Pure Ylang Ylang essential oil

The name means 'flower of flowers', and the oil earns it. Ylang ylang is distilled from the drooping yellow blossoms of Cananga odorata, a tropical tree grown across Madagascar, the Comoros and Indonesia. The flowers are picked before dawn, when the scent is at its strongest. 

The scent is sweet, creamy and floral with a fruity, almost banana-like top note and a soft spicy base. It's one of the backbone notes of classical perfumery and turns up in some of the most famous fragrances ever made. 

Something worth knowing before you buy: ylang ylang is distilled in fractions. The still runs continuously, and the oil is drawn off at intervals. The first fraction, called extra, is the lightest and most floral and is the one perfumers pay most for. Then come grades one, two and three, each progressively heavier and less delicate. A fourth option, called complete, is the whole distillation run collected together and is the most common grade sold for aromatherapy. Grades smell genuinely different, so it's worth knowing which one is in the bottle. 

One practical note: ylang ylang is strong. A drop too many turns rich into cloying, and some people get a headache from too much of it in a closed room. Start lower than you think you need.

You should definitely include ylang ylang essential oil in your wellness arsenal due to its extensive list of benefits. Ylang-ylang essential oil offers several benefits.

• Applying ylang-ylang aromatherapy oil helps the user relax and reduce stress.
• Ylang-ylang massage oil works amazingly well as a rub for sore muscles and a skin hydrator.
• The benefits of ylang-ylang oil for hair are outstanding, as it helps reduce breakage while promoting healthy shine.
• The floral and sweet scent of ylang-ylang helps to create a serene atmosphere that uplifts your mood.
• Holistic healing applies the fragrance of ylang-ylang to trigger emotional well-being.

• Diffuser: 2 to 3 drops per 100 ml of water, and no more. Ylang ylang is one of the most powerful scents in the range. It softens beautifully with bergamot or sweet orange. 
• Natural perfume: a classic heart note. Try it with bergamot on top and sandalwood, vetiver or cedarwood underneath. 
• Body and massage oil: keep it light, at about 0.8%, which is roughly 5 drops per 30 ml of carrier oil. Ylang ylang is a recognised sensitiser, so this is lower than the usual floral dilution. 
• Bath: stir 2 drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil or full-cream milk first, then add that to the water. 
• Hair rinse: 1 to 2 drops in a palmful of shampoo or conditioner. It rinses off, so it's an easy way to enjoy the scent. 
• Soap and candle making: ylang ylang holds its scent well and gives a much richer result than a light floral. 
• Blending: bergamot, sweet orange, lemon, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, vetiver, cedarwood, patchouli and clary sage. 

• Product name: Pure Ylang Ylang Essential Oil 
• Botanical name: Cananga odorata 
• Part used: flowers 
• Extraction method: steam distillation 
• Origin: Madagascar 
• Aroma: rich, sweet and creamy floral with a fruity top note and a soft spicy base 
• Common uses: diffuser blends, natural perfumery, bath and body oils, soap and candle making 
• Size: 10 ml 
• Shelf life: up to 3 years when stored cool and dark 

1. For external use only. Do not swallow. 
2. Ylang ylang is a recognised skin sensitiser. Keep leave-on blends to about 0.8%, which is roughly 5 drops per 30 ml of carrier oil, and never apply it neat. 
3. Patch test every new blend on your inner forearm and wait 24 hours. Sensitisation can develop over time, so stop using it if your skin reacts at any point, even to a blend that was fine before. 
4. Go easy in a diffuser. Too much ylang ylang in a closed room causes headaches or nausea in some people. Two to three drops is plenty, in a room with airflow. 
5. Keep it away from the eyes and inner ears. If oil gets in an eye, wipe it with a carrier oil or full-cream milk rather than water, then seek medical advice. 
6. Don't use it on the face or on broken or irritated skin. 
7. If you have low blood pressure or take blood pressure medication, check with your doctor before using it. 
8. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your healthcare professional before using it. 
9. Don't use it on children under 2, and halve the adult dilution for older children after checking with a doctor or pharmacist. 
10. Ask your vet before diffusing around pets, and leave them a way out of the room. 
11. Store tightly capped somewhere cool and dark, out of reach of children.