What Does Ylang-Ylang Smell Like?
Ylang-Ylang is an exotic plant from tropical Asia, which is known to us for its surprisingly bright and rich aroma, bringing peace, uplifting and possessing the properties of an aphrodisiac. We will tell you about the flower itself, its essential oil, useful properties and applications in aromatherapy, cosmetics and perfumes.
Where Does Ylang-Ylang Grow?
This evergreen tree with delicate yellow flowers grows not only in the Philippines. You may find it in Burma and the Indonesian islands. The plant is cultivated throughout the Asian tropics, in Madagascar, Comoros and Reunion Island.
Ylang-ylang flowers bloom almost all year round. Faded flowers are replaced by dark green fruits, which darken as they ripen. Essential oil is collected in early summer at dawn, when ylang-ylang flowers contain the most essential substances.
How Does Ylang-Ylang Smell?
With the smell of ylang-ylang, you will be transported to a honeymoon on tropical islands. This is the most romantic fragrance and the most powerful erotic product that gives a slight euphoria and emancipation.
This aroma enhances feminine appeal and charm. With it, you can light a fire of passion and melt any ice. However, first check how it is carried by the partner, and do not leave the aroma lamp for a long time.
The smell removes spiritual fears, dispels doubts, removes emotional excitement, gives a pleasant sleep and a sense of serenity. It relieves anger, depression, irritability, anxiety, weakness. They say that it can calm even aggressive dogs.
It is believed that ylang-ylang drives away evil spirits, houses are fumigated with ylang-ylang smell to prevent discord and quarrels. In addition, the aroma increases self-confidence and stimulates the creative potential and intuition.
Pure oil can be used as a perfume, just apply it to traditional places.
100 kg of ylang-ylang flowers are needed to obtain up to two liters of pure essential oil.
Best Ylang-Ylang Perfume
It is hard to name any popular perfume brand that does not use ylang-ylang scent in the manufacture of its products.
The ylang-ylang oil smell is very light and unobtrusive, which allows us to use it in the initial notes of a perfume bouquet. However, thanks to the sweet and viscous nature of the fragrance it can be added to the basis of a perfume composition.
Perfumers love to combine ylang-ylang, whose aroma resembles neroli and jasmine, with pink wood, bergamot, lily of the valley, cloves, sandalwood, orange blossoms, and tuberose. A very interesting combination is the composition of ylang-ylang and coffee.
The most famous and best ylang-ylang perfume is the legendary Chanel No. 5.
Ylang-Ylang Properties
This essential oil has a wide range of beneficial characteristics. It can be used to fight irritability and nervousness, to normalize blood pressure and heartbeat, to fight headaches, for anti-aging skincare, to strengthen nails. And the most famous use of this oil is, of course, as an aphrodisiac.
- Psycho-emotional effect. Ylang-ylang oil helps overcome feelings of fear and uncertainty, reduce nervousness, relax and calm down insomnia, as well as unleash creativity and awaken intuition. As an aphrodisiac, this oil helps foster sexual harmony in a couple, awakens sensuality, adds confidence.
- Therapeutic action. This oil has the ability to normalize the heart rate and blood pressure, brings anticonvulsant and antispasmodic effects. It is also good for the treatment of headaches, the relief of menopausal syndrome.
- Cosmetic effect. In cosmetology, oil is used to eliminate brittleness and delamination of nails, to rejuvenate, smooth and moisturize the skin, to combat redness and skin irritation. Besides, ylang-ylang oil is used for hair restoration.
Ylang-Ylang Oil in Cosmetics
It is not recommended to use this oil for face and body care in a pure form. It is only added to masks and creams, which are based on other ingredients. Ylang-ylang oil has a number of features, thanks to which it has a beneficial effect on the skin condition and the health of the body as a whole:
- It is an excellent antiseptic and helps fight acne.
- This oil is absorbed deep into the skin and stimulates cell regeneration. Thus, wrinkles are eliminated and the surface of the skin is leveled.
- Ylang-ylang oil has an anti-inflammatory effect and relieves irritation.
- Using it for a hair mask you will strengthen the hair and eliminate its fragility.
- Due to its antimicrobial properties, ylang-ylang essential oil helps get rid of colds and infectious diseases.
- Asian women used ylang-ylang as a lubricant for hair, mixing it with other essential oils.
Where to Use Ylang-Ylang?
- Ylang-ylang scent deodorizes the skin, giving it a refined aromatic aura for a long time. The aroma of ylang-ylang is sweet and vibrant. You may add 2 drops of lemongrass oil to 3 drops of ylang-ylang to make aroma softer.
- It normalizes sleep, eliminates anxiety and nightly fears, especially in children. The following mixture will help you: 2 drops of ylang-ylang, 3 drops of lemongrass, 2 drops of lavender. Use the mixture in the aroma lamp 40 minutes before bedtime.
- It is good for polishing nails. Mix 10 drops of ylang-ylang with 10 drops of sweet almond oil. Apply the mixture to the nail plate and massage well.
- Ylang-ylang oil is the main component for making “sensual” mixtures. You may place it in a bottle with a spray pump and sprinkle in the bedroom 1-2 hours before bedtime.
- It is an efficient ingredient for a mask for dry colored hair: knead a ripe avocado, add the yolk, 3 drops of ylang-ylang, 2 drops of calamus and 1 drop of chamomile.
- It smooths the violation of the heart rhythm. Apply a warm compress on the heart area using 5 drops per 5 g of vegetable oil.
You should take into account that ylang-ylang oil smell is rather strong, so start using it with a very small amount or mix it with other essential oils. It combines well with lavender, sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet orange.
Ylang-Ylang has a delicate and delicious though quite strong smell that is widely used for different perfumed compositions and products.
We have collected frequent questions regarding this odor and where it can be used.
How Long Does Ylang-Ylang Tree Grow?
When this tree is being planted outdoors, it is growing pretty fast, something like five feet per year or even faster.
The maximum height of the ylang-ylang mature tree is around forty to sixty feet tall.
Can Ylang-Ylang Scent Cause Headaches?
The oil of ylang-ylang tree is a non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing. However, some people tend to have excess sensitivity to these flowers and, respectively, oil’s odor which may lead to nausea or headaches. Another reason for such reactions to your body could be excessive use of this oil.
Can Cananga Odorata Cause Allergy?
Cananga odorata which is commonly known as ylang-ylang is a non-toxic plant and its oil is also safe. However, as any essential oil, it must not be applied to your skin in a pure condition. In case of excessive use of pure ylang-ylang oil, you may have some skin reactions.
How Long Does Ylang-Ylang Flower Bloom?
This tree is in bloom nearly all year round and its flowers change their color from light green to bright yellow. The tree becomes grown-up in three to four years after it was planted as a seed.
How Can Ylang-Ylang Oil Be Used for Hair?
This essential oil is good for making hair stronger and prevent it from breaking too much. Also, hair masks with ylang-ylang oil are good for maintaining your hair’s general health and good looks. However, don’t apply them too often!
What Cosmetic Products Does Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil Blend Well With?
You can mix a couple of ylang-ylang oil drops with your shampoo before you apply it to your head. It is also better to do it after you wash your hair to clean it first.
Also, ylang-ylang oil is good to mix with coconut oil and any other skin-friendly oil that you use. Ordinary cream will also work well if you apply a bit of oil to it and mix it properly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ylang-Ylang That You Wanted to Know
Ylang-ylang oil is a popular aromatic substance used in aromatherapy and the perfume-making industry. However, there are still many questions left regarding this odor and the effect it has on people even though it’s well-known for its healing qualities.
Can ylang-ylang be taken internally?
Usually, essential oils are not meant to be consumed. However, ylang-ylang oil is possible to be taken internally only under the control of your doctor and only if the best-quality therapeutic-grade oil will be used!
When taken internally, ylang-ylang oil works as a strong antioxidant.
Can ylang-ylang be used directly on your skin?
You probably heard many times that using a pure essential oil on the skin without diluting it may cause skin irritation or even allergic reactions. It is true for ylang-ylang oil, too. Essential oils are all very concentrated, that’s why, when applied directly on the skin, they must be mixed with a carrier oil to make them less irritating and concentrated.
Is ylang-ylang safe for dogs?
Some essential oils are dangerous and poisonous for dogs. Among them, there are cinnamon, citrus, peppermint and pine oils, and also sweet birch oil, tea tree oil, the oils of wintergreen and pennyroyal, and ylang-ylang oil.
All of them are toxic when getting onto the skin or being consumed by mouth.
Is ylang-ylang safe for babies?
Ylang-ylang oil is considered to be safe to diffuse it around a baby of two years old age or under as it has a calming effect. However, it can’t be applied to the skin of a baby.
As for the kids of the age range from two to six years old, ylang-ylang oil can be applied externally when properly diluted.
Is ylang-ylang safe during pregnancy?
Ylang-ylang oil is one of the oils that are safe to use for pregnant women as it has a calming and balancing effect.
Why is ylang-ylang good for skin?
Ylang oil is good for the skin because it doesn’t only balance it and stimulate the new cells to grow, it also reduces the wrinkles and helps to treat acne and blemishes.
Is ylang-ylang good for hair?
If you want your hair to be strong and shiny, use ylang-ylang oil to enrich your shampoo or other hair-care products.
Ylang-ylang helps to stop hair fall caused by stress, it stimulates your hair to grow and become thicker, and also works as a hair conditioner.
Moreover, it repels hair lice.
Can ylang-ylang be used for healing depression?
As the main treatment method, ylang-ylang essential oil can’t be used to heal depression as one requires medicines for doing that. However, as a supporting method, it can help to reduce anxiety and stress.
What is ylang-ylang usefulness for blood pressure?
For those who have high blood pressure, ylang-ylang essential oil can help to reduce its level and normalize the state of health.
