At this time of the year when the days are short, and Spring still seems a long way off, it’s important to consider how you look after yourself and bring some self-care into your day. All our essential oils have properties that can help us achieve this, this month we are focusing on the gorgeous Ylang Ylang to bring you some floral love! So, what is Ylang Ylang essential oil good for?
Ylang Ylang, Cananga odorata, is a yellow flower that grows on tall trees on the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean. Translated, Ylang Ylang means ‘flowers that flutter’ and has been used by the indigenous population for centuries in skin care. The flowers are large and delicate, starting out pale green, turning a warm golden yellow as they mature.
Ylang Ylang has a different distillation process than most of the other essential oils. The flowers can be distilled up to four or five times. The first distillate is called ‘extra’ which is used in the perfume industry, followed by ‘fractions’, named 1, 2 or 3. At Tisserand Aromatherapy we use the first distillation for our essential oil.
What can it be used for?
Ylang Ylang is one of the most sumptuous aromas of the flower oils, rich, exotic, and intensely floral, with a deep musky undertone. In aromatherapy, it is used as skin oil as it balances sebum production and acts as an emollient. Its aroma is useful for relieving states of anxiety and for quelling nervousness, as it both reduces unease and calms fraught emotions. Ylang Ylang is also considered to be one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs among the essential oils as it has the ability to relax yet uplift, uniting our emotional and sensual nature.
As Ylang Ylang has a powerful heady aroma you only need a small amount for it to shine in a blend. Why not try the following blends to nourish your skin and emotions? The blends will evoke a calm, sensual, yet uplifting atmosphere.
Luxurious, Sensual Massage Oil
Add the following essential oils to 20ml of blending oil:
3 drops of Ylang Ylang – Cananga odorata
5 drops of Sweet Orange – Citrus dulcis
2 drops of Sandalwood – Santalum album
Apply to the body in long slow strokes
Soothing Bath Time Blend
Add the following essential oils to 20ml of blending oil:
1 drop of Ylang Ylang – Cananga odorata
1 drop of Patchouli – Pogostemon cablin
2 drops of Bergamot – Citrus bergamia
Run your bath to desired temperature and depth, add 2-3 teaspoons of your blend, stir the water before getting in, lie back and inhale the sumptuous aromas.
Exotic Diffuser Blend
Add the following essential oils to the water in your Aroma Spa Diffuser:
2 drops of Ylang Ylang – Cananga odorata
1 drop of Cardamom – Elettaria cardamomum
4 drops of Petitgrain –Citrus aurantium
You can also find Ylang Ylang in our Nature’s Spa Indulgent Rose and Ylang Ylang collection.
Enjoy the sensual aroma of Ylang Ylang, and remember that Spring is just around the corner!
About Jo Kellett
Our essential oil expert, Jo Kellett TIDHA MIFPA CIMI, graduated from the Tisserand Institute of Holistic Aromatherapy in 1996. She returned to the college in 1999 as Essential Oil Therapeutics Tutor, where she taught until the college closed. Jo runs a successful private Aromatherapy practice in Brighton, specialising in Women’s health. Jo is also an internationally published author and has lectured on the subject of Aromatherapy both in the UK and abroad.
For more information on Jo Kellett, check out her website or Instagram.
