Home Page > Essential Oil Profiles > Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

	Ylang Ylang

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, pronounced as Eee-lang Eee-lang, was one of the first essential oils that I ever purchased and worked with. I couldn't resist its intoxicating aroma.

Ylang Ylang Oil is a rather interesting essential oil as its distillation varies a bit from most other oils, and this can affect the composition and aroma of the oil.

Ylang Ylang Extra Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang Extra Oil is typically distilled for a short duration of time before the essential oil is collected. Ylang Ylang Extra is said to contain approximately 30 constituents, with a high proportion of esters, ethers and phenols.

Ylang Ylang I, II and III Essential Oils
After oil classified as Ylang Ylang Extra is collected, the distillation process then continues. After a period of time, the distillation process is stopped and the resulting oil is then again collected. That oil is then referred to as Ylang Ylang I. The process repeats, resulting in Ylang Ylang II and Ylang Ylang III. The duration between distillations and the details can vary between distillers. The distillations are generally referred to as fractions and are typically used within fragrancing and perfumery applications.

Ylang Ylang Complete Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang Complete is the essential oil obtained from a complete, uninterrupted distillation. There are instances when an oil labeled as Ylang Ylang Complete may really only contain a subset of the distillations. It may be prudent to check with your vendor to the exact distillation details of their Ylang Ylang Complete.

Within holistic aromatherapy, typically the Extra and the Complete oils are preferred. The other fractions are generally used within fragrancing and perfumery work.

Emotionally, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil is heralded for being helpful with stress and anxiety. It's also used in cases of depression or when trying to cope with anger. I use Ylang Ylang Oil in blends intended to focus upon happiness, gratitude and celebrating blessings. Ylang Ylang is also considered an aphrodisiac.

For Chakra work, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil is said to help balance the Sacral and Solar Plexus Chakras.

Topically, Ylang Ylang Oil has been praised for helping combat acne and oily skin. It may help with alopecia (hair loss).

Be careful when first using Ylang Ylang Essential Oil as it can cause headaches for some individuals, especially if diffused in high concentration.

Ylang Ylang Oil

Botanical Name: Cananga odorata var genuina Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled Color: Clear with a Yellow Tinge Consistency: Medium Perfumery Note: Middle/Base Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium - Strong

Aromatic Description: Fresh, floral, sweet, slightly fruity, fragrant yet delicate.

Possible Uses: Anxiety, depression, frigidity, hypertension, palpitations, stress. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 61-67.]

Constituents (Depends on the distillation): Linalol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Geranial, Benzyl Acetate, Geranyl Acetate, Eugenol, Methyl Chavicol, Pinene*Beta-Caryophyllene, Farnasene [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]

Safety Information: Possible sensitization. [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 211.]

Can cause headaches and nausea if used in excess. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 104.]

Important Note: The essential oil information provided within the Essential Oil Properties & Profiles area is intended for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information: Do not take any essential oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use essential oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using essential oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an essential oil that you've never used before. Instructions on conducting a skin patch test and more safety information can be found by visiting the Essential Oil Safety Information page. For very in-depth information on essential oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs. 

< Return to Essential Oil Profile Index

	Own Detailed Profiles on 160 Essential Oils The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless contains 160 detailed essential oil profiles complete with beautiful color photos.  Read a review of this book or purchase this book through Amazon.com. Also consider... Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals In addition to the eight main chapters contained within the book, Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals also includes over 65 detailed oil monographs (profiles) and over 30 appendices.  Read a review of this book or purchase this book through Amazon.com.