Ispalla – Palo Santo & Lavender CALM / RELAX
I got these incense sticks directly from Ispalla Incense out of Peru, you can find the backstory in this article.
My review explicitly refers to this new version, in a new packaging design. I can’t say how they differ from the old ones.
The new version with the revised recipe has now found its way onto the German market; Indiaroma sells it for €3.10.
Palo Santo & Lavender CALM is the name of the stick version of this fragrance. The burning time is approx. 50 minutes.
Ingredients: Bamboo sticks, palo santo powder, palo santo resin, lavender powder, pure lavender essential oil, distilled water.
The dough of these incense sticks is the only one of all varieties that is obviously dyed. It has the same subtle, purple tone as the “tablet” version, the picture of which you can find below. It definitely doesn’t come from ground lavender, which is green to gray in powder form.
In terms of smell, I don’t find much difference to the brand’s pure Palo Santo sticks. The lavender may add a slightly tart note. You can smell it, but it’s not as noticeable a variation as with the other scents.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a big fan of lavender. In most cases, I don’t care about it, and that’s the case here too. I don’t find it unpleasant, and it seems to go well with the palo santo.
RELAX is the name of the incense log version of Palo Santo & Lavender. Ispalla call them “tablets”. It is a form of incense that can be found mostly from a few brands in America. They are usually thick, cylindrical or angular pressed pieces made from coarsely ground wood. They are essentially used like incense cones, which is why I put them in the same category.
Even in RELAX, I didn’t find the lavender particularly dominant or characteristic. However, I did notice a bitter note, which probably comes at least in part from the palo santo itself, but seems to be enhanced by the lavender. However, RELAX does not contribute to my relaxation. Lavender lovers might differ.