Below is a collection of tips and references for optimal incense storage.
Improperly stored incense may not last as long, and lose potency at a quicker rate, so follow our tips on how to properly store incense!
- It is important to protect your incense from the elements. Temperature, humidity, and light can all prove destructive to the aromatic compounds within. A storage location recommendation would be a dark drawer, which can offer protection against sun-light and humidity. We do not recommend refrigeration because it may introduce moisture, which can cause it’s own set of problems.
- Incense, much like aged pu’er tea, can pick up aromas from the atmosphere around it. If multiple types of incense are stored close together without protection, they may pick up some of the scent of the other incense around it. For example, if you stored a premium Japanese agarwood incense next to a standard nag champa, the distinct and mellow qualities of the agarwood may prove harder to detect. It’s recommended to keep each scent in it’s own sealed container. Most people just leave it in the original packaging, but if you put the packaging in an air-tight container, the scent will last longer. Some incense burners have tight wooden compartments that usually work well.
- It is not recommended to store incense in trunks or boxes made out of fragrant woods such as cedar or pine. The scent from moth balls may also ruin the scent of the incense. Storing incense next to highly fragrant substances such as potpourri should also be avoided.
- If you find yourself buying expensive Japanese incense with Paulownia boxes, you may save and reuse those. Many people believe that these boxes provide optimal storage for incense and they prove to be quite popular, as they protect against both humidity and heat, in addition to being air-tight.
- Sometimes incense that has a high ratio of odoriferous resins, strong oils or spices, similar to a fine wine, may improve over-time as some of the more powerful scents mellow and synergize.
Incense Storage Tips & Warnings:
- Incense sticks that are dipped in fragrance carriers such as DPG are more likely to contaminate other incense within their vicinity. This coating also causes the sticks to burn slower.
Conclusion:
Storing your incense sticks in their original packaging or a paulownia styled box away from elements, such as light, heat, and humidity is usually recommended.
We hope you found this article helpful!
This article was last revised on 02/28/2020.
