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Smell might be the most neglected sense, yet it can powerfully affect your mood. When comparing incense vs. essential oils, you’ll find both offer benefits. However, choosing the right one requires insight beyond your sniffer.
These substances can make your surroundings smell heavenly but with a catch. Your tolerance for the potential side effects determines your best choice. When it comes down to incense versus essential oils, which one is right for you?
Who wins the incense vs. essential oils battle? Incense has been used for thousands of years in religious and spiritual rituals. In modern times, its powerful olfactory punch is used to mask other aromas and add a pleasant scent to your indoor air. It offers the following benefits.
Certain aromas activate scent receptors in your brain, encouraging alertness and facilitating cognitive processes. The signals produced by these scent receptors travel to your brain, which interprets the message by making minor adjustments in breathing patterns, perhaps even your neurotransmitter and hormone levels through your gut microbiota. Could this phenomenon partially explain the mystic ecstasy experienced by some meditators?
Incense has a long history of use in religious rites. Visit a Catholic church to get your Easter meal blessed, and you’ll witness — and smell — the priest walk by with a censer. Those who follow pagan faiths often incorporate this aroma-rich substance into their rituals. For example, sage is often used to dispel evil spirits.
Which scents have meaning depends upon your background. For example, Frankincense and myrrh are well-known in the Christian tradition and represent two of the three gifts brought by the magi. In the Buddhist tradition, they represent the seeker’s intent for spiritual enlightenment. Hindus believe that these fragrances invite the presence of deities and signify respect and purity.
Even folks who are spiritual but not necessarily religious harness the power of incense in rituals. You don’t have to look far to find videos on how to attract luck and prosperity into your life, such as this one:
Several incense aromas, like bergamot, rose and vanilla, activate receptors in your brain that make you feel more amorous. Ylang-ylang is particularly useful for increasing attraction and libido among lovers.
Burning incense releases particulate matter into your indoor air. Therefore, you could suffer the following adverse health effects, particularly if you are sensitive.
If you have asthma, you may wish to avoid incense. A new case presented this year at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology warns that this substance can pose health risks to vulnerable adults and children, including those with asthma or other upper respiratory sensitivities.
Incense fumes contain several volatile substances, including formaldehyde, sulfur, carbon and nitrogen oxides. When inhaled, these chemicals can cause symptoms including:
If you keep an eye on your heart health, you may wish to avoid incense, too. One study performed at the National Taiwan University College of Medicine found that long exposure to incense smoke increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 10% and stroke by 19%. Heart disease is already the number one killer of men and women worldwide, so protect your ticker if you are at risk.
Finally, exposure to the chemicals and particulates released by incense can increase your risk of certain cancers, especially of the respiratory tract. While there was no overall effect on lung cancer rates, there was a significant uptick in upper respiratory tract carcinomas.
Therefore, essential oils may be better than incense if you have heart or lung conditions. Using incense in a brick form on a special burner instead of lighting sticks reduces particulate matter but doesn’t eliminate risks.
Fortunately, you can also use essential oils to improve your indoor air and add humidity to your room. You can pick up inexpensive diffusers at nearly any department store for $20 or less. They help keep your skin moist while offering the following additional benefits.
Essential oils also activate scent receptors in your brain. Fragrances like citrus help energize you and improve your focus, while others like lavender ease stress and relax you.
Research on forest bathers indicates that inhaling chemicals called phytoncides helps kick the human immune system into high gear. It’s reasonable to assume some fragrances might also activate pathways that increase your resistance to germs. One 2024 study on eucalyptus essential oil found that it can alleviate the inflammation characteristic of arthritis, respiratory ailments and skin disorders.
Typically, you inhale essential oils, but you can also apply them to the skin when included in a safe carrier oil. For example, many people with arthritis apply creams made with arnica essential oil directly to painful joints.
Mindfulness entails getting into the present and breaking the negative thought cycle that has you ruminating on past mistakes or future fears. One way you can increase your ability to remain in the moment is by concentrating on your five senses — including scent. Some people successfully use lavender essential oil to quell panic attacks. Inhaling the aroma is enough to break the cascade of negative thoughts.
Best of all, you can use lavender essential oil without anyone knowing what you are doing. You can find small roll-on applicators that you can dab on your wrist or even right under your nose for an intoxicating hit of the relaxing scent. The benefits are so profound that scientists are now investigating a prescription made from the oil to treat depressive disorders. Anxiety can morph into depression, especially when you see no way out of your circumstances.
Like incense, essential oils do have a few drawbacks. Please consider the following before use.
Skin or eye irritation can happen from direct exposure to essential oils. However, some sensitive individuals also have problems with the diluted mist exuded by diffusers.
Researchers found a link between excessive use of lavender and unusual breast development in girls and boys. According to Kenneth S. Korach, Ph.D., the use of lavender oil can promote breast development in boys and girls younger than eight years of age. He stresses that this development warrants the need for further research on the potential health risks of essential oils, especially lavender, which is frequently used to combat migraine pain.
Please never leave your essential oils unattended around small children — they should never be taken internally. Contact your poison control center if you suspect ingestion.
Many essential oils are also highly toxic to pets. While some extracts aren’t as harmful as others, it’s best to keep them all away from your furry friends. Slight variations in formulations and carrier oils can lead your puppy or kitty to ingest something they otherwise wouldn’t, and exposure to the fumes can also cause upper respiratory distress.
Pets can also suffer exposure when essential oils get on their fur, which they then lick. These substances can burn if they get to the skin or make your baby sick. If you suspect accidental ingestion, please take them to the vet immediately.
It’s a snap to learn how to use incense or essential oils. Most incense consists of sticks, which you simply light, letting it burn to coals. The smoke it emits contains the fragrance. However, you can also find alternative burners that may reduce the particulate content. Many of these use candles, which can also release volatile organic compounds into the air, so the degree of health benefit from using such a device remains unclear.
You can use essential oil scores of ways. The most popular is to diffuse them, adding a few drops to water and letting heat create steam that imbues your air with fragrance. You can find bubbling versions and plug-ins. Additionally, you can add a few drops of essential oil to a spray bottle to mist fragrance where you like it or add it to a carrier lotion or oil to apply to your skin. Ensure that the type you choose is safe for topical applications, and never take essential oils internally.
The winner of the incense vs. essential oil battle boils down to which one is best for your needs. You might use both for different purposes or stick to one for bolstering your health and making your home smell divine.
Originally published February 2, 2022. Updated December 23, 2024
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