Freelance Lady: Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Benefits, Uses, & History + Scential Health Review

As many of you know, I only recently embarked on my current essential oil journey. During this time, I have learned so much and have come across a plethora of interesting information. One oil that was constantly being mentioned as a "must-have" essential oil is Ylang Ylang. I've read about Ylang Ylang on blogs, social media, and in essential oil groups. It seemed to be a favorite.

Naturally, when I received my own bottle of Ylang Ylang to try, I was pretty excited about it!

* Product and/or service provided for review without cost. As always, all opinions are my own.

If you would like to read more Scential Health Essential oils reviews, please check out Frankincense, Lemon, and Grapefruit!

Scential Health Ylang Ylang Essential Oil was sent to me for review. The oil comes in a small, 15mL amber glass bottle to protect it from light damage. The bottle comes wrapped in bubble wrap inside of a box to prevent breakage during shipping.

The current price for Scential Health Ylang Ylang Essential Oil is $12.95 (on sale as of April 28, 2015—the original price is $14.95). In my opinion, this is a low price for the amount of oil received, as well as when considering the aromatic qualities of this particular essential oil.

The Euro-style dropper cap seems to be standard on all Scential Health Essential Oils, which allows for even distribution of the oil, one drop at a time. The cap is rubber-rimmed, which allows the oil to stay in the bottle, tightly sealed.

When I first smelled the Ylang Ylang, it wasn't what I expected. I knew it was going to be a floral scent, but I don't think I expected it to be so rich.

You should note, however, that I do not really care for floral scents, which is likely the reason that Ylang Ylang was so off-putting for me. It seems to be a favorite among the essential oil community, so please do not let my opinion deter you from trying it for yourself. Not to mention, the benefits are amazing.

I didn't want to give up on the oil that easily, so I looked up possible blends to try. One website suggested mixing a drop of Ylang Ylang with a drop of Lemon Essential Oil. This was the winning combination for me. It smells great, and the citrus evens out the overly floral fragrance.

Brief History of Ylang Ylang

Long ago, Indonesians used flowers from the Ylang Ylang tree to decorate the beds of newlyweds. Also, Indonesians refer to Ylang Ylang as "Poor Man's Jasmine" due to its sweet aroma and its properties that are similar to jasmine.

Distillation Method

Ylang Ylang is extracted through steam distillation of fresh flowers from the Ylang-Ylang tree (Cananga odorata). This tree is native to the rain forests of Asian and South Pacific islands, including Indonesia, Polynesia, and the Philippines.

The quality of the Ylang Ylang oil depends on when the flowers are picked and the distillation process. Flowers produce the highest quality and most oil when picked in the early morning. Also, the first hour of distillation produces the best quality oil—this oil is often referred to as "Ylang Ylang Complete." The last distillation produces the poorest quality oil which is simply referred to as "Cananga."

Benefits and Uses of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Ylang Ylang is used for a number of purposes. Some of the potential uses are outlined below:

Hair Growth
Anxiety Relief
Relaxation
Skin Care

Ylang Ylang is also used to relieve muscle tension and is often said to have antiseptic, antidepressant, and sedative properties. In spirituality, Ylang Ylang is said to balance male and female energies and induce harmonic balance.

As if those benefits weren't enough, Dr. Tim Betts of the Neuropsychiatry Clinic at Birmingham University believes that Ylang Ylang is one of the most effective oils to control epilepsy.

Overall Opinion

While I do not particularly care for the scent of Ylang Ylang by itself, I've found that mixing it with lemon essential oil makes it a pleasant fragrance that I can live with. I've been using Ylang Ylang diluted on my son's scalp, as he has seborrheic dermatitis. I have noticed that the scales are loosening up, which is allowing them to be easily exfoliated to reveal the healthy skin underneath.