There are many kinds of incense, such as powders made from the barks, leaves, and roots of sandalwood and cloves, those such as frankincense and benzoin that are made from fragrant resins, or those which are made from animals such as musks and ambergris; and normally, incense is divided into koboku (meiko) and neriko (awasego) (pastille).
種類も多く、白檀、丁香などのように樹木の皮、葉、根などの粉末や、乳香、安息香など、芳香のある樹脂や麝香、竜涎香など動物性のものがあり、ふつう香木（明香）と練香（煉香、合香）とに分けられる。