Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (Complete): Uses, Benefits, and Blends
Scientific Name: Cananga Odorata
Origin: Madagascar
Plant Part: Flowers
Scent: Sweet and Heady
Color: Very slightly yellow
Consistency: Medium-thin
Perfumery Note: Middle
Initial Aroma Strength: Strongly sweet
Extraction Method: Fractional distillation
Suitable Blending Oils: Flowers, fruits, spices, resins and woods. Ylang-ylang is gorgeous with rosy floral fragrances like Rose and Geranium and although it's a grass, Palmarosa. Lemony fragrances work beautifully with Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil, so Lemongrass, Melissa and all those delicious fresh smells. Herbs like Lavender and Chamomile are gorgeous. Patchouli is stunning. My favorites, though, are woods like Cedarwood and Sandalwood and resins like deep Myrrh and rich Galbanum.
What is Ylang Ylang (Complete)?
We’ll get to the specifics of what ylang-ylang essential oil is and what it can do in a moment.
The name “Ylang ylang complete” refers to a version of how the oil has been produced. Ylang-ylang essential oil is produced via a process called fractional distillation. This means the steam distillation is stopped several times throughout the process and fractions of the oil are taken off. Distillation moves oily molecules out of the plant via evaporation. But these so-called “volatiles” move at different rates, with the smallest ones leaving first and those with larger and heavier structures taking longer to get lifted out. So, the chemistry of the oil produced after one hour is different from that of three hours later. As such, these different chemical formulae will also smell and act differently. So the producer makes and sells several fractions, but then also takes a little of each and blends them back together to form “a complete.”
Ylang Ylang Extra vs Ylang Ylang Complete
Just as an overview. The first distillation is not very nice, so all that is achieved in the first hour is discarded. The fraction that is created in the next hour is called the “Extra”. This is the finest, and it is a collection of mainly alcohols and esters. The extra is hugely expensive and mostly sold to household name perfumery houses.
Then we have Ylang Ylang I. This is stopped somewhere between one to three hours and it is determined entirely by the skill and judgment of the distiller. All the way through they are watching the consistency of the oil. When to stop is determined by the specific gravity of the oil, which is the weight of the oil when compared to water. Each distiller has their own opinion of when that should be, and so they have huge amounts of control over the beauty of the oil.
This extraction, Ylang Ylang 1 is thought to be the best from an aromatherapy point of view, for many reasons, but mainly because it is when the levels of linalool are the highest. Linalool is proven to be excellent as an anti-anxiety, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory agent. Likewise, beta-caryophyllene often flourishes in this extraction, which has strong anti-pain, anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting abilities.
The distillation is then stopped again at 3 hours and then at 6 hours and these fractions are sold for things like soapmaking, candle making, etc where the quality of the oil does not need to be quite so good.
As stated, the producer will then bring together all of the parts, so there is a nice selection of all the available chemicals to create the “complete” or “the totale” as it is sometimes called.
Ylang Ylang Complete Essential Oil
Ylang-ylang essential oil (complete) is probably the one that smells most like the ylang-ylang flower. The fact that the sesquiterpenes have been added back in makes it feel heavier, fuller, and richer. This is, perhaps, the most sultry and enigmatic version.
Also Read: Best 8 Ways To Use Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Breaking Down Ylang Ylang Complete Essential Oil’s Chemical Components
It’s interesting to see how that plays out in comparisons between the two...
Perhaps more than most essential oils, the chemistry of each vat of ylang-ylang differs, so it makes sense to check the most current GCMS to ensure the constituents haven't changed too much from the last time you bought it. Because of that, I’ve used sample details from Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young rather than our own batches which will inevitably change over time. However, you can find links to the current documents just beneath the picture of our bottle of oil.
Ylang-Ylang Complete
- Germacrene D: 28.2%
- Benzyl benzoate: 9.1%
- (E, E)-α-Farnesene: 8.6%
- Benzyl acetate: 7.9%
- Linalool: 7.4%
- β-Caryophyllene: 7.1%
- Geranyl acetate: 3.7%
Tisserand, Robert; Young, Rodney. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals (p. 1867). Elsevier Health Sciences. Kindle Edition.
Ylang Ylang I
- Linalool: 11.7–30.0%
- Benzyl benzoate: 4.3–14.9%
- Germacrene D: 0.1–13.5%
- β-Caryophyllene: 1.1–11.2%
Tisserand, Robert; Young, Rodney. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals (p. 1868). Elsevier Health Sciences. Kindle Edition.
Germacrene Is The Main Constituent In Ylang Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil
Germacrene is predominantly an insect signaling molecule that the plant uses to attract pollinators. Potentially, this may be the secret to the aphrodisiac nature of the plant. It is fascinating to contemplate how the plant interacts with the outside world. Essential oils are, after all, bottled versions of these plant-pollinator conversations. You may have already pondered the marvel that plants can make chemicals to attract those they want and to deter more harmful ones. This is achieved by preferential odor receptors. Several species of moths have been identified as having preferential odor receptors for germacrene. That the plant specifically targets visitors that might visit at night is interesting, because ylang-ylang essential oil’s effects are drowsy, slow, and a bit dopey…just what you need to go to sleep. It’s almost as if the island sends the humans to snoozy ville!
Germacrene is also proven to have an anti-androgen property, which may be helpful for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, or who are suffering from hirsutism (Srivflai, 2016). Compare the levels of germacrene between Ylang Ylang Complete and Ylang Ylang I. While common parlance is to say YYI would be the better alternative for “therapy”, we do need to ask ourselves “what kind of therapy” as Ylang Ylang complete would perhaps be a better suggestion for PCOS due to the higher levels of germacrene.
Ylang Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil is Also Rich in Benzyl Benzoate
Doctors use Benzyl benzoate to treat lice and scabies infestations. (King, 1940) The lice and mites seem to absorb it to destroy their nervous system. It can be helpful for rosacea, because there is often a tiny mite, Demodex densities, underlying it. Demodex densities are vulnerable to benzyl benzoate. (Forton, 2022) It is also a powerful antifungal agent.
Farnesene in Ylang Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil
Farnesene has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and calming and sedative effects.
The Beauty of Benzyl Acetate in Ylang-Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil
Benzyl acetate is richly available in many flowers beloved by the perfumery industry, like jasmine, hyacinth, and gardenia. It lends a rich fruity over-ripe signature to the fragrance. Perfumers describe it as having peachy, pear-y, banana-y, apple-y notes.
Historical Uses of Ylang-Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil
Ylang-ylang is a majestic tree native to the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, particularly to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It produces custard apples which are quite like mangoes. Their flesh is like custard, they are not very sweet and flavorsome but are important food for the birds of the islands. Birds tend to spread their seeds and drop them into the sea where they are up on beaches and terminate. Consequently, many natural ylang-ylang trees grow along the shore. That said, almost all ylang-ylang essential oil comes from cultivated trees.
It is a very fast-growing tree, increasing by around 5 m (16 ft) every year. In an ideal climate it can attain an average height of 12 m (39 ft) It has evergreen leaves which are glossy, pointed, and long and can reach about 8ins. The flower looks rather like big yellow starbursts with six long cascading petals.
Traditionally, these are made to make leis for visitors to the island and are strewn onto bridal beds.
I thought you might enjoy this video that Christian Dior made about ylang-ylang essential oil as one of their most important ingredients. You don’t often see pictures of the flowers and being Madagascar there are lemurs and chameleons, and who in their right mind wouldn't want to see a lemur?
The Legend of Ylang Ylang
The locals tell a story of how a beautiful little girl was born in the Philippines and was chosen by the gods. They commanded that no one should touch this exquisite being and named her “ylang” Everyone loved her and gazed at her beauty. No one was immune to her charms. By and by a young man could contain himself no more. He had to woo her. He decided to create her a bouquet of incomparable beauty and searched for days to find the right flowers, and when he was happy it was good enough, he went to visit ylang.
She was astonished to see such beautiful blossoms and reached out in excitement to take them from her hand, and as she did, there was the tiniest brush of skin. It was enough for the magic to happen and she instantly transformed into the most glorious yellow-flowered tree.
Ever since, they say, the man has been searching, calling her name out into the wind ylang…ylang, in the vain hope that one day he will be able to look upon her beauteous face again.
There is some disagreement about what her name means. In Talog, alang means flowers, translating Flower of Flowers. However, another explanation might be that ylang means wilderness, which may be a description of the habitat ylang ylang grows in or how it climbs around untamed.
Understanding the Theme of Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil
Everything about ylang-ylang essential oil is about balance and harmony, which immediately makes us think about marital bliss so we can see how its traditional uses may have come about.
Ylang ylang balances combinations in the skin.
It supports healthy hormonal balance and is an important essential oil for hormones.
It is a sedative, an antidepressant, and an antianxiety agent.
The erotic “Flower of Flowers” is harmonizing, calming, and pleasure-building...
It’s got sass and strutt. If it were personified, ylang-ylang essential oil would be a belly dancer, mysterious, seductive, but always in control.
Ylang-ylang essential oil is beguiling, captivating, and releasing.
Also Read: Reasons To Love Ylang Ylang
How to Use Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Hormonal Balance
Aromatherapists use ylang-ylang essential oil for PMT and menopause, for male sexual dysfunction, and for hormonal skin breakouts.
As stated, this would be the best extraction to use for PCOS because of the higher levels of germacrene in ylang-ylang essential oil (Complete).
High Blood Pressure
Perhaps ylang-ylang essential oil’s greatest skill is reducing blood pressure.
It reduces both systolic and diastolic pressures. (Jung, 2013)
Best used for an hour a day in an aroma pendant, however, you could also add a drop or two to rollerball massage oil or your bath.
Note that ylang-ylang essential oil can be a bit fickle. One minute it can smell lovely then as quick as you like, you feel nauseous and get a headache. So do not try to use it for more than an hour at a time.
It works great to alternate ylang-ylang essential oil with clary sage essential oil for blood pressure.
Slows heartbeat, Palpitations, and Overly Rapid Breathing
Yang ylang is wonderful for anxiety, specifically, if someone has had a fright.
It directly affects all the outward symptoms you would see. It slows heartbeat (Jung, 2013) and breathing and calms palpitations.
Inhalation is a great tool here if someone is hyperventilating or struggling to catch their breath.
Pain
Rodent trials demonstrate that ylang-ylang essential oil improves the neuropathic pain threshold. (Borginetti, 2022)
Both linalool and beta-caryophyllene have strong anti-inflammatory and anti-pain properties (Phuong, 2021) (Scandiffio, 2020). However, bear in mind that if you want to use ylang-ylang essential oil for pain, you would be better off choosing ylang-ylang I than Ylang-ylang Complete, because the levels of these two constituents will be higher in that extraction.
Balances the Skin
Ylang-ylang is brilliant for balancing combination skins with a greasy T-Zone.
This is quite a difficult skin type to treat because oils for dry skin will only make it worse.
It hydrates the dryness at the same time as tackling oiliness.
Remember too, at the beginning I said that this ylang ylang (Complete) will be the best extraction to use for rosacea.
It is one of the greatest kept secrets in natural skincare, and I have no idea why.
This video talks about the physical effects of ylang-ylang essential oil.
Calming and Relaxing
Ylang-ylang reduces alertness and brings about a sense of calm (Moss, 2008) When compared to peppermint, peppermint improved memory whereas ylang-ylang impaired it, (Moss, 2008) showing that the parts of the brain that concentrate had switched off.
Aphrodisiac
Ylang-ylang is romantic, narcotic, and euphoric. It likes you to take things slow! It’s deep, harmonious, and delicious. Don’t forget how you kind of forget everything that is going on around you.
I love candles made with ylang-ylang exclusively for dinners.
What is ylang-ylang essential oil good for?
This video is more about how to use ylang-ylang essential oil for the mind, emotions, and spirit. There is also a lovely section on how to blend it and use it safely.
Safety Issues with Ylang Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil
Moderate risk of skin sensitization.
Tisserand and Young suggest a maximum dilution of 0.8% and avoid use on very young children.
Because of its hormonal action, avoid using it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.
DIY Recipes for Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (Complete)
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Aromapendant for High Blood Pressure
- 1 drop Ylang Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil (Cananga Odorata)
OR
- 1 drop Clary Sage Essential Oil (Salvia Sclarea)
Wear for an hour a day. Ylang-ylang can be very nauseating, so swap and change them about and do not wear them for more than a day.
Safety: Not suitable for use during the first 37 weeks of pregnancy. (This applies to both oils.)
Ylang-Ylang Moisturizer for Rosacea
- 2 fl oz Aqueous Cream (Available from pharmacies, over the counter)
- 1 drop Rose Absolute Oil (Rosa Damascena)
- 2 drops Ylang Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil (Cananga Odorata)
- 3 drops German Chamomile Essential Oil (Chamomilla Matricaria)
Method of Use: Use morning and evening after cleansing and toning.
Safety: Not suitable for use in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Recipe for PCOS
- 2 fl oz Rosehip Carrier Oil (Rosa Rugosa)
- 4 drops Jasmine Absolute Oil (Jasminum Grandiflorum)
- 4 drops Ylang Ylang (Complete) Essential Oil (Cananga Odorata)
- 10 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil (Pelargonium Odorata Var Roseum)
Method of Use: Apply three times daily over the abdomen.
Safety: Not suitable for use in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Why Choose VINEVIDA
At VINEVIDA, we love botanicals and the planet they come from. We believe in stocking the best at affordable prices and supplying to the discerning, which is why we are also members of both the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy. In recognition of our excellent standard of product, we are proud to hold a 2021 Certificate of Registration as a Cosmetic Products Establishment with the U.S. Drugs and Food Administration.
Our joy at seeing people make beautiful things means we stock from the smallest amounts to the largest. Our bulk essential oils’ prices begin with our smallest essential oil of 10ml to our largest of 396lb, meaning any manufacturing company can afford to stock as many or as few oils as their business can accommodate without running the risk of spoilage of some of nature’s most precious commodities. So why not see if you can save money by buying your Ylang-ylang essential oil in bulk? Remember how stable it is proven to be, so as long as you store it carefully, it should last and last.
Don’t forget too, we like to look after our customers with reasonable prices and excellent customer service and reward the loyal ones with money-off discounts over the year.
Conclusion
A quintessentially feminine oil, it’s romantic, dreamy, and seductive. Ylang-ylang essential oil balances hormones and moods and is beautiful for helping you to feel rested. For the most part ylang ylang (Complete) will have the same properties as Ylang ylang I, but will not be as good for pain, but better for treating rosacea and Polycystic Ovarian.
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