The Hem Corporation has incense factories in Bangalore, Mumbai and Bhiwandi; it was founded in 1975, and is one of the largest incense companies in the world, with over 100 different incense products which are exported to over 50 countries around the world. Their website
hemincense, where they have their mission statement to "strive to deliver genuine handcrafted Indian Incense across the world." They also have a Facebook page at
HEMIncense.
They make cones and sticks in traditional single scents - mainly in their "Precious" range, such as Amber, Chandan, Jasmine, Musk and Patchouli, and flower and fruit scents, such as Coconut, they also create blends, such as Frankincense and Myrrh, and their own scents, such as The Moon. The cones tend to come in boxes of ten with a tin disc on which to stand the cones, while the sticks tend to come in 20g hexagonal packs which hold approximately 20 sticks. HEM incense products are mid-priced - the cones are available for around £1.75, and the sticks for around £1.25. No individual HEM scent has a particular reputation or popularity. People just seem to buy them because they are available, and then they recognise the brand.
While the company claim "handcrafted", and the sticks are handrolled, the scent is applied as a chemical/liquid perfume to the basic charcoal paste, in contrast to the masala blends which are made from a paste consisting of mostly natural ingredients and essential oils. Applying a mainly synthetic scent to a charcoal stick is known as perfume-dipped in the West and simply as
perfumed in the East. HEM aromas and the blends can be interesting and attractive, as with the Frankincense-Myrrh, but the HEM brands tend to have a signature note of damp rose-scented talcum powder that catches in the throat. It may be due to an ingredient they use, or it may be that the ingredients are not fresh, or are of poor quality, or it may the effect of the chemical scent, whatever it is, I don't find it attractive. However, I find I like the Frankincense-Myrrrh, and the Cherry Vanilla, so I will keep an open mind.
HEM do tend to divide opinion. They are a popular company, and many people like HEM because the incense is bright, simple, and straightforward; but others dislike them because the scents are not natural, and can be a bit brash as well as simple. There are better quality incenses available, even among the perfumed incense, but HEM succeed because they are readily available and are very cheap. I am not a fan of HEM, but I don't dislike them. The incense is cheap, decently made (you always get the scent of the perfume), and can sometimes surprise with a delightful scent, such as their
Frankincense-Myrrh, which I rate higher than their masala incense. HEM is the sort of casual incense that we use around the house to brighten up the place, or cover up stale or bad smells. We don't generally use HEM to sit and enjoy the scents, though sometimes a HEM scent just hits the spot; and, like drinking a straightforward pale lager can be palate cleansing and refreshing after sampling a range of imperial stouts, so it can be diverting to burn a HEM after a period of burning some complex
masala incense.
There is
a TV advert for the "Precious" brand on YouTube.
* = Review over five years old
The reviews
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Feb 2023 - Score: 38↑ |
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Oct 2023 - Score: 36↑↓ |
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Sept 2023 - Score: 23 |
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Feb 2024 - Score: 20= |
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March 2013 - Score: 09*
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Scents rated: 42
Highest score: 40
Lowest score: 8
Average top five: 38
Average score: 27
Overall: 32
Conclusion: Not my favourite incense maker by any means; they are inconsistent, and can make some vile chemical based "floral" scents, but at their best they can produce some cheap and attractive synthetic scents suitable for everyday burning. I am inclined against them, but will succumb to cheap deals, and I'm sometimes surprised by how much I enjoy some scents. They also make masala, which is becoming more available in the West as Indian incense houses note the success of Satya and Goloka.
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