Examine the color of the powder incense. Chemical incense is often very colorful, while incense made from natural ingredients typically bears a brownish hue.
2. After burning the incense powder, smell the incense ashes. The aroma of the ashes should match the scent of the incense itself.
3.  Take a whiff of the incense before lighting it. Artificial incense tends to have a strong smell, whereas natural incense like incense agarwood exhibits a more subtle fragrance.