Start from what the scent has to do
A formula brief that says make it smell nice gets a generic answer. A brief that says what the bead is for, who will wear it and what it should be compared with gets a useful one. Useful brief elements are the scent family (woody, sweet, resinous, floral, fruity), the intensity (close to the skin or noticeable at arm's length), the nearest existing reference, and anything to avoid, such as medicinal notes or strong spice. Also state the price position, the bead size and the target market, because each limits the choice of materials and documents.
It helps to bring a physical reference, ideally an incense bead or a stick, not a perfume. Perfume and incense are built differently, and a workshop will usually translate a perfume brief into something that smells different once dry.
Choosing the base
Most formulas are built around one main material and a few supporting ones. The main material decides the character, the cost level and the paperwork.
| Base | Character | Notes for development |
|---|---|---|
| Sandalwood | Creamy, milky wood, warm | Origin stated per lot; the easy first base |
| Agarwood | Resinous, deep, longer lasting | CITES documents per lot; share drives the quote |
| Fruit-and-wood | Sweet, rounded | Based on classical formulas such as the goose pear; fruit steaming adds process steps |
| Herbal and botanical | Lighter, drier, spicier | Strong herbs can dominate; small shares go far |
The binder is nearly always nanmu bark powder, often about a quarter of the powder weight, with honey and water as plasticizer. The binder is not a creative choice; it is a technical one, and its share is adjusted to the base so that the dough rolls and the bead dries without cracks. See the nanmu binder guide.
The development cycle
- Brief and shortlist. The desk picks one or two partner workshops whose existing work is closest to the target scent.
- First proposal. The workshop returns one to three candidate formulas as sheets with percentages, plus a short note on what each is meant to smell like.
- Test batches. Small batches are rolled, dried and aged. Allow for 15 to 25 days for a custom formula sample, including drying and aging, as a typical reference.
- Evaluation. The brand smells beads cold, warmed and worn, and compares them with the reference after a week.
- Adjustment. The workshop changes shares, preparation or accents. One variable at a time keeps the cause visible.
- Lock. The approved version is fixed on a final formula sheet with a retained reference strand.
Most programs take two rounds, and some take three. The wait is drying, so feedback must be specific. The sampling steps are covered in the sample process.
Giving feedback a workshop can use
- Say what is wrong in terms of the blend: too sweet, too dry, too flat, too sharp at the start, too faint after a day.
- Name the direction: more wood, less fruit, a deeper base, a longer finish.
- Do not ask for a different scent entirely; ask for a change of proportion.
- Judge after the same wait each time, since beads change as they age.
- Judge on the wrist, where the product will live, not only in the hand.
A short example of a feedback round, illustrative
Suppose an illustrative brand brings a sandalwood bead it likes and asks for something warmer with a little fruit. The first proposal offers two sheets: one that adds a small share of dried fruit powder and one that adds a steamed fruit element to the dough. After a week of aging the brand finds the first too dry and the second too sweet at the start but good after two days. The next brief asks for the second sheet with the fruit share reduced slightly and a touch more wood. Nothing in that exchange required technical vocabulary, yet it gave the workshop a clear direction, and the third round is the last. The same exchange vaguely phrased as make it better could have taken five rounds.
Notice also what the brand did not do: it did not change bead size, cord or box in the middle of the cycle. Keeping everything else constant while the scent is tuned makes it clear which change caused which result, and lets packaging proceed in parallel without redoing artwork.
Costs, minimums and timing
A custom formula normally carries a typical reference MOQ of about 500 pieces, with sample rounds included in the program, and a production lead time of about 40 to 60 days, with hand rolling and drying of 7 to 10 days as the bottleneck. These are typical reference ranges and are confirmed in writing for each program. Cost drivers are the grade and share of the main material, preparation steps such as steaming or roasting, and the number of sample rounds; see what drives incense bead prices. Plan the launch date backward from these numbers and add buffer for one failed round.
Documentation and ownership
A formula is valuable only if it can be repeated. Ask for a final formula sheet that lists each ingredient, its grade and origin, the percentage by weight, the preparation method and the binder share. Keep a copy, together with a sealed reference strand. Discuss ownership and confidentiality early: who may use the formula for other buyers, how the sheet is stored, and what happens if the program moves to another workshop. These points should be agreed in writing with the desk, and the buyer should not rely on a verbal understanding.
Compliance goes with the formula. Declare ingredients by name, confirm that no synthetic fragrance oil or industrial glue is used unless the brief says otherwise, and list the documents each lot will carry: CITES for agarwood, origin statements for sandalwood. Keep health language out of the formula name and the copy. A scent may be described as warm, calm or familiar to many users; it may not be described as treating anything.
Historic recipes
Many brands start from a historic recipe, such as the goose pear formula recorded in Chen Shi Xiang Pu. A modern workshop must interpret ingredients and weights from the old text and decide how to reproduce steps such as steaming. Ask which parts of a claimed historic formula were kept and which were adapted; the answer should be written on the sheet. Background is in ancient incense formulas and goose pear incense beads.
To begin, send the brief through the quote form. The desk shortlists partner workshops, plans the sample rounds and confirms the program terms in writing. Reference ranges are on MOQ and lead time.