Smudging With White Sage & Palo Santo: Benefits & When To Use Each

Smudging has been used for centuries to create sacred space, clear stagnant energy, and restore balance to our homes and selves.

White Sage and Palo Santo are both powerful tools for energy cleansing - each with its own beautiful energy and purpose. In this post, we’ll explore their benefits, differences, and the best times to use them in your spiritual practice.

White Sage Smudge Sticks

White Sage (Salvia apiana) has long been used in Native American and Indigenous cultures for spiritual purification. Its cleansing smoke is believed to purify body, mind and spirit - clearing negative energy, emotions, or thoughts from a space or aura.

How to Use White Sage

• Light the smudge stick over a candle or flame.
• Blow out the flame gently to allow the leaves to smoulder.
• Fan the smoke into each corner of your home or around your body with the intention of cleansing and protection.

Hold your smudging as a sacred ritual - infused with pure intention and spiritual connection.

🔥 To extinguish: Place the lit end in a fireproof container with sand or allow it to go out naturally. Never leave burning sage unattended.

Benefits of White Sage

1. Energy Clearing – Cleanse stagnant or heavy energy.
2. Spiritual Clarity – Support intuition and connection to your higher self.
3. Stress Relief – Its aroma may help calm the nervous system.
4. Emotional Balance – A powerful tool after conflict or heavy emotional energy.

Best Times to Use White Sage

• Before or after spiritual rituals, energy healing or meditation
• After illness, conflict, or heavy emotional events
• When moving into a new home or workspace
• When your energy feels off-balance or “heavy”

Palo Santo

Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) is a sacred tree native to South America. Traditionally used by shamans and healers, its sweet, grounding smoke is known for both cleansing and uplifting properties.

Ethically harvested Palo Santo comes only from trees that have fallen naturally and rested for 4–10 years to develop their spiritual potency.

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How to Use Palo Santo

• Light the stick and let it burn for 30–60 seconds.
• Blow out the flame and allow the stick to smoulder.
• Waft smoke around yourself or your space to cleanse and raise the vibration.

🔥 To extinguish: Place in a fireproof bowl. As long as you're not blowing on it, it should go out on its own. Reuse as needed.

Benefits of Palo Santo

1. Energy Clearing – Removes stagnant or negative energy
2. Raises Vibration – Invites in joy, peace, and optimism
3. Focus & Creativity – Enhances mental clarity and inspiration
4. Energetic Protection – Grounds your energy while shielding it
5. Healing Support – Traditionally used for minor physical ailments

Best Times to Use Palo Santo

• After a tough day or heavy social interactions
• When you feel “off,” low, or scattered
• Before creative work, meditation, or study
• To bring positivity into your space after cleansing
• After an energy healing session to seal in positive energy

🌕 Which One Should I Use?

White Sage is stronger and deeply cleansing - best when you need to clear heavy, stagnant energy.
Palo Santo is gentler, grounding, and uplifting - perfect when you want to shift energy and invite in positivity.

Many people love using White Sage to clear and Palo Santo to uplift and bless. Trust your intuition and let the scent, feel, and energy guide you.

💫 Working with smudging tools like White Sage and Palo Santo is a beautiful way to honour yourself and your space. When used with intention and respect, they can help you return to balance, presence, and peace.

With love,
Danielle xx
Founder of Inner Nurture, Intuitive Reiki Healer & Crystal Love

Ready to Cleanse & Protect Your Space?

Explore our curated Cleanse & Protect Kit, featuring both White Sage and Palo Santo, along with intuitively chosen crystal tumbles for grounding, clarity, and energetic protection.

→ Shop the full smudging collection
→ Learn more in our Rituals & Guidance blog