Ylang ylang is an exotic essential oil with a hard-to-pronounce name, but you might be more familiar with it than you think! And, after reading this, you might decide you need ylang ylang in your life!
Today, I’m going to cover:
- ylang ylang essential oil benefits
- how to use ylang ylang essential oil
- my favorite ylang ylang diffuser blends and roller blends
As the creator of an essential oils accessory shop, I’m sure you can imagine I’ve amassed quite a few favorite ylang ylang diffuser recipes & blends over the years, and I’m sharing them all with you below! I’m also including my top nine favorite diffuser blends with ylang ylang. You can diffuse these, use them in a roller bottle, use them with crystals, and so much more.
These ylang ylang essential oil blends help with everything from setting the mood in the bedroom to helping you get glowing skin to reducing anxiety and increasing focus. Aren’t sure how to create roller bottles and use ylang ylang in a diffuser? I explain everything below–keep reading!
Ylang ylang is an amazing super power essential oil that deserves a place in your essential oil arsenal. Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!
What is Ylang Ylang Essential Oil?
Before you can appreciate the many ylang ylang essential oil benefits, you first have to know a little more about the oil. It’s derived from a tropical tree found in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, and even Australia.
The flowers of the cananga tree–the tree ylang ylang essential oil comes from–are as useful as they are beautiful. Traditionally, the flowers have been used in places like Indonesia to decorate the honeymoon bed for newlyweds because they have aphrodisiac properties. But ylang ylang essential oil benefits don’t end there!
When scientists studied ylang ylang several years ago, they found it had extremely high antioxidant capacity. This is good news, because antioxidants are powerful compounds that help with everything from aging to cancer.
What Does Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Smell Like?
Ylang ylang has a beautiful floral scent beloved by perfume makers because of its ability to blend well with a variety of different scents–everything from woodsy scents like rosemary to citrus scents to spicy scents like frankincense. In fact, Chanel No. 5, the legendary perfume, uses ylang ylang!
3 Incredible Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Benefits
1. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Can Reduce Anxiety & Enhance Mood
Science is catching on to the powerful therapeutic effects of essential oils, and studies are mounting showing the impact ylang ylang essential oil, specifically, can have on your health–even your mental health!
In 2016, scientists discovered that ylang ylang could have anti-anxiety abilities. Two years later, those same scientists discovered how ylang ylang improves anxiety: by directly impacting the hippocampus in the brain.
One of ylang ylang essential oil’s benefits, as it turns out, is decreasing blood pressure and pulse rate while simultaneously increasing attentiveness and alertness. Twenty-four volunteers were asked to inhale ylang ylang essential oil, and then were tested for skin temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure.
The volunteers were also asked to track their alertness, attentiveness, calmness, mood, relaxation, and vigor. Researchers found a “harmonizing” effect on mood and the body, making ylang ylang a great option for anybody dealing with intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or simply having trouble focusing or finding peace. This harmonizing effect is also what makes ylang ylang a natural aphrodisiac, helping you to be calm and yet feel alert and happy at the same time.
2. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Can Improve Sleep Quality
Lavender oil is often cited as the go-to for sleep problems, but not everybody likes lavender–and sometimes you just an extra boost in your diffuser sleep blend!
One of my favorite of ylang ylang essential oil benefits is its impact on sleep. While lavender can trigger your body’s desire to calm, I find that ylang ylang is better at helping the brain to “power down.” If you have trouble sleeping because of racing thoughts or your body is struggling to calm or overcome pain, ylang ylang is a fantastic choice.
A 2019 study in Texas focused on patients who were undergoing rehab after cardiology hospitalizations. 42 of these patients were supplied with cotton balls infused with lavender, bergamot, and ylang ylang.
The study concluded that the “sleep quality of participants receiving intervention oils was significantly better than the sleep quality of participants receiving the placebo oil.” When using the oils at night, participants reported much better quality sleep!
3. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Can Reduce Acne and Other Skin Problems
Another one of ylang ylang essential oil benefits is its ability to help with skin conditions. This 2018 study found that ylang ylang essential oil can help defeat the bacteria that causes acne, and this 2014 study found that ylang ylang essential oil contained properties that are very effective at treating a variety of skin disorders.
If you’re struggling with any kind of skin disorder, but especially acne, you’ll love ylang ylang’s ability to help soothe, calm, and eliminate it.
How to Use Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
As soon as I learned about all of ylang ylang’s possibilities, I was anxious to get started with it! Here are three ways to use ylang ylang essential oils to maximize its benefits.
1. Diffuse
Most of the studies I mentioned above used ylang ylang essential oil aromatically. Scents are powerful, and I love diffusing ylang ylang in combination with other oils to get a synergistic effect. Keep reading for my favorite blends to use in a diffuser, no matter what size diffuser you’re using.
2. Blend & Apply
Ylang ylang is a great oil to use topically, but you should never apply essential oils directly to your skin. Instead, dilute them with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil. You can roll them on the inside of your wrists, your temples, the base of your spine, or the back of your neck.
When it comes to oils, the more I use them, the more successful they are for me, and it helps so much to have them already diluted and mixed in a roller bottle. I also find making up roller bottles ahead of time is much less wasteful, and helps my oil dollars stretch even further!
3. Use With Crystals
Thanks to how popular gemstone rollers were in my shop, I wrote a whole post about how I got started using crystals and essential oils (including what I wish I knew before I started using them). At the end of the post, you can also get my guide to using crystals and oils, which includes several of my favorite stones to use with ylang ylang essential oil!
4. Other Ways to Use Ylang Ylang Essential Oils
The sky is truly the limit with essential oils! In addition to diffusing and rolling your oils, you can also use them to make all kinds of amazing gifts, including bath bombs and room sprays.
One of my favorite ways to use ylang ylang is to make my own perfume–I have a whole blog post explaining how to do that right here.
My 9 Favorite Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Blends
These blends are super versatile–mix them up in a roller bottle to apply to the inside of your wrists, your temples, or at the base of the spine), diffuse them, make a linen spray, or use them to soak in the tub!
How Many Drops of Ylang Ylang Do I Put in a Diffuser?
If you’re diffusing your oils, you should use about 3-5 drops of ylang ylang per 100ml of water.
If you’re creating a roller blend, start by adding 15-25 drops of oil to your roller bottle, then fill the bottle with your carrier oil.
You can adjust the blend to make it stronger or lighter depending on your needs and sensitivity. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to mix essential oils. If you like the way it smells, that’s a win!
What Can I Diffuse With Ylang Ylang?
These essential oils pair great with ylang ylang:
- Patchouli
- Wild orange
- Lavender
- Copaiba
- Black pepper
- Jasmine
- Wild orange
- Bergamot
- Frankincense
- Grapefruit
- Vetiver
- Cedarwood
- Cypress
- Neroli
1. Love Potion
Patchouli has a deep, musky scent that many people find invigorating, and it pairs beautifully with the softer, flowery notes of ylang ylang and the wild citrus notes of orange.
- 10 drops ylang ylang
- 8 drops patchouli
- 4 drops wild orange
2. In the Mood
Black pepper is a surprising choice for this blend, but it’s here because it has a warming effect and adds a sophisticated tone to this scent medley.
- 10 drops ylang ylang
- 10 drops copaiba
- 4 drops black pepper
3. Meet Me in Tahiti
This diffuser blend is the next best thing to a tropical vacation ;).
- 9 drops ylang ylang
- 6 drops jasmine
- 6 drops wild orange
4. Good Night
This is just one of many powerful sleep diffuser blends I’ve used and loved!
- 8 drops lavender
- 6 drops bergamot
- 2 drops ylang ylang
5. Tension Release
Frankincense, like ylang ylang, is a super oil that provides innumerable benefits. This blend combines these two powerhouse oils for rapid relief.
- 10 drops ylang ylang
- 10 drops frankincense
6. Happy
Lavender, bergamot, and ylang ylang are all great for sleep, but when combined with grapefruit, this blend becomes full of sunshine and joy–great for chasing away afternoon blues.
- 8 drops grapefruit
- 6 drops lavender
- 6 drops bergamot
- 6 drops ylang ylang
7. Sacral Chakra
If your sacral chakra is blocked, your emotions might feel all over the place. Use this ylang ylang essential oil blend to help open up this chakra to feel creative and in flow.
- 8 drops ylang ylang
- 8 drops orange
- 4 drops lavender
8. Sleep Deep
Vetiver and cedarwood combine their woodsy aromas with ylang ylang’s floral scent for a blend that will help you sleep long and deep at night.
- 6 drops ylang ylang
- 6 drops lavender
- 6 drops vetiver
- 6 drops cedarwood
9. Focused Relaxation
Combine the grounding power of cypress with the focus and relaxation benefits of lavender and ylang ylang for a relaxed, yet focused vibe.
- 6 drops lavender
- 6 drops cypress
- 4 drops ylang ylang
I know you’re going to love ylang ylang essential oil as much as I do. Let me know in the comments below which oils you love to use with ylang ylang!
