Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Uses & Benefits

Hang onto your seats, ladies, Ylang Ylang just may make your dreams come true! This amazingly beneficial essential oil just may enable you to purge those nasty chemicals from your beauty cabinet once and for all while boosting your libido in the process. Rich in aroma and versatility, its benefits for women’s health and hormone balancing abound.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Pronounced EE-lang EE-lang, Cananga odorata is most commonly known as the Ylang Ylang tree though it is known by other names. In its native Madagascar, it is known as “the perfume tree” and can be translated as “flower of flowers” in the Philippine language of Tagalog. Regardless of what it may be called, the Ylang Ylang tree offers the appearance and aura of femininity. The smooth, slim bark combined with drooping branches and dangling, yellow flowers provides a vision of tranquility and calming. It’s no wonder that it has been used for centuries in various ceremonies, especially weddings.

Despite any changes in climate, the plant remains covered in star-shaped blooms year-round. The blooms are harvested and the oil is extracted and captured via steam distillation. The tree’s sweet, tropical scent of Ylang Ylang has been used as a perfume in East Africa long before its addition to the legendary scent of Coco Chanel’s “Chanel No.5” in 1921.

DIY PERFUME

Chanel No. 5 may be idyllic, but you can create your own personal fragrance to work within your own body chemistry with a bit of Ylang Ylang and some of my other personal favorites. Whether you have the doTERRA blends or not, you can try these recipes for a new sexy scent any time of year (or night!):

RELAXING DIFFUSER RITUALS

Too easily we are caught up in taking care of our families and are slaves to the time clock. We ask for more hours in a day while at the same time wishing for each day to end so we can relax.

Diffusing Ylang Ylang not only adds sophistication to the aroma of your home but also helps your body to unwind from the tension of the day and release excess stress. You are guaranteed to look at the world with more positivity after diffusing this mood-lifting and calming essential oil.

Need a quick pick-me-up? Add a drop of Lemon or Grapefruit essential oil with Ylang Ylang to your diffuser for a calming and uplifting blend. Citrus, Vetiver, Bergamot, and Hawaiian Sandalwood are great complements to Ylang Ylang and each contributes to a unique effect. The best way to find out which blend is best for you and your needs is to try them all!

In the meantime, here is my go-to Ylang Ylang blend to get me through the day.

WHOLE SHE-BANG

Using Ylang Ylang as a perfume with a quick drop dabbed on your pulse points will immediately enhance your mood and provide you with sustained emotions throughout the day.

But if you’re looking for a simple way to amp up your beauty game, then Ylang Ylang! The primary constituents of Ylang Ylang promote and increase the health and appearance of your skin and hair without a barrage of harmful chemicals. Its nourishing properties balances both complexion and your mane while protecting it from future harm.

And let’s be honest, if your hair looks good, then the rest of us feels good, right?

Create your own DIY hair conditioner, body lotion, or body spray with Ylang Ylang for an all-day rich, feminine olfactory sensation. Don’t just walk into a room, sashay your way.

Give yourself a deep complexion treatment with an aromatherapy steam facial using Ylang Ylang. Just heat up a bowl of hot water and add a few drops of Ylang Ylang. Close your eyes and tip your head towards the bowl, allowing the steam to penetrate and nourish your skin. Breathe deeply to extract the calming and peaceful benefits as well. Dab your face dry with a microfiber cloth afterward.

Add few drops to an Epsom salt bath at the end of the week to relieve stress and relax tightened muscles.

Tense muscles love this essential oil because of its relaxing effect, so mix a few drops with fractionated coconut oil for natural massaging oil.

As a known aphrodisiac, your Ylang Ylang mixture may create a pleasantly healthy massage experience with your significant other to get you both of your libidos in the mood. With its relaxing nature and slight warming effect on the skin, it may be the perfect addition to your sexy-back routine.

Embrace the woman that you are with the powerful, calming benefits of Ylang Ylang essential oil.

Insert recipe

NATURAL SOLUTIONS

In addition to the aromatherapy and fragrance benefits, Ylang Ylang maintained its place as an enhancement to sedatives and can potentially be used as a sedative on its own. Some other studies have found it to be effective in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range while increasing blood circulation, though that may be the result of its natural calming effect on the body overall.

Some have found Ylang Ylang to be effective as a spot treatment for skin conditions and acne relief, as well as a complexion booster when added to your favorite skincare products.

Research in this area is limited, but it is confirmed that a primary chemical component of Ylang Ylang essential oil is Germecrene. Germacrenes are constituents produced in many plant species for antibacterial properties.

INTERNAL SUPPORT

Ylang Ylang can also be used as a natural supplement when your body craves an antioxidant boost and can support heart health in the process. Dilute one drop on 4-8 oz. of water or herbal tea for metabolism boost. Be sure to discuss this option with a trusted healthcare provider before beginning to use it as a part of your routine. Only high-quality oils approved for ingestion should be taken internally.

OPTIMAL CONDITIONS

For the most powerful and potent Ylang Ylang essential oil, harvesters must capture the flowers at specific times. doTERRA partners with farmers who understand this need, and ensure that morning harvesting of the flowers takes place to procure only the highest-quality essential oil. The trees must grow for three to four years before they reach optimal harvesting time, which only happens during a December to March window. After harvesting of only the flowers with a red center, the blossoms must be distilled within a 24-hour window in a hydrodistillation process, which keeps workers busy around the clock using hand-fed fires.

The perfume industry may be happy with lesser distillations to get the specific fragrance that they desire, such as Ylang Ylang I, II, or III, but doTERRA only accepts the Ylang Ylang complete profile to ensure the purest constituent composition and no separation of the aromatic molecules.

Getting Started with Essential Oils? Let me help!