HEM Hexagonal Incense - Palo Santo

• A warm, woody character from the first curl of smoke, rounded rather than sharp.
• A smooth, aromatic presence that stays in the background of a room instead of competing with it.
• A scent inspired by one of the most loved fragrances in spiritual and cleansing rituals, brought into everyday home life.
• A slim hexagonal box, golden-yellow with the name printed in deep brown and a pile of Palo Santo wood chips pictured below, easy to keep on a shelf or in a drawer by the mat.

Palo Santo means 'holy wood' in Spanish, and the box carries the Spanish name Madera Sagrada, 'sacred wood', beside it. The name points to the long ritual use of the wood in South America, where its sweet, balsamic smoke has traditionally been burned in ceremonies and rituals. This stick is a fragrance inspired by that wood, offered here as cultural context and as a pleasure for the senses.

These are incense sticks from HEM, made in India, a country with a deep tradition of rolled incense. Palo Santo is not an Indian scent by origin, so think of this as an Indian maker's interpretation of a much-loved wood fragrance. It is a scented stick, so expect a fragrance profile described by the maker as warm and woody, not a raw wood burned on its own.

Light the coated tip, let it flame for a few seconds, then blow it out so the tip glows and begins to smoke. Stand the plain end in a heat-resistant holder with an ash catcher beneath it. Incense sticks like these usually burn for somewhere in the region of thirty to sixty minutes, though it varies from product to product, so check the listing details for this one. Burn in a ventilated space, on a stable surface, and never leave it unattended.

Palo Santo suits the quieter parts of the day: meditation, yoga, journaling, relaxing at home, or simply marking the shift from working hours to evening. Because the scent is warm and woody without being heavy, it sits comfortably in a bedroom, a study or a living room.

One hexagonal box of HEM Palo Santo incense sticks. A holder or ash catcher is not shown in the photo, so you will need your own.

A good small present for anyone with a meditation corner, a yoga practice or a love of woody fragrances. Pair it with a simple ceramic or wooden holder for a gift that is ready to use.