Nag Champa Brand Incense – Synthetic?

I read fairly recently that Nag Champa (the brand, not the fragrance) uses synthetic ingredients in their incense blends. Looking into it a bit online, I can see how this is very likely true. The descriptions say stuff like “made with pure herbs, barks, <etc…>”, meaning that it contains some pure or natural ingredients. I do not see their descriptions saying “All natural” or “only...

About Nag Champa

Nag Champa is not just a brand of incense. Nag Champa is the fragrance from India after which the brand is named. It is one of the most (if not the most) popular incense fragrances in the world. Its exotic scent is reminiscent of markets and gardens of India. Nag Champa gets its name in part from the Champa Flower (a.k.a. Plumeria), one of the key ingredients in Nag Champa incense. Picture of a Champa / Plumeria flower: Nag...

Incense of India

Incense making in India is closely related to Ayurvedic practices. Perhaps in modern times, the use of chemicals and other not-so-ayurvedic practices have become common, though I imagine the traditional methods are still widely used. Our friend Wiki says that Ayurvedically, the ingredients that go into incense are categorized into one of 5 classes, which are the elements: Ether (fruits), Earth (roots), Fire (flowers), Water...

Incense Makes you Happy – Science now Agrees

From ScienceDaily, 20 May 2008 – Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion...

Ten Virtues of Koh

Koh is a Japanese word for incense. The Ten Virtues of Koh are a list of benefits, effects, and features of incense from ancient Japan. The comments in parentheses are not part of the traditional Japanese list. The Ten Virtues of Koh 1. It brings communication with the transcendent. 2. It purifies mind and body. 3. It removes uncleanliness. (For bodily scum, though, Koh is not a recommended replacement for a shower) 4. It...