Direct answer: Incense ingredients fall into a few families — woods (sandalwood, agarwood), resins (frankincense, myrrh, benzoin), flowers (jasmine, rose, osmanthus, lotus), spices (clove, cassia), and binders (makko). Knowing the family tells you most of what you need to know about how a scent will behave.
Key facts: This glossary is a quick reference, not an exhaustive list. Each entry names the material, its source, and its general character. The full guides (linked) carry the depth.
Woods
| Ingredient | Source | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Sandalwood (檀香, tánxiāng) | Santalum heartwood | Creamy, sweet, soft-woody |
| Agarwood (沉香, chénxiāng) | Resin-impregnated Aquilaria wood | Deep, resinous, sweet |
| Cedar (雪松, xuěsōng) | Cedrus spp. (and often Juniperus virginiana “cedarwood”) | Dry, clean, woody |
Woods are the backbone: they burn slowly and carry the deep, stable base of a scent. Agarwood and sandalwood are the two great classical woods; cedar is a lighter, more common woody note, with a naming problem worth knowing — “cedarwood” in Western aromatics often means Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), not a true Cedrus.
Resins
| Ingredient | Source | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Frankincense (乳香, rǔxiāng) | Boswellia gum-resin | Fresh, citrus, balsamic |
| Myrrh (没药, mòyào) | Commiphora gum-resin | Bitter, balsamic, earthy |
| Benzoin (安息香, ānxīxiāng) | Styrax resin | Sweet, vanilla-like, warm |
| Pine resin (松香, sōngxiāng) | Pinus oleoresin (rosin) | Woody, balsamic |
| Sweetgum (枫香, fēngxiāng) | Liquidambar formosana | Sweet, balsamic |
Resins are dried tree exudates. They tend to be brighter and more balsamic than woods, and they often double as fixatives — helping the scent last and bind the blend. Frankincense is the fresh ritual resin; benzoin is the sweet fixative.
Flowers
| Ingredient | Source | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Jasmine (茉莉, mòlì) | Jasminum flowers | Rich, sweet, heady floral |
| Rose (玫瑰, méigui) | Rosa petals | Classic, sweet floral |
| Osmanthus (桂花, guìhuā) | Osmanthus fragrans | Sweet, fruity-apricot floral |
| Lotus (莲花, liánhuā) | Nelumbo flower | Fresh, subtle, aquatic-floral |
| Chrysanthemum (菊花, júhuā) | Chrysanthemum morifolium | Herbal, slightly bitter floral |
Flowers are the classic “accord” trap: in most modern incense, the floral scent is a fragrance accord rather than the raw flower, because the flower does not survive combustion well. When a label says “lotus” or “lavender,” check whether it means the flower or an accord.
Spices
| Ingredient | Source | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Clove (丁香, dīngxiāng) | Syzygium aromaticum buds | Warm, spicy, sweet |
| Cassia (桂皮, guìpí) | Cinnamomum cassia bark | Warm, sweet-spicy |
| Aged mandarin peel (陈皮, chénpí) | Citrus reticulata peel | Warm, sweet, earthy citrus |
Spices add warmth and lift; they are almost always blend components rather than solo scents.
Roots, Herbs, and Others
| Ingredient | Source | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Mugwort (艾草, àicǎo) | Artemisia herb | Herbal, green, slightly bitter |
| Angelica (白芷, báizhǐ) | Angelica dahurica root | Herbal, aromatic |
| Calamus (菖蒲, chāngpú) | Acorus calamus rhizome | Spicy, aromatic (safety caveat) |
| Patchouli (广藿香, guǎnghuòxiāng) | Pogostemon cablin leaf | Earthy, deep |
| Vetiver (岩兰草, yánláncǎo) | Chrysopogon zizanioides root | Deep, earthy, smoky |
| Borneol (龙脑, lóngnǎo) | Dryobalanops aromatica (natural d-borneol) | Camphoraceous, cool |
This is the catch-all family: roots, leaves, and aromatics that are neither woods nor resins. Many are workhorses in 合香 blends — herbal middle tones and cool, sharp accents. Note the calamus safety caveat: Acorus calamus contains β-asarone, and some varieties are restricted in food use, so calamus incense should be treated with the same ventilation caution as any aromatic.
Binders
| Ingredient | Source | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Makko (抹香, mǒxiāng) | Machilus thunbergii bark | Near-odorless combustible binder |
| Honey (蜂蜜, fēngmì) | — | Sweet binder in classical pills |
| Charcoal / bark powder (炭皮末) | — | Combustion aid |
Binders are functional: they hold the form and help it burn, without adding their own scent. Makko is the traditional wood-based binder; honey appears in classical pill recipes; a charcoal or bark-powder base is the mark of a cheap modern stick.
How to Read This Glossary
- Woods and resins are the classical backbone of Chinese incense — they burn (or heat) slowly and carry deep, persistent scent.
- Flowers are usually fragrance accords in modern incense rather than the raw flower (see the lotus and lavender guides).
- Spices add warmth and are usually blend components, not solo scents.
- Binders are functional — they hold the form and burn, without adding their own scent.
How Ingredients Behave When Burned
Each family behaves differently under heat, which is why blends exist:
- Woods burn slowly and carry the deep, persistent base — they are the “long” notes.
- Resins release bright, balsamic top-and-middle notes quickly and often act as fixatives.
- Flowers fade fast and are fragile under direct flame, which is why they are usually accords.
- Spices add a quick warm lift at the start and support the middle.
- Roots/herbs give earthy or herbal middle tones that ground the brighter materials.
- Binders add no scent of their own; they keep the form burning evenly.
This is the practical reason a good incense is rarely one ingredient: no single material covers the whole burn. A blend spreads the scent across the full duration, which is exactly the 合香 logic.
Ingredients in the Classical Manuals
The classical incense manuals (香谱, 香乘) name a working palette that overlaps heavily with this glossary: 沉香 (agarwood), 檀香 (sandalwood), 乳香 (frankincense), 龙脑 (borneol), 麝香 (musk), 丁香 (clove), 甘松 (spikenard), 零陵香 (tonka/mellilot), 甲香 (operculum), and honey as a binder. Two of these are worth flagging: 麝香 (musk) is animal-derived and largely restricted today, and 甲香 (operculum) is shellfish-derived and rarely used in modern reproductions. The manuals are recipes for a specific historical palette, not a checklist for the modern kitchen — see the recipe library and the manuals page.
Reading an Ingredient Label
A glossary only helps if the label lets you use it. Three questions cut through most ingredient ambiguity:
- Which species? “Sandalwood” can be Santalum album, another Santalum, or a synthetic; “cedarwood” can be true cedar or juniper.
- Material or accord? “Lotus” or “lavender” is often a fragrance accord, not the flower.
- Binder? A natural binder (makko) suggests a material-based stick; a charcoal base suggests a fragrance stick.
The family tells you the behavior; the label tells you whether you are getting the real material or a name. See the substitution cross-reference for the full version.
Names: Chinese, Pinyin, and Botanical
Each ingredient carries three names worth keeping straight: the Chinese term (沉香), its romanization (chénxiāng), and the scientific name (Aquilaria). The three are not interchangeable, and one Chinese word does not always map to one English word. 香 alone can mean fragrance, incense, or a fragrant material; 桂 can point at cassia or osmanthus depending on context. This glossary gives all three for each entry because they serve different purposes: the Chinese name is the tradition’s vocabulary, the pinyin is how it is pronounced, and the scientific name is the only part that unambiguously identifies the plant.
The terminology discipline matters because it is where buyers get misled. “Sandalwood,” “cedarwood,” and “lotus” are English common names that can each point at several different things. The scientific name is the anchor that common names lack — which is why the substitution cross-reference builds its whole argument on species names.
A Note on What Is Not Listed Here
This glossary is a core reference, not an exhaustive catalog. Several materials appear in the classical manuals but not in the tables above — 麝香 (musk), 甲香 (operculum), 苏合香 (storax), 零陵香 (tonka/mellilot) — because they are animal-derived, restricted, or uncommon in modern incense. Others, like spikenard (甘松) and cyperus (香附子), are specialist 合香 herbs that show up in specific recipes rather than everyday labels.
The full ingredient database, with one entity page per material, lives in the ingredients index. Treat this page as the map of the families, and the entity pages as the detail — the glossary tells you the behavior, the entity page tells you the material.
The Author’s Take
Position: The family framework — woods, resins, flowers, spices, binders — is the fastest way to become literate about ingredients.
Reasoning:
- The family predicts the behavior.
- Memorize two distinctions: wood versus resin (slow-deep vs fresh-balsamic) and flower-as-material versus flower-as-accord.
This is the author’s editorial view and experience — not a verified fact.
Verification Notes
- Botanical sources and Chinese names are standard identifications.
- “Flowers are usually accords in modern incense” is a market observation, not a measured fact.
- No health or medical claims are made.
FAQ
Q: What are the main families of incense ingredients?
Woods (sandalwood, agarwood, cedar), resins (frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, pine resin, sweetgum), flowers (jasmine, rose, osmanthus, lotus, chrysanthemum), spices (clove, cassia, aged mandarin peel), roots and herbs (mugwort, angelica, calamus, patchouli, vetiver, borneol), and binders (makko, honey). Each family behaves differently under heat: woods are the deep, slow base; resins are bright and balsamic; flowers are fragile and usually accords; spices add warm lift; roots and herbs give earthy or herbal middle tones; binders add no scent but hold the form. Knowing the family tells you most of what you need about a scent’s behavior.
Q: Are flowers real in incense?
Often not — many floral incense scents are fragrance accords, because the raw flower does not burn well and its delicate scent does not survive direct flame. So a “lotus” or “lavender” incense is usually a constructed floral impression rather than the actual flower. This is the same logic as perfume building a floral accord from non-floral materials. When a label names a flower, check whether it means the real flower or an accord — the distinction changes what you are actually smelling and buying. See the lotus guide.
Q: What is the difference between wood and resin incense?
Woods (sandalwood, agarwood) are the heartwood of trees; resins (frankincense, myrrh) are dried tree exudates. They behave differently: woods give a deep, persistent, slow-developing scent and form the base of a blend, while resins give fresh or balsamic brightness that arrives quickly and often doubles as a fixative. Wood is the body, resin is the lift. A material-based incense can be either, and many classical blends pair a wood chief with a resin assistant precisely to get the deep base and the bright top together.
Q: What is a binder in incense?
A functional ingredient — usually a combustible wood powder like makko (抹香, Machilus thunbergii bark) — that holds the formed incense together and helps it burn evenly, without adding its own scent. Honey serves a similar role in classical pill recipes, and a charcoal or bark-powder base is the binder of cheap modern sticks. The binder matters because it is a signal of what kind of stick you have: a natural wood binder suggests a material-based stick, while a charcoal base usually means a fragrance-oil stick. See makko & natural binders.
More Questions Answered
Q: What is the difference between benzoin and frankincense?
Both are resins but different plants: benzoin (Styrax) is sweet and vanilla-balsamic; frankincense (Boswellia) is fresh, citrus, and earthy. Benzoin is more of a sweet base and fixative — it anchors and rounds a blend — while frankincense is a bright ritual resin that opens at the top. They are not interchangeable: one sweetens and fixes, the other freshens and lifts. A blend can use both, benzoin for the sweet base and frankincense for the bright top, but their jobs in a formula are different.
Q: What is makko and why does it matter?
Makko (抹香) is the powdered bark of Machilus thunbergii, the traditional combustible binder. It holds incense together and burns cleanly with little odor of its own, which is the sign of a material-based stick. Why it matters: the binder is a quiet signal of what kind of incense you are buying. A natural makko binder suggests the stick is made from real wood and resin powder, while a charcoal base usually indicates a fragrance-oil stick. So checking the binder is a fast way to read a label honestly. See makko & natural binders.
Q: Why do some ingredients have Chinese names in this glossary?
Because the material tradition is Chinese, and the Chinese terms are the vocabulary the manuals and the trade actually use. Each entry gives the Chinese name, its pinyin, and the scientific name because they serve different purposes: the Chinese name is the tradition’s vocabulary, the pinyin is how it is pronounced, and the scientific name is the unambiguous botanical anchor. English common names alone are unreliable — “sandalwood” or “cedarwood” can point at several different things — so keeping all three names is how this glossary stays precise rather than just familiar. If you are comparing products, the scientific name is the part to carry across labels.
Q: What is spikenard (甘松) and is it common?
Spikenard (甘松, gānsōng) is an aromatic herb whose roots give a warm, earthy, slightly sweet-woody note, and it appears repeatedly in classical 合香 recipes from the 香谱 and 香乘 as a minister or assistant ingredient. It is common in the historical recipes but rare on modern retail labels, which is why it sits in the manuals rather than the everyday spice rack. If you encounter 甘松 in a recipe, treat it as a specialist 合香 herb: it rounds and grounds the woody base, and it is an example of how the classical palette reached well beyond the familiar woods and resins.
Q: Are clove and cassia interchangeable in incense?
They are both warm spices but distinct: clove is the dried flower bud (Syzygium aromaticum), cassia is bark (Cinnamomum cassia). Clove is sharper and more pungent, with a slightly numbing edge; cassia is warmer and sweeter. They are used differently in blends — clove for a sharp spicy lift, cassia for warm sweetness — so they are not interchangeable, even though both read as “warm spice.” In a 合香 formula they would occupy different roles and proportions, so substituting one for the other changes the balance of the whole blend rather than simply swapping one warm note for another.
Sources
- 本草纲目 — historical materia-medica record for aromatic materials (traditional, not clinical). Full text on Wikisource.
- 周嘉胄《香乘》(Ming) — the classical ingredient palette. Full text on Wikisource.
- 洪芻《香谱》(Song) — the canonical manual. Full text on Wikisource.
- Flora of China (efloras.org) — botanical identity for the named species.
- Research synthesis: docs/research/ (R-001 / R-002 / R-003).
Related Resources
Natural next step: step back to the full scent guide to see how these ingredients map to atmospheres, or see how they are combined in how incense is made.