Ask the Perfumer 5/5/2013 – A Great Find: Recyclable Liners for Incense Warmer + a giveaway
Originally posted May 5, 2013
I’ll be here until 10 PM tonight, USA ET to answer your perfumery questions, but first I want to share a great find to use with the very popular Golden Lotus Incense Warmer featured on this blog last week. Katlyn Breene of Mermade Magikal Arts, the importer of the Golden Lotuses, supplies foil liners, and they’re great, I’ve been using them for years with her other warmer. Then I saw something on eBay that I instantly realized was a great alternative. They’re inexpensive and recyclable metal ‘candy’ or ‘muffin’ liners.
Wouldn’t you know it, the eBay shipment didn’t arrive until the day after my blog about the incense warmers, so I’ve had a week to check them out, and they are fabulous! They fit the heating element of the Golden Lotus warmer perfectly, and after the incense or resin is cooled, the spent material can be popped out (if it has hardened, like a melted resin) or merely tapped out, and you can reuse the liners! Leave a comment and you’ll be in the random drawing for some lovely Hojary frankincense tears for your incense warmer *and* two dozen of the liners to get you started with this handy, recyclable product. You’ll have until Tuesday May 7th at 11:59 PM to leave a comment. You will be notified here and also by private email from me. If you do not claim your prize by Thursday, May 9th at 11:50 PM, another winner will be chosen.
Of course, you comment can be a perfumery comment or an incense warmer/ reusable liner comment. USA residents only are eligible for the giveaway.
Use these in the Golden Lotus Incense warmer. They’re reusable and very convenient. http://www.ebay.com/itm/200pcs-MINI-Disposable-flower-style-Aluminum-foil-cupcake-Muffin-cups-/180748230392
Very resourceful Anya with the muffin tins.
I would appreciate some clarification today. I’m going through some aromatics that I’ve had for awhile but have not used. Armoise/Wormwood confuses me a bit. I have an Armoise-Mugwort (Artemisia alba) from Turkey and an Armoise-Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) from Morocco. How do the species differ? I also had thought for a long time that Armoise and Wormwood (Artemisia scoparia) were pretty much the same thing but of course they aren’t. However they do have the same Genus and It makes me wonder if all that’s different between the two Armoise (s) is the Species name then shouldn’t the Wormwood be pretty close too. And throw on top of that that I have a Davana (Artemisia pallens) which I know is very different then I get really confused with similarities and differences of Genus’ and Species. Dear Anya, could you please shed a bit of light on this subject. Thanks so much.
Suzy
What a great idea! Way to be green and add beauty at the same time! I love reading your blogs for ideas and new gift ideas. I appreciate the dedication and artistry you put into your craft!
I already have some of those liners for muffin baking and never thought of that use for them. I will be having a lot of honeysuckle and was wondering what I could do with it. I was thinking of enfleurage. Thanks for another giveaway.
Hi Suzy:
Thanks for stopping by! Let’s sort this out.
Well, first of all, please realize the genus Artemisia is huge, and many of the plants are very closely related. There are big differences in the ones you mention, though, and they’re important.
” I have an Armoise-Mugwort (Artemisia alba) from Turkey and an Armoise-Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) from Morocco. ”
I’ve grown the A. vulgaris, that is the common mugwort. Perhaps the folks in Turkey took a shortcut and meant to say A. vulgaris. var alba. That is the only answer I can come up with.
“How do the species differ? I also had thought for a long time that Armoise and Wormwood (Artemisia scoparia) were pretty much the same thing but of course they aren’t. ”
Armoise = mugwort = A. vulgaris
Wormwood = wormwood = A. absinthium
not close by a country mile. the names and uses and scents are not interchangeable.
Species can differ in a zillion different ways: scent, growth habit, chemotypes, etc. True wormwood is A. absinthium, not A. scoparia. Never heard of scoparia, but it may be a new classification, I haven’t updated my botanical nomenclature Hortus Third. Just googled – scoparia is red-stemmed wormwood, who knows what the chmotypes are? Not me.
“However they do have the same Genus and It makes me wonder if all that’s different between the two Armoise (s) is the Species name then shouldn’t the Wormwood be pretty close too.”
No, not at all. A. absinthium, true wormwood, contains (the herb does, not the oil) a psychotropic element, scopalomine, known for getting folks really zonked when it was in the old school Absinthe (drink).
” And throw on top of that that I have a Davana (Artemisia pallens) which I know is very different then I get really confused with similarities and differences of Genus’ and Species. Dear Anya, could you please shed a bit of light on this subject. Thanks so much.”
I hope I helped you understand that all artemisias differ greatly. As far as davana is concerned, I truly dislike that oils. I have several wormwoods (from different countries), a mugwort, and I like them. Davana smells like vomit to me. Every sample I’ve ever tried, I should add. So, sample a lot of artemisias from different countries, and double-check on the labeling of them, it can get confusing.
HTH,
Anya
Anya, Wow. Thanks so much for the clarification. Certaily helps. You have a great day. And no need to enter me in the draw sadly. I’m in Canada. But whoever wins the draw will be a lucky person for sure.
Regards,
Suzy
Thanks for the kind words, Staci. <3
Anya
Hi Annia:
Yes, honeysuckle will enfleurage beautifully. You can also tincture it. Let me know how it turns out!
xoxo,
Anya
As always Anya, thanks for your generous giveaways.
Frankincense is one of my many faves. I appreciate your willingness
to share. Thanks!
Susan
I love a frankincense from Oman I get locally here from an herbalist/aromatherapist, either putting it in a few different chords or just spraying away in some Everclear, but I have never had this special stuff in the solid form. From a bit of googling it looks like this is the “Hojari” (?) from Oman that is raved about in more than one place….delish! I will admit since I’ve been getting into incense I’ve really fallen for some of the plain old frankincense and (makko powder I’m sure) from Shoyeido…..it is so hypnotic, but is smokey of course so I’m wondering what just the tears puffing away into the room would be like….even better? We shall see, as I’m inspired to get some regardless of the outcome of the drawing after your postings!
Hi Anya, yaya! another giveaway 🙂
I’m gonna repeat the question I posted last week, because I don’t seem to have gotten an answer (maybe I posted it too late?)
I have a tincture of Cestilium Nocturnum from last season waiting in my fridge for the plants next blooms, there is a thick green substance at the bottom of the tincture. it looks to me like waxes from the flowers, is that what it is? ever happen to you? should I mix it in or seperate the tincture from it?
Thanks
Hemla
Yes, Hemla, please stick to the Sunday forum because that’s the day I set aside for answering questions. You should carefully pour off the top tincture and discard the layer on the bottom. You should do this with any tincture that forms two layers.
HTH,
Anya
Hi Anya,
Wow! Honeysuckle enfleurage-something I have thought of in the past, just to make a bit for myself. You have encouraged me to give it a try. Also maybe my clove pinks? Tincture of honeysuckle? That’s a new thought. Which would you chose, if just one?
The metal cups: I am a bit concerned about heavy metal vapors? I know that when I accidentally get a bit of aluminum foil from something in my wood stove, it turns to a silver and white ash, so I always try to avoid this.
I have for years, set resins I find while splitting wood for the above stove, or a sprig of incense cedar, some fir or spruce, rosemary, or some eucalyptus bark, on a cooler corner of the stove top, where it gently releases its fragrance. And then again, sometimes I put the branches in a pot of water, to avoid the occasional flare up. I kept a pot of eucalyptus going for several days, as I sheltered a small house very full of people, after one of our storms. It really helped as the days went by without hot tap water and we all got a bit funky, plus no one got sick.
Carol
Have researched the different incense burners and have arrived here at your site after just discovering there are electric incense burners. I am trying to meditate daily and believe incense will help me get to where I want to be.
I love the idea of the muffin tins and really think an electric incense warmer is probably the way to go for many reasons. Do you know if its left on (if I fall asleep) will it be a problem or will the unit burn out. Would be great if there was an auto off.
Hi Donna:
That might be a better question for Katlyn, she’ll know the specs of the warmer. If I were you, I’d buy a timer that you can plug into the outlet and then plug the warmer in. You’ll just need to set the time limit you desire. Let me add that I use the warmer “on” for about a half hour at a time, very low heat, and it fills the rooms with scent for hours. I don’t use it for hours, I keep my home lightly scented.
HTH,
Anya
Thanks for your response. Since I am new to this what incense or blend would you suggest – something to relax, purify, serene……