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Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
The Flower of Flowers
Ylang ylang essential oil is a rich, sweet and creamy floral oil steam-distilled from the blossoms of the cananga tree, loved for its opulent scent in perfumery, evening blends and rinse-off hair rituals.
Botanical name: Cananga odorata (complete)
Aroma: Sweet, creamy, deeply floral with a fruity edge
Note: Middle (heart)
Main growing region: Comoros Islands
Typically extracted: Steam-distilled from the flowers, as a complete (unfractionated) oil
Blends well with: Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Sandalwood, Geranium and Lavender
Top 3 benefits:
- Opulent floral scent: a sweet, creamy aroma that fills a room from just a drop or two.
- Soft evening mood: many people find its warm, heady fragrance lovely for slowing down at the end of the day.
- Perfumery heart note: a classic floral that gives natural perfumes and body oils a rich, exotic depth.
Safety first: ylang ylang is strong and can cause headaches and skin sensitisation, so keep skin use to 0.8% or less, patch test first, avoid it in pregnancy, and keep it away from cats and dogs. Read the full safety information.
What Is Ylang Ylang Essential Oil?
Ylang ylang essential oil is steam-distilled from the drooping, yellow flowers of the cananga tree, Cananga odorata, a tropical tree in the custard apple family. The distillation is collected in stages, called fractions, and sold as extra, first, second, third or complete. This oil is ylang ylang complete, the full, unfractionated distillation, which carries the whole aroma from the bright opening to the soft, balsamic base.
Its scent is famously opulent: sweet, creamy and deeply floral, with a fruity, almost banana-like edge. The aroma comes from compounds such as linalool, benzyl acetate, geranyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene. It is generous to the point of dominating a blend, so it is usually used sparingly and tempered with citrus, wood or a drier floral.
Benefits and Traditional Uses
The science: ylang ylang is traditionally associated with relaxed, softly romantic evenings, and many people enjoy its warm, heady scent when winding down. Research into its effects is limited, and too much can cause headaches, so use only a little and enjoy it as a scent rather than a treatment for stress or tension.
How to use (the soft evening): diffuse 1 drop of ylang ylang with 3 drops of Bergamot for 30 minutes in a well-ventilated room, away from pets.
The science: ylang ylang has a long tradition in hair oils and body care blends for its rich floral fragrance. Evidence for benefits to hair or skin is limited, and it can sensitise some people, so it is best kept to rinse-off use and very light dilutions.
How to use (the hair ritual): mix 1 drop into 10ml of melted coconut or jojoba oil (about 0.5%), patch test first, then massage into the lengths of dry hair, leave for 20 minutes and shampoo out well. Avoid the scalp if you are prone to irritation.
The science: ylang ylang is a pillar of classical floral perfumery, and its creamy sweetness gives a natural scent real depth. It pairs best with brighter citrus or woody oils, which stop the sweetness from becoming overwhelming.
How to use (the linen mist): add 5 drops of ylang ylang and 5 drops of Sweet Orange to a 100ml glass spray bottle of distilled water with a tablespoon of witch hazel. Shake well and mist pillows and linen lightly, never directly onto skin.
How to Use Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
| Method | Instructions | VivaForte tip |
|---|---|---|
| Diffusion | 1 to 2 drops in an ultrasonic diffuser, in sessions of 30 minutes in a ventilated room. | Ylang ylang is strong and too much can cause a headache. Keep pets out of the room. |
| Inhalation | 1 drop on a tissue held nearby. | Keep it off your skin and away from children. |
| Topical | Maximum 0.8% dilution. Aim for about 0.5% (1 drop per 10ml of carrier oil, or 1.5 drops per 15ml). | Patch test first and avoid the face, eyes and broken skin. |
| Home and surfaces | 5 drops in 100ml of distilled water with a tablespoon of witch hazel (about 0.25%), as a linen mist. | Shake before each use and test a hidden patch of fabric first. |
| Blending | 1 drop added to a diffuser or perfume blend as a floral heart note. | Pair with bergamot, sweet orange or sandalwood. |
Ylang Ylang Safety Information
- Dilute and patch test. Published guidance (Tisserand and Young) sets a maximum of 0.8% on the skin, and ylang ylang has a moderate risk of skin sensitisation. For most uses, about 0.5% (1 drop per 10ml of carrier oil) is plenty. Patch test first, avoid sensitive, diseased or damaged skin, and stop using it if irritation occurs.
- External and aromatic use only. Do not swallow essential oils.
- Headache and nausea. Too much ylang ylang can cause headaches or nausea, especially when diffused strongly. Use only a little, ventilate the room, and stop if you feel unwell.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and health conditions. Ylang ylang is best avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Take care if you have low blood pressure, and speak to a healthcare professional before use if you have a medical condition or take medication.
- Children. Keep out of reach of children. Published guidance advises against use on children under 2, and it should not be used on or near the face of babies or young children.
- Pets. Ylang ylang oil is considered harmful to cats and dogs. Do not diffuse it where animals cannot leave the room, and do not apply it to or near them.
- Chemical profile. Rich in linalool, benzyl acetate, geranyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene; the exact balance varies by fraction.
For general guidance on dilution, patch testing and sun safety, read our Essential Oil Safety guide.
History and Heritage
The cananga tree is native to tropical Asia, including the Philippines and Indonesia, and its name is often said to come from a Tagalog word meaning something like “flower of flowers”, though the exact translation is debated. Today the oil is also produced in places such as the Comoros Islands and Madagascar.
Ylang ylang became a prized ingredient in perfumery, and it is often cited as one of the pillars of classical French floral fragrance. In the 19th century it was also used in fragrant hair oils, a tradition that survives in modern hair-care rituals and natural perfumery.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil FAQs
Is ylang ylang essential oil safe to use on the skin?
Only with great care. Published guidance gives a maximum of 0.8%, and about 0.5% (1 drop per 10ml of carrier oil) is plenty. Patch test first, avoid the face and broken skin, and stop if irritation occurs, as sensitisation is possible.
Is ylang ylang safe in pregnancy or around pets?
It is best avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Ylang ylang oil is also considered harmful to cats and dogs, so do not diffuse it where animals cannot leave, and never apply it to them.
Why does ylang ylang give me a headache?
Ylang ylang is very strong, and too much can cause headaches or nausea, especially when diffused at high strength. Use 1 or 2 drops, ventilate the room, and stop if you feel unwell.
What does ylang ylang smell like and what blends with it?
It smells sweet, creamy and deeply floral, with a fruity edge. It blends well with Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Sandalwood and Geranium.
What does ylang ylang complete mean?
Ylang ylang is distilled in stages, called fractions: extra, first, second and third. Complete is the whole, unfractionated distillation, which combines all of them and carries the full range of the aroma, from bright and fruity to soft and balsamic.
Continue Exploring
- Geranium: a rosy floral that pairs well with ylang ylang’s creaminess.
- Jasmine Absolute: another rich, heady floral for luxurious perfume blends.
- Bergamot: a bright citrus that lifts and balances ylang ylang’s sweetness.
- Essential Oil Safety: dilution, patch testing and sun safety explained.
- All Single Essential Oils: browse the full VivaForte botanical range.