South Asian Damar Resin Incense
South Asian Damar Resin Incense
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South Asian Damar Resin Incense is bright, joyful and cleansing with fragrant sweet notes, highly prized for its esteemed fragrance. Damar is said to be particularly useful in overcoming sadness, depression and melancholy and has a light, airy sweet smell.
In fragrance Damar is very similar to the much more expensive Gum Mastic which is of Greek origin and is frequently used as a substitute for it.
Damar in Malay means resin or "torch made from resin". Damar unfurls a sweet, fresh and citrus like scent when burnt.
Damar is extruded from trees of the genus Shorea, a large semi-deciduous variety, which is an important source of hardwood timber as well. The trees are cultivated for their treasured incense which is also known as cat-eye resin in some regions. This natural aromatic incense when burnt fills the air, both indoors and outdoors with an intense lemony fragrance. Damar was originally used for lighting torches which is why it is considered the bringer of light- lifting spirits from gloom and despair.
- How to Burn Resins: Light the charcoal with matches or lighter for about 20 seconds until it self-ignites. Use tongs to hold it up (never hold it with your fingers alone or you might get burned). Place the lit charcoal in a bowl or any incense burner. The bowl or incense burner should be filled with sand or dirt. Let the charcoal warm for a few minutes. It turns gray around the edges when it is ready. Now you are ready! Add a small amount of resin on top of the charcoal. The resin will burn and soon release essential, aromatic oils through the smoke. Continue to place resins or powder on charcoal as they burn out and smoke decreases for a continuous burn.
Here's a great resource for olfactory sciences, history, etc.
https://artandolfaction.com/
