Which incense smells like a forest after rain?

Looshi Rewild is the incense that smells like a forest after rain: earthy and quiet, with a heart of deep vetiver like rich soil after rain, softened by clean musk and grounded by redwood. If you want incense that smells like rain the way wet earth and old trees do, not fresh and soapy, Rewild is the one. Rewild is artisanal incense from Looshi, rolled by hand with real ingredients, one of the brand's grounding scents from across the world.

What rain actually smells like

The smell of rain has a name, petrichor, which Snif, a fragrance brand, describes as the scent released when rain hits dry ground.

Snif says the earthy part comes from geosmin, a compound soil bacteria make when the soil gets wet, and that geosmin is behind the damp, earthy smell people know after a storm. Snif adds that raindrops landing on plants release oils into the air, which gives rain its fresh, green, mineral side. So rain carries two smells at once: damp earth from the ground and green freshness from the leaves. Which of the two you love decides which rain incense you'll like.

Why one rain incense smells fresh and another earthy

Whether a rain incense smells fresh or earthy comes down to which part of rain it's built around: the green freshness from the leaves or the damp earth from the ground.

Aroma Warehouse, an incense supplier, says some rain blends lean toward petrichor, the smell associated with rain meeting dry ground, while others feel more like monsoon foliage, clean linen or a rain-washed garden.

The fresh kind smells of wet leaves and clean linen, which is lovely if that's the rain you want. The earthy kind needs something that smells of soil, and Snif names the note perfumers often reach for: grassy, rooty vetiver, used to recreate the earthy side of petrichor.

A rain incense built around vetiver is the one that smells like wet ground. That's why Rewild, with a heart of vetiver, smells of the earthy rain.

Rewild, a forest after rain

Light a stick of Rewild and the room becomes a forest after rain, because its three notes, vetiver, musk and redwood, come together as one earthy scent.

Rewild's page calls it the forest in three notes and, together, one scent: deep vetiver like rich soil after rain, softened by clean musk and grounded by ancient redwood. Because the vetiver is wrapped in soft musk and old wood, the room smells of damp woods, earthy and quiet, rather than a smoke shop.

Rewild also comes in The Forest Edit, a day in the forest in three scents, where Rewild is the scent for the rain-soaked woods beside Vivacity and Calm. To see how it compares with the others, the guide to choosing a scent walks through each one.

What it's like lit

Lit, Rewild is like standing in a deep forest just after rain: wet earth, old redwood and a green hush, the outside finally in the room with you.

A verified customer put it this way: "It really does transport me to a sodden forest..."

If you want incense that smells like rain on a slow afternoon, with tea and the window cracked, Rewild gives you the forest side of it. Every Rewild stick is rolled by hand by women artisans in Karnataka, and the scent is in the paste it's rolled from, never a dip, with no synthetic fragrance.

See the notes, the box and how the sticks are made on the Rewild page.

Frequently asked questions

What does the smell of rain smell like?

Rain smells damp and earthy with a fresh, green edge. Snif, a fragrance brand, calls the smell petrichor and traces the earthy part to geosmin, a compound soil bacteria produce when the ground gets wet, and the fresh part to oils that plants release when raindrops land on them.

How do you mimic the smell of rain?

Perfumers mimic rain with a blend of notes. Snif, a fragrance brand, says grassy, rooty vetiver is often used for the earthy side of petrichor, moss for damp greenery, geranium for clean freshness and bergamot for lift and airiness. For incense that smells like wet ground, look for vetiver.

Is Rewild smoky or strong?

Rewild isn't smoky or sharp: its page calls it earthy and quiet, with deep vetiver softened by clean musk and redwood. One verified customer called it "not overwhelming or smokey," and another "Nuanced and soft." It's still incense, so a lit stick does give off smoke.

How long does a stick of Rewild burn?

A stick of Rewild burns for about 45 minutes. Each box holds 20 hand rolled sticks, 8 inches long, around 15 hours of fragrance per box. Burn it in a corner of an open, well-ventilated room, secured in a holder, and let the scent come to you.

Where do I start if I've never burned incense?

Start with the Discovery Set: you choose four scents from eight and get two sticks of each, so you can light every one twice. Rewild is one of the eight, so you can try it beside three other scents. For more on choosing, see how to try incense.

Sources

• Snif
• Aroma Warehouse