Bushman's Candle-Powder

Bushman's Candle is the fallen bark from the desert succulent Sarcocaulon mossamedense, a member of the Geraniaceae family found in Namibia and Southern Angola. It grows mainly in coastal areas in grit with little water and lots of sun. When a part of the plant dies, the soft interior decomposes over time, leaving behind fragrant hollow sleeves of bark.

The bark is made of a waxy resinous material that endures the harsh desert climate for many years. The Himba traditionally use the bark to add a unique aroma to wild game smoked over the fire. The wax will ignite and stay lit much like a candle which gives this material its colloquial name.

The most common product made from Bushman's Candle is an extract made using alcohol. This extract/absolute contains the material's pure resin and aromatic compounds without the non-aromatic and wax compounds and can be used directly in perfumes and incense.

Bushman's Candle can also produce an oil extract by macerating the ground material in warm carrier oils. At a ratio of 1:1 oil to powder, this infuses the oil with the waxes and resins and thickens the oil creating a fragrant wax that feels quite luxurious on the skin. The oil extract can be used in oil-based perfumes, solid perfumes, soaps and candles. These extracts should be filtered at the end of the maceration process.

These can be added directly to incense blends to add its unique amber aroma, though, it is more common to make an alcohol tincture of the powdered bark which separates the aromatic resin from the waxy base before blending the tincture into one's incense blend.