When burning incense outdoors, make sure that you keep the burner away from leaves, sticks, and other flammable materials.
Burning incense can release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and nitrogen oxide into the air, all of which can make you sick with prolonged or repeated exposure. Keeping the windows open will also allow some of these air pollutants to escape the room, leaving you with the pleasant aroma and less harmful gases and particles.
Because additional research is needed, there aren’t any specific guidelines as to how often you can safely use incense. Therefore, try to limit your use as much as possible given any religious or ceremonial needs.
This is particularly important in enclosed spaces, where the air pollutants released by incense will be more concentrated.
You can also extinguish larger incense sticks and cones before the burn all the way down by sticking them in water or sand. [10] X Research source
Most retailers that sell higher quality incense include a list of the ingredients on the package.
Both electric and charcoal burners are available at a number of different price points, so you’ll likely be able to find an affordable electric option in place of a charcoal burner.