Incense has a multitude of uses, from meditation and spiritual cleansing to giving your space a quick aroma refresh. Once you get into the habit of burning incense, you’ll love bringing new fragrances into your home.
New to cone incense? No problem! Here’s how to get your incense cone started:
First, make sure you have a cone incense burner.
A cone incense burner should be flat and made of a fireproof material like stone, glass, ceramic, or metal. Unlike stick incense, the burning embers will come into contact with it, so you don’t want to use a wooden stick incense burner or a surface that is treated with any kind of paint or varnish.
In a pinch, you can use an old ceramic plate or cup as long as you don’t mind it getting a little sooty. Because incense cones burn very hot, the bottom of your burner should not directly touch surfaces like a wooden tabletop or tablecloth.
Light the incense.
Using a match or lighter, place a flame to the tip of the incense cone until it ignites. Place it in the holder and let it burn for a moment until about 1/4 of the cone is consumed with fire.
Blow it out.
Next, gently blow out the flame (you don’t want to extinguish the ember). There should be a glowing orange ember at the tip with fragrant incense smoke flowing out. You can blow on the ember to encourage it to get bigger, like you would for starting a campfire.
If your incense doesn’t stay lit the first time, that’s okay. Just light it again and let the flame burn a little longer before blowing it out–but don’t let the whole cone burn or you’ll end up with a crispy blob of ash with no fragrance.
Once it’s smoldering, the incense cone will burn and release smoke for about 20 minutes.
Ensure airflow.
Burning incense needs oxygen to keep it from going out. If your incense holder has a lid with perforations, the incense cone might not get enough air. If your incense goes out, relight it and leave the lid off to make sure it gets enough airflow.
A fan or strong breeze will make the incense burn faster.
Clean your cone incense burner.
After your incense cone is finished burning, discard the ashes.
Because the burning embers touch the incense holder, there will be some sticky, black buildup of resin after you burn a few cones. It’s a good idea to keep your incense burner clean so you can enjoy a fresh scent every time you use it. Any buildup that accumulates can be removed between uses with a bit of rubbing alcohol.
There you have it! Once you get the hang of how to light an incense cone, you can enjoy a burst of fragrance in your home at any time.
Check out our list of spooky chic cone incense burners to find one that fits your vibe.
Want to try a new incense cone fragrance? Get your next fave from this handpicked list:
Cinnamon Apple Incense Cones ($3 for 10)
Honey Rose Incense Cones ($3 for 10)
Healing Energy Incense Cones ($6 for 12)
Nag Champa Incense Cones ($6 for 25)
Fallen Leaves Incense Cones ($6 for 30)
Amber & Oakmoss Incense Cones ($12 for 40)
Himalayan Spice Handmade Incense Cones ($13 for 25)