u/SpiritualBrilliant22

I have a lot to say. Good and bad.

• Kunjudo Coffee Garden
• Keigado Kanpo Jiyo-koh
• Shoyeido Enmei
• Baikundo Takumi Blended Yuzen
• Koukando Kaori no Kioku Coffee
• Koukando Kaori no Kioku Chocolate
• Keigado Mangetsu (Full Moon)
• Okuno Seimeido Ginsen Kunsui
• Kida Jinseido Kyara Kunkoh
• Daihatsu Taganohana
• Kunjudo Karin Kifune

About two years ago, I made a fairly large batch of neriko, almost a kilo of it. The recipe was pretty experimental: local pine bark (from a very aromatic species around here), ground rose petals, honey, and a few other ingredients that, embarrassingly, I no longer fully remember.

The weird thing is… I absolutely love the smell.

The problem? I barely use it.

If you know neriko, you probably understand. Heating it over charcoal in a burner can be beautiful, but sometimes the whole ritual feels like “do I really want to set up an entire incense ceremony right now?” and a simple stick suddenly sounds very appealing.

So after two years of occasionally opening the container just to smell it like some kind of fragrance goblin, I finally had an idea, what if I turned my neriko into incense sticks?!

I basically treated the nerikoh like a resin. In terms of how it behaves during burning, it honestly acts surprisingly close to one. I blended it with a bit of agarwood, elm bark powder as the binder, and added a few aromatic materials to gently push the profile in the direction I wanted: copaiba balsam, clove and a fairly dominant amount of anise. I discovered it somehow amplifies the natural sweetness of the blend instead of overpowering it.

After about an hour of mixing and rolling and one day of drying (it's summer time :) ), I ended up with 200+ incense sticks carrying the scent profile of my favorite neriko.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a recent project I’ve been working on. I love the classic aroma of Satya Nag Champa, but like many of you, I sometimes find the original sticks a bit too overwhelming and smoky for smaller spaces. So, I decided to experiment and give it a Japanese-style makeover.

My goal was to capture that iconic scent profile but soften it into something more balanced, elegant, and refined. Here’s a quick breakdown of my process:

I took the original Nag Champa, ground it down into a fine powder, and blended it with a neutral wood base powder (pine wood) to dial down the intensity and smoke.

After mixing the dough, I used a manual extruder machine to press out clean, uniform sticks.

I laid them out on a mesh screen to dry evenly. Once they were ready, I bundled them up and stored them in a sealed container to let the aroma marry and stay fresh.

The Result: It turned out exactly how I hoped! The sticks are thinner and shorter than the original, yielding a much cleaner burn. You still get that beautiful, nostalgic Nag Champa vibe, but it doesn't overpower the room or leave a heavy layer of smoke. It feels way more balanced and gentle.

Has anyone else tried reclaiming or modifying commercial incense like this? Would love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions about the process!