Ylang ylang oil is spicy, warm and deeply fragrant. It has a sweet and peppery character and is considered good for protecting and healing. It promotes reassurance and encouragement and has pacifying and releasing qualities.
Ylang Ylang essential oil comes from the cananga tree, ananga odorata. An evergreen tree, native to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the cananga grows to eighty feet tall.
Ylang Ylang means “flower of flowers” in Tagalog and the essential oil is distilled from the yellow flowers which grow all year round. Oil makers mostly use steam distillation to extract the ylang ylang oil.
Ylang Ylang Oil Helps to Relieve Anxieties Caused By:
- Restrained pain and anger
- Deeply suppressed anger
- Feelings of hidden rage
- Feeling vulnerable and easily hurt
Blending Ylang Ylang Oil for Additional Anxieties:
- Jasmine and Sandalwood: Timidity in romantic relationships.
- Orange and Jasmine: Feeling inhibited around emotional excitement.
- Neroli and Orange: Cold: unable to express joy and pleasure
Uses of Ylang Ylang Oil for the Body
Ylang ylang oil has a pronounced anti-seborrhoeic effect. It regulates sebum production and also calms the inflammation that follows seborrhea.
The essential oil of ylang ylang has antiseptic properties. Ylang ylang oil can help disinfect wounds and also prevent microbial growth. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as its ability to regulate sebum production, make the essential oil of ylang ylang a common ingredient in skincare products.
Ylang ylang oil reduces blood pressure. This effect goes hand-in-hand with the oil’s sedative effect.
Uses of Ylang Ylang Oil for the Mind
Ylang ylang oil has an aphrodisiac quality. It can assist in waking up a dormant libido, and also to treat impotence and frigidity. It can also reduce pre-menstrual symptoms, and it can be helpful during menopause.
The essential oil of ylang ylang has a calming effect. This is why people who suffer from nervous tensions, anxiety, depression, and also stress might want to look into it. It can also help treat insomnia and boost mood.
Ylang Ylang in Ancient History
Ylang ylang has had different uses in different cultures. Newlyweds in Indonesia scatter its flower petals across their beds. Meanwhile in the Molucca islands, it was used to create hair pomades. In the Philippines, locals use it to treat snake and also insect bites.
Ylang Ylang in Modern History
Perfume makers praised ylang ylang primarily for its scent before science investigated it for its medical properties.
A very popular hair product in Victorian England called Macassar oil used ylang ylang. In his book The Healing Trail: Essential Oils of Madagascar, Georges M. Halpern describes the attitudes of Victorian ladies and gentleman towards this oil:
“Macassar oil was supposed to promote hair growth as well as keep hair in place, and was applied dutifully by both women and men. The well-groomed Victorian gentleman, his hair plastered down with Macassar oil, was redolent with the fragrance of ylang-ylang when he appeared in public.”
Halpern also noted that this gave rise to special ways of coping with the oiliness of people’s hair:
“The oil was so popular in Victorian England that it gave rise to the antimacassar, a decorative covering folded over the top of upholstered chairs to keep the chairs from being stained by Macassar oil. Similarly, women in Victorian times took to wearing nightcaps in bed to keep their pillowcases and sheets from being stained.”
Ylang Ylang Oil Cautions:
Some people might be oversensitive to ylang ylangl oil. It may cause them to experience nausea, headaches, and skin reactions.
Be cautious in using the essential oil of ylang ylang, even if there might not be evidence that it has adverse effects on pregnancy or breastfeeding. People suffering from low blood pressure should also be careful when using ylang ylang oil.
