Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Guide: 20+ Uses, Benefits, & FAQs

Ylang Ylang essential oil (cananga odorata) has a sweet, romantic aroma and moisturizing properties, making it a key ingredient in many luxury skin and hair products.

How Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Is Made

Ylang Ylang essential oil is made from steam distilling the early morning flowers of the annonacea trees and shrubs, native to Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The flowers are picked early in the morning to maximize the oil yield.

Ylang ylang originally lacked fragrance. Through selective reproduction and cloning, it's developed a distinct smell that is now commonly used in aromatherapy.

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Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Benefits

Ylang ylang essential oil has “been experimentally proven that C. odorata also possess antibiofilm, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antifertility, antimelanogenesis, insect-repellent, antihyperglycemic, sedative, and relaxing properties.” (scientific study source)

Scientific Studies Featuring Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Being a more popular oil, many scientific studies feature ylang ylang oil, also referred to as cananga odorata. Please keep in mind these studies do not indicate any specific brand being used.

A suitable for use as a green repellent for mosquito control, safe for humans, domestic animals, and the environment
Ylang Ylang essential oil positively impacts human attention and alertness
Found to have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties
Ylang ylang found to have relaxing, sedative aromatic response
Relaxed overactive bladder in this rat study
May reduce bacterial biofilm on surfaces
This study shows ylang ylang's mental calming effects
This study indicates ylang ylang may be a good depression and stress relief
Ylang ylang essential oil-induced neuropathic pain relief and ameliorated pain-associated anxiety, showing candidacy for neuropathic pain management.
Ylang Ylang odor exposure could reverse the anxiety behaviors
Ylang Ylang essential oil inhalation had immediate and continuous positive effects on blood pressure and stress reduction and may have relaxation effects for controlling hypertension.
Helps to enhance sleep quality in cardiac rehabilitation patients
May repel vespid (social) wasps

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Constituents

Ylang ylang contains several essential oil constituents that provide a variety of benefits

Sesquiterpenes (up to 55%): b-caryophyllene, germacrene, a-farnesene, humulene
Esters: benzyl acetate and benzyl benzoate, methyl salicylate and methyl benzoate, farnesyl acetate, geranyl acetate, lynalyl acetate
Alcohols: linalool and geraniol
Ethers: paracresyl methyl ether
Phenols” Methyl p-cresol, methyl chavicol, eugenol, isoeugenol
Oxides: caryophyllene oxide
Sesquiterpene Alcohols: farnesol

20 Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Uses

Historically, ylang ylang flowers were used to cover newlywed beds on their wedding night, skin treatments, insect bites, and in women's hair.

Ylang Ylang is often classified as a heart note because it emerges just as the top notes begin to dissipate.

Add it to your daily moisturizer,
Use a few drops in a steamy therapeutic bath,
Support your hair and scalp health using ylang ylang
Use it to make a homemade hair mask for a relaxing,
Create a luxuriously aromatic at-home spa day.
Enjoy a custom springtime fragrance at home or in your office
Create a bright summertime aroma at home or in your office
Uplifting aroma helps inspire a more positive, courageous mood
Supports your cardiovascular functioning (especially helpful with supporting your heart)
Assists your adrenal glands and hormones
Add to your favorite DIY focus essential oil blend
May help repel mosquitos
Nontoxic perfume, room, or linen spray to deodorize your home
Support your mind, living in the moment using ylang ylang oil
Diffuse or wear a few drops of ylang ylang in diffusing jewelry to inspire feelings of serenity and joy
Diffuse when you feel mentally fatigued or emotionally overwhelmed to regain your emotional peace
May help release anger and low self-esteem
Use ylang ylang oil with your eldercare needs
Create your own custom foaming hand soaps using ylang ylang oil
Stop menstrual cramps, naturally using ylang ylang essential oil
Add ylang ylang essential oil to your homemade romantic essential oil blends to set the mood and enhance your romantic relationship

I personally LOVE wearing diffuser necklaces and occasionally wear diffusing bracelets. You can find my favorite beautiful diffusing jewelry at Drops of Joy. Or check out our guide to diffusing jewelry.

Essential Oils That Compliment Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Ylang ylang essential oil blends well with:

Anise essential oil
Bergamot essential oil
Cardamom essential oil
Chamomile essential oil
Cumin essential oil
Geranium essential oil
Grapefruit essential oil
Lemon essential oil
Marjoram essential oil
Sandalwood essential oil
Vetiver essential oil

Our favorite DIY Diffuser Recipes with Ylang Ylang essential oil

Sweetheart: 5 drops ylang ylang, 4 drops bergamot, 2 drops lime
Cupid's Strike: 2 drops ylang ylang, 3 drops lime, 3 drops patchouli
By The Sea: 2 drops ylang ylang, 2 drops bergamot, 1 drop lemongrass
Mountain Summer: 1 drop ylang ylang, 2 drops lemon, 1 drop peppermint
A Step In Paradise: 2 drops ylang ylang, 3 drops Citrus Fresh

** PLEASE NOTE ** Don't be fooled by clever marketing. Not all essential oils are created equally. Make sure you're not wasting your money on fake or altered essential oils (even if they're labeled as “pure essential oil”). Don't miss our explosive report outlining the dirty little secrets of the essential oil industry to ensure you're not wasting your money on brands of oils that legally mislead you through deceitful marketing practices.

You can also turn these blends into a DIY roller bottle for topical use by adding them into a 15ml empty bottle and filling it the rest of the way with your favorite carrier oil.

A carrier oil can be any cold-pressed, seed-based oil (ideally organic and unrefined). This includes most cooking oil, like coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil. Personally, we LOVE using sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, and the V6 Carrier oil (made by Young Living). This is the best way to dilute your essential oils for topical use.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Is ylang ylang oil safe to use while pregnant?

Yes. Generally ylang ylang essential oil is considered safe to use while you're pregnant, and while breastfeeding.

If you're using oils while pregnant, I highly recommend this reference guide. It contains some great advice for using essential oils while pregnant, plus some DIY Recipes you'll love too.

Is Ylang Ylang oil safe to use on kids and babies?

Generally, yes, ylang ylang is safe to use on and around children over 6. However, I highly recommend only using lavender and frankincense on or around newborns.

While essential oils may be safe for kids to use, please do not have your child use an essential oil internally without being under the direct guidance of a naturopathic doctor.

Can you be allergic to ylang ylang essential oil?

There are a few reasons why you would experience an allergy-like reaction to essential oils. Usually, this is caused by not diluting the oil you're applying (or not diluting it enough). Please refer to our essential oils and allergies article for more in-depth information.

Is ylang ylang essential oil safe for dogs and cats?

Ylang ylang essential oil is safe to use with your dogs. It is NOT safe to use by itself around cats, but if it isn't the majority oil in a blend and is used cautiously, you should be ok… just make sure to allow your cat the ability to leave the room and seek refuge in a room where there isn't a diffuser running if he/she needs to.

If you’re using essential oils around your family pets, be sure to allow them to access out of the room and into a room where you’re not diffusing. This way they’re able to escape when they feel they’ve had enough.

Please also consider picking up a reference guide specific to using essential oils with animals. There are also reference guides specific to Young Living’s oils too.

Should you use ylang ylang oil if you're taking medication?

This is a very personal question, and really depend on which medications you're taking. I have an entire article dedicated to known medication contraindications that I highly recommend you check out… in addition to having a lengthy conversation with your local aromatherapist or pharmacist.

How often should you use ylang ylang essential oil?

This is also a personal question. This depends on what you're using it for and how experienced you are using it. For beginners, I recommend only diffusing for 30 minutes at a time, then giving your body an hour break. If you diffuse too much, you could end up light headed. Personally, I have a diffuser running most of the day intermittently (using the intermittent setting on our diffuser). Or I'll wear a piece of diffusing jewelry with 3 drops of oil on it throughout the day (those 3 drops usually last a few days). Check out our article about diffusing essential oils safely for more info.

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Where to find Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Don't be fooled into purchasing substandard, fake, or counterfeit essential oils using clever marketing and loose labeling laws. Be sure you know about the 10 Dirty Little Secrets of the essential oil industry so you can make the best choice for your needs for in-depth information about why quality matters, how not to be fooled, and what to look for

Warning: DO NOT purchase your oils through Amazon, eBay, Walmart, or similar websites with 3rd party sellers! Many of those oils are counterfeit and may cause health ailments, skin reactions, headaches, and a lot of misery. Most reputable essential oil brands do not allow their oils to be purchased there, so when you do find them (even if the seller appears to be legitimate), they're often fake.

If you're ready to start your essential oil journey, this is our favorite place to purchase from because of their transparency and dedication to doing what is right for their customers, and not compromising on their integrity to provide industry-setting quality standards throughout all their products.

We LOVE their farm-to-table approach to growing, distilling, bottling, and delivering your oils right to your door!

See More Posts Featuring Ylang Ylang

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Nicole

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