a conical shaped item made from pressed, often handmade incense with a wide base.
Incense cones are known to burn much more quickly than their stick shaped counterparts and this is because of their shape. Since more of the cone is burning at once, it will burn faster. However, as a result of this quick burn, incense cones normally have a much stronger scent and are great for people who search for something more intense.
Additionally, incense cones are normally a lot easier to clean. Both sticks and cones will end up as ash but where incense sticks may leave chunks of ash around the area they have been burned, cones remain in the same shape. That being said, they typically generate much more heat.
It may also surprise you to learn that incense cones come in several categories including backflow incense cones, which, as their name may suggest send the incense smoke in the opposite direction to normal. Usually, incense smoke will flow upwards, but with this design, the smoke goes downwards.
Which Burns Longer; An Incense Stick Or An Incense Cone?
Typically, incense sticks burn a little longer than incense cones. Incense sticks are designed to burn for around 45 minutes, filling the room with a glorious scent. In contrast, your cones may only burn for around 20 minutes although the scent will be much more intense.
Are Candles Or Incense Better?
One of the key concerns when looking at the different categories of home fragrance products is whether the incense material will be harmful to your health. One of the best ways to avoid incense sticks that might be detrimental to your lung health is to purchase high quality incense from companies that know what they are doing.
Incense has been used for thousands of years in countries like India, therefore, it stands to reason that the best incense would come from this country. Moksh Agarbatti is one of the most reputable incense companies in India that uses only natural ingredients in its incense sticks.
There has, unfortunately been a link between poor quality incense and cigarette smoke but one of the best ways is to search for incense sticks that only use natural ingredients.
However, a lot of people prefer to use candles and there are, undoubtedly, a huge number of scented candles on the market. A lot of people want to know whether it is better to use handmade incense sticks or stick with their favourite candles.
In truth, many candles are made with parraffin wax which can cause lung problems, so once again, if you are using these, you should search for candles that use soy wax and other natural ingredients to reduce the smoke output.
Conclusion
Beautiful handmade incense sticks and cones are a great way to fragrance your home and can also be used in many wellness and spiritual practices. But one thing that leaves a lot of confusion is whether there are significant differences between the two.
Both the incense stick and cone are designed to give off intense aromas but their shape is vastly different. The incense stick will typically burn for longer but an incense stick does not have as strong an aroma as their conical counterparts.
Whether you use an incense stick, cone or opt for a candle, the main priority should always be to look for products that contain natural ingredients as these will smoke less, give a cleaner burn and are healthier for your lungs.
