Smudging is the burning of sage and other plant medicines in ceremony, and it has become a popular home ritual. This guide covers where the practice comes from, what the research says about the smoke, and where white sage comes from.
We sell a white sage, palo santo and crystal kit, so read this with that in mind. Where the evidence is thin, or where our own product page says more than the sources support, this guide says so. For the air-quality side of burning things indoors, see our guide on whether incense is bad for you.
Smudging is a ceremony practised by many, not all, First Nations, using medicines such as sage, cedar and sweetgrass. Provincial guidelines say it is voluntary and led by someone who understands it.
A 2007 study found burning wood and herbs cut airborne bacteria over 94% in a closed room within an hour. It was not sage alone, and cannot test energy claims.
Manitoba's school guidelines say smudging does not typically pose a health risk but advise ventilation and small amounts of sage. Health Canada lists incense smoke as a fine-particle source; we found no sage-specific study.
White sage is not listed as endangered, but poaching is documented, including 400 pounds seized by police in 2018. The California Native Plant Society's magazine urges buying only from reputable growers or native plant nurseries.
What Is Smudging?
Smudging is a ceremony practised by many First Nations, in which one or more plant medicines are burned and the smoke is used for cleansing and preparation. It is a cultural and spiritual practice first, not a home-fragrance trend.
- The medicines: The University of Waterloo describes smudging as a cultural tradition common to many, though not all, First Nations. It names four sacred medicines, tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass, and says the most common ones in a smudge are sweetgrass, sage and cedar.
- Legal standing: The same page notes that Ontario's Smoke-Free Act permits smudging by First Nations and Métis persons for traditional cultural or spiritual purposes.
- Who leads it: Manitoba's smudging guidelines for schools say that, according to First Nations practice, a smudge is led by a person who understands what it is and why it is done, such as an Elder or cultural teacher.
Is It Okay for Non-Indigenous People to Smudge?
The sources we read do not give one answer, and we are not the right voice to settle it. They do agree that the practice has an owner and a context, and that learning both comes before buying a bundle.
- A strong view: A writer in High Country News, Taylar Stagner, who is Shoshone and Arapaho, calls burning white sage an accepted form of cultural appropriation. She quotes Tongva illustrator Weshoyot Alvitre, who says medicinal plants are not to be sold, whether the seller is Native or not.
- A pragmatic view: In the same article, Chumash and Yaqui author Rose Ramirez says "we are well past the point of not selling it," and argues for certification, education and outreach.
- Our reading: If you are not Indigenous, consider learning from Indigenous teachers before using the word smudging for what you do at home. Burning herbs for their scent is not the same thing as the ceremony.
Does Burning Sage Clean the Air?
One study found that burning a herb-and-wood mixture sharply cut airborne bacteria in a closed room, but it did not test sage alone. We found no study that tested a sage bundle on air.
- The study: A 2007 paper, "Medicinal smoke reduces airborne bacteria", burned wood plus a mixture of herbs used in Indian ceremony for one hour. Airborne bacterial counts fell by over 94% by 60 minutes, and the room stayed cleaner for up to 24 hours.
- Why it is not a verdict on sage: The mixture was not sage alone, the room was closed, and the study counted bacteria only. It did not measure the smoke particles you breathe in.
- Energy: Clearing negative energy is a spiritual belief. We found no study that measures it, and nothing in this guide argues against the meaning the ritual has for you.
Is Smudge Smoke Bad for Your Lungs?
Provincial guidelines say smudging does not typically pose a health risk, but they advise steps for people with asthma. We found no study that measured the particles from a burning sage bundle, so we cannot say how much is too much.
- The guidelines: Manitoba's school guidelines advise smudging in well-ventilated areas, using small amounts of sage, and making fans and air cleaners available, to accommodate people with severe asthma or respiratory issues.
- Fine particles: Health Canada lists smoke from burning candles and incense, especially when the flame is put out, among indoor sources of fine particulate matter, and advises reducing their use. It does not name sage bundles.
- Our reading: Smoke is smoke indoors. Use a little, open a window, and skip it if anyone in the room has asthma or a breathing condition.
Featured in this guide
White Sage, Palo Santo & Crystal Kit
A kit with a white sage bundle, a palo santo stick and a crystal stone. Full details are on the product page.
Shop now → ✓ 30-day money-back guarantee · Free shipping over $75Is White Sage Endangered?
White sage is not listed as endangered, but wild stands are under pressure from habitat loss and poaching. A conservation group has listed it as threatened.
- Status: High Country News reports that California white sage, Salvia apiana, is not listed as endangered, and that United Plant Savers has put it on its list of threatened species. Over-harvesting has kept it from growing in the tall, thick bushes it once did.
- Poaching: The same article reports that in 2018 the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department confiscated 400 pounds of illegally harvested white sage, and quotes a plant conservationist saying there are no commercial permits for selling it.
- The trade: A piece by United Plant Savers' Susan Leopold in the California Native Plant Society's magazine, Flora, describes large-scale theft even in protected areas and urges buyers to purchase white sage only from reputable growers, regenerative farms and native plant nurseries, and to boycott wild-gathered sage.
Where Should White Sage Come From?
Ideally from a grower you can name, a cultivated source, or an Indigenous supplier. A label such as "responsibly sourced" tells you little without a named source.
- The warning: In High Country News, writer Deborah Small says that if a seller says the sage was gathered responsibly, "I don't think that means much anymore" without knowing the source and practices behind it.
- What to ask: Ask the seller who grew or gathered the sage, whether it is cultivated or wild, and where. If they cannot say, treat that as your answer.
- Other plants: Palo santo, which is a different plant, is not covered by the sources we read, so we make no sourcing claim about it here.
What Does Our Own Sage Kit Page Claim?
Our kit page describes the sage as responsibly harvested and the palo santo as ethically sourced, and says the bundle helps clear stagnant energy. We do not publish supplier or harvest records on the page, and the energy claim is a belief the sources above do not test.
We are reviewing that wording. Until the page names a source, treat our sourcing description as the seller's statement, not as evidence, and apply the questions above to us too.
How Can You Burn Herbs More Safely at Home?
Use a small amount, open a window, and keep the bundle in a heatproof dish. The ventilation and small-amount advice comes from Manitoba's guidelines; the fire-safety steps are ordinary household sense, not from a study.
- Learn the practice first. If you plan to call it smudging, read from Indigenous sources such as the university and provincial pages linked above.
- Use a small amount. Manitoba's guidelines advise small amounts of sage in each smudge.
- Ventilate the room. Open a window or run a fan, as the guidelines suggest.
- Use a heatproof dish and stay in the room. Never leave a lit bundle unattended, and keep it away from curtains and paper.
- Put it out fully. Press it into the dish until the smoke stops, away from your face.
- Skip it if anyone is sensitive. Do not burn it around people with asthma or breathing conditions.
When Should You Talk to a Doctor About Smoke?
Talk to a doctor if burning herbs or incense leaves you coughing, wheezing or short of breath, or if you have asthma, COPD or a heart condition. This guide is information, not medical advice.
Stop using it if symptoms appear, and ventilate the room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is smudging?
Smudging is a ceremony practised by many First Nations in which plant medicines such as sage, cedar or sweetgrass are burned. Provincial guidelines say it is voluntary and led by someone who understands it.
Does burning sage kill bacteria?
One 2007 study found a burned mixture of wood and herbs cut airborne bacteria by over 94% in a closed room. It was not sage alone, so it does not prove a sage bundle does the same.
Is smudging safe for people with asthma?
Manitoba's guidelines say smudging does not typically pose a health risk but advise ventilation, small amounts of sage and fans or air cleaners for people with severe asthma. Anyone with a breathing condition should ask a doctor.
Is white sage endangered?
It is not listed as endangered, but United Plant Savers lists it as threatened, and poaching is documented. Police seized 400 pounds of illegally harvested white sage in 2018.
Where should white sage come from?
The California Native Plant Society's magazine urges buying only from reputable growers, regenerative farms and native plant nurseries, and avoiding wild-gathered sage. Ask any seller to name the source.
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