My point of view: In fact, whether there is smoke or not, it can achieve the function of warming meridians and dispelling cold and strengthening the body. So if you like the smell of moxa sticks, choose moxa sticks with cigarettes. If you think that moxa sticks are smoky, then choose moxa sticks without cigarettes, which depends more on personal preference.
Understand the following four points, and you will have an accurate judgment.
1, generation process
Production technology of smoked moxa sticks;
Simple formula: mugwort leaves → moxa wool → moxa sticks.
Generally speaking, fresh and full mugwort leaves produced by Yangshan (especially mugwort leaves produced in Qichun, Hubei Province) are collected before the Dragon Boat Festival every year, dried and mashed, and thick stems and silt are screened off, leaving yellowish clean and soft plant fiber-moxa, and then the mugwort is rolled into strips-moxa sticks. Because its shape is purely a physical change, it retains the characteristics of herbs, so there is smoke when burning, which is called smoked moxa sticks. However, the finer the fiber is, the smaller the smoke is, the thicker the stem is, and the bigger the smoke is. (How to choose high-quality moxa has been mentioned in the previous section)
Production technology of smokeless moxa sticks;
Simple formula: Folium Artemisiae Argyi → Folium Artemisiae Argyi → high temperature carbonization and crushing → charcoal powder → smokeless moxa stick.
To put it simply, compared with smoked moxa sticks, the process of smokeless moxa sticks has two more steps, that is, the step of turning moxa leaves into charcoal powder. Sealing and carbonizing the moxa sticks, processing into carbon powder, and pressing the carbonized carbon powder into moxa sticks. So there is little or no smoke when burning, so it is called smokeless moxa stick.
Step 2: Efficacy
It is used to warm meridians and dispel cold, and it is the same when you point moxa sticks and moxibustion.
If amenorrhea is treated, it is best to use smoked moxa sticks, and if bleeding symptoms are treated, it is best to use smokeless moxa sticks. Because charcoal can be made into smokeless moxa sticks, which can stop bleeding. Folium Artemisiae Argyi has obvious effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and charcoal can be used to stop bleeding in gynecology.
See pathology: Patients with asthma and rhinitis are generally sensitive to moxa smoke, so it is not appropriate to use smoked moxa sticks. In this case, using smokeless moxa sticks is the best choice.
It also depends on the place of use: for example, some acupoints near the face and nostrils, where smoking moxa sticks will stimulate respiratory organs such as the nose, and smokeless moxa sticks in these places will be much better than smoking moxa sticks.
3. Firepower
Smoked moxa sticks burn quickly and have moderate firepower. Smokeless moxa sticks burn for a long time, have strong firepower and are not easy to extinguish.
Step 4 smoke
Smoked moxa sticks will produce more smoke than smokeless moxa sticks. moxa smoke is also a kind of medicinal gas, which is non-toxic.
Smokeless moxa sticks are not really smokeless, but much less than those with cigarettes, so they are considered smokeless moxa sticks.