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7 Interesting facts about incense

Here are some interesting facts about incense:

  1. The earliest recorded use of incense was in China in about 2000 BC
  2. Incense mainly consists of ingredients such as bamboo stick, perfumes and a dried paste made from aromatic plants, wood and resins. Variations are present based on culture and geography.
  3. Frankincense, which is a tree resin is used for its medicinal purposes: insect repellant, cough remover, stomach soother and for its scent as incense. Pure frankincense is edible and may even have anti-cancer properties
  4. Ambergris is an aromatic wax-like flammable substance which originates in the intestines of sperm whales. It is used as a fixative for rare perfumes.
  5. Sandalwood, which is the most known of aromatic woods takes 14 years to mature. Cut sandalwood has been known to preserve its fragrance for decades.
  6. Incense sticks come in all shapes and sizes. A Guinness World Record for the world's largest incense stick ever made measures 15.71 m (51 ft 6.87 in) long and 1.02 m (3 ft 4.5 in).
  7. Citronella a popular fragrance used in incense is a natural insect repeller and can be used instead of insect or bug sprays.