Frequently Asked Questions

Most incense is a bamboo stick dipped in a charcoal coating and synthetic fragrance. You're burning the coating, and that's what causes harsh smoke and headaches.

Looshi sticks are hand rolled around a bamboo core from aromatic wood powders, wild raw honey, and natural oils by women artisans in Karnataka, India, led by Richa, a third generation incense maker.

About 45 minutes of clean, natural fragrance per stick.

Each single scent box contains 20 hand rolled sticks. That's around 15 hours of fragrance per box.

Honey has held incense together for centuries. Wild raw honey binds the fine wood powders, and its warm, sweet aroma rounds out the oils and spices.

Coconut activated charcoal is made from coconut husk, and it is clean and sustainable.

It is odorless and Non-toxic and does not contain chemical agents that can contaminate.

No synthetic fragrance, no chemical binders or adhesives, no charcoal coating and no dipping. A Looshi stick is a bamboo core, aromatic wood powders, wild raw honey, activated coconut charcoal and natural aromatic oils, hand rolled and cured for three weeks so the honey dries and the scent settles. Shop natural incense.

Aromatic wood powders give every stick its base, and natural aromatic oils carry the notes you smell, like the sandalwood and jasmine in Clarify. Wild raw honey binds it all around a bamboo core, and the sticks cure for three weeks so the honey dries and the scent settles.

Essential oils are aromatic oils extracted from plants, such as lavender or orange peel.

Natural fragrance oils are blends of natural scent ingredients. These can include essential oils, other plant extracts, and individual scent compounds separated from natural materials.

“Fragrance oil” does not automatically mean synthetic. It can be natural, synthetic, or a mixture of both. What matters is what goes into it.

At Looshi, we use only natural ingredients, including the oils that give our incense its scent.

Yes. The natural aromatic oils we use are carefully selected, and nothing in our sticks is synthetic: no synthetic fragrance, no chemical binders and no charcoal coating.

Nothing in a Looshi stick is synthetic: no synthetic fragrance, no chemical binders and no charcoal coating, the coating that makes most incense smoke harsh. It is still incense, so it makes smoke. Burn it in a room with a window open, one stick at a time, and keep lit sticks and ash out of reach of children and pets.

Yes, in a well ventilated space. Looshi sticks burn clean with no charcoal coating. Keep lit sticks and ash out of reach of children and pets.

Yes. Burn incense in a room with a window open so fresh air moves through and the smoke does not build up. Avoid rooms with no window and small closed spaces.

Moving air also carries the scent more evenly through the room, and leaving the window open for a while after the stick goes out clears what is left.

Yes. A holder keeps the stick upright and catches the ash as it falls. Set it on a heatproof surface, such as a ceramic tile, a stone shelf or a metal tray, with plenty of space above and around it, away from curtains, paper and anything else that can catch.

A corner of the room works well. See our incense holders.

No. Never leave a lit stick on its own, and check on it now and then while it burns. If you have children or pets, put the holder up high, out of their reach.

In a small or medium room, one stick is plenty. In a room with two or more open windows and a steady breeze, two works well. To switch scents, let the first one clear from the room before you light the next.

Let the stick burn all the way down and the ash cool completely before you touch it. The holder keeps the ash in one place, so tip the cooled ash into the trash and wipe the holder clean. Never handle ash from a stick that might still be smoldering.

It can be. Any smoke, even from natural ingredients, can bother people with asthma, allergies or other breathing conditions. Our sticks are hand rolled from aromatic wood powders, wild raw honey and natural oils with no charcoal coating, the coating that makes most incense smoke harsh.

If you or anyone at home is sensitive to smoke or strong scents, open an extra window, burn one stick at a time, and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

Our sticks are hand rolled from natural ingredients with no synthetic coating. Still, animals are more sensitive to smoke and scent than we are.

Burn in a well ventilated room your pet can leave freely, keep sticks and ash out of reach, and avoid burning around birds, whose respiratory systems are especially delicate.

If your pet shows any sign of irritation, stop use and move them to fresh air. For pets with respiratory sensitivities, check with your veterinarian first.

No. Please do not ingest.

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

We recommend Calm and Clarify. Light Calm, and the room turns into a warm, lantern-lit riad. Light Clarify, and the room smells of sandalwood, brightened by jasmine.

Yes. The Discovery Set lets you pick four scents to sample at home before choosing your favorite full size box.

If you don't love your Looshi experience, we'll make it right with a different aroma or a full refund within 30 days of purchase. We stand behind every stick we make.

Complete the Return Request Form on our refund policy page and share a few details about your experience. We'll take it from there.