Ylang ylang essential oil (pronounced ee·lang ee·lang) has one of the most unique aromas that is loved all over the world!
It is a clear to golden coloured oil with an exotic, floral, musky scent. The essential oil is extracted through steam distillation from the flowers of the Cananga Odorata tree.
Keep reading to find out more about ylang ylang, how to use it, sustainability and purity…
Contents
- Where is Ylang Ylang Grown?
- What Are The Different Grades?
- What is Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Used For?
- Ylang Ylang Safety
- How Sustainable and Ethical is our Ylang Ylang Essential Oil?
- Is Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Pure?
Where is Ylang Ylang Grown?
Ylang ylang is grown in countries across the world, but many essential oil suppliers are not trustworthy and do not produce good quality oil. Most of the world's ylang ylang is grown in 4 areas: Comoros, Madagascar, Nosy Be and Mayotte, which are all islands just off the coast of Africa's mainland.
We work hard to find reputable suppliers, which is why we work closely with ylang ylang suppliers in Nosy Be.
This is a small island that lies just 8kms off the coast of Madagascar and it grows a significant amount of the world's ylang ylang plants. This tropical island is also known as the ‘perfume island’ thanks to the aromatic scent of the natural ylang ylang plants!
Ylang ylang flowers grow on trees that can reach a height of 2 to 3 metres. To pick the flowers, they tie the branches down so the tree grows horizontally and the ylang ylang can be easily harvested. Ylang ylang flowers are often harvested early in the morning as the fragrance is more potent at this time.
What Are The Different Grades?
Ylang ylang essential oil is very different from any other essential oil. Most plants have one type of essential oil, but ylang ylang essential oil is split into different grades from the same plant.
There are 5 different grades including ylang ylang extra, ylang ylang I, ylang ylang II, ylang ylang III and ylang ylang complete.
The main difference between each essential oil is their scent!
- Ylang Ylang Extra Essential Oil - This is the most potent and complex grade. It has a floral, exotic, slightly balsamic and sweet scent.
- Ylang Ylang I Essential Oil - This oil has a less intense exotic scent to ylang ylang extra.
- Ylang Ylang II Essential Oil - This grade is milder than ylang ylang I and has slightly spicy notes along with its natural exotic aroma.
- Ylang Ylang III Essential Oil - This is the mildest scent of all the grades and has slightly woody and sharp notes.
- Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Complete - This is the closest thing to true ylang ylang with more woody, spicy and jasmine like notes within it.
How Does The Process Work?
Once the flowers have been harvested, they fill the still with ylang ylang flowers and it is left to distillate over a period of time. The fractions are collected at different times in the process to collect our 5 grades of essential oil. However, the timing can vary depending on the still. More rural distilleries take longer to distil the plant compared to more modern distilleries.
First, the flowers are steam distilled for one hour to one hour and 30 minutes. They then come back and take what has been collected. This is ylang ylang extra essential oil!
After another two hours to two hours and 30 minutes, they collect the ylang ylang I.
This process is repeated after three hours to three hours and 30 minutes, to make ylang ylang II.
After 6 hours, or until all of the oil has been distilled, the final fractions are drawn out to make ylang ylang III.
Ylang ylang complete is a combination of all of the grades: ylang ylang extra, I, II and III.
However, this can vary between producers as the grading process is based on the distiller's experience and knowledge.
So why go to all this effort?
Ylang ylang has always been traditionally distilled into fractions to enjoy the different quality of each essential oil. It is also fractionated as each grade of ylang ylang is worth a different amount. Rather than selling it all as one essential oil, they can get different qualities of oil and sell them individually. The ylang ylang extra is the most expensive grade, with the price going down for I then II and III.
What is Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Used For?
Ylang ylang oil is popular in aromatherapy and a room diffuser for its relaxation and calming effect. It can also be added to a carrier oil to make a calming massage oil.
It is also often added to essential oil blends in soap making (like this recipe), as it pairs well with most essential oils. Ylang ylang essential oil is used as a base note in blends as its complex aroma helps balance other notes.
Here is one of our favourite blends with ylang ylang:
Ylang Ylang Safety
Ylang ylang essential oil is very sensitising and often causes an allergic reaction on the skin if used incorrectly. This is because of its complex composition which contains many allergens. Allergens are naturally occurring in all essential oils and they are what cause allergic reactions, irritation and sensitivity on the skin.
Ylang ylang essential oil must be diluted in a carrier oil before applying directly to the skin and it is not suitable for consumption.
You must always check the IFRA document to find out the maximum usage rate for any application. For example, in soap making (category 9) you can use a maximum of 1.4% ylang ylang III in the soap. For general body and skin care applications I would follow all category 5s, which recommends a maximum of 0.18%.
We always recommend doing a patch test on a small area of skin with the diluted oil before applying, to ensure the essential oil does not cause irritation.
Please consult a doctor before use if pregnant and always keep out of reach of children.
How Sustainable and Ethical is our Ylang Ylang Essential Oil?
The production of ylang ylang flowers is vital to the island and supports half the population of beautiful Nosy Be, but it’s not easy going.
This volcanic island is remote and there is a lack of transport and freight services, medical care is needed and many of the small scale farmers are often forced to sell their flowers below market value by exploitative traders.
Our suppliers work with small scale farmers who own their land, rather than the large commercial plantations. They are currently supporting 165 small scale farmers, ensuring local farmers are being supported with a good price for their flowers. This growing industry is also creating more opportunities for women as 39% of ylang ylang farmers are female.
Our suppliers not only support the local farmers, but also the wider island community. One of the biggest concerns for locals was access to healthcare and our suppliers were determined to change that.
They set up a medical clinic and dispensary which employs two doctors and several nurses to provide care and subsidised medicines. It is also where women can now give birth on the island, rather than travel by boat to the mainland.
These vital medical services save lives and prevent minor injuries and illness from becoming serious.
Is Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Pure?
We gathered 6 samples of ylang ylang III essential oil from popular essential oil retailers.
Most of them passed the test! But one popular retailer is selling adulterated ylang ylang essential oil!
How do we know their essential oil isn’t pure?
The first sign the oil was fake was the smell! It didn't have that beautiful exotic aroma. The essential oil was too smokey with less floral notes, so this indicates something is wrong.
Ylang ylang is made up of many components, but the main one is called Germacene D. The ylang ylang from this retailer contained 0% Germacrene D! We also discovered that synthetic perfumes were added.
How is Ylang Ylang Adulterated?
We have found ylang ylang can be adulterated in many different ways. So let’s go through what we’ve seen when checking the purity of ylang ylang essential oil.
The most common way companies adulterate ylang ylang oil is by diluting the more expensive high grade essential oil with the cheaper lower grades. For example, you may find ylang ylang extra is often diluted with ylang ylang III. This way, they can sell more product at a high price and make more profit.
Similarly, ylang ylang can also be diluted with carrier oils to bulk out their stock. However, essential oils evaporate when heated and carrier oils don't, so it can easily be detected in a third party lab.
Some of the key components that naturally occur in ylang ylang oil are also synthetically made for the perfume industry. So it's easy for producers to add these synthetics to the essential oil without messing with the aroma. However it is no longer a pure, natural essential oil as they may claim it to be.
How to Prevent Buying Adulterated Ylang Ylang Oil?
It's not easy to find adulterated ylang ylang essential oil without getting it tested at a third party lab. But that can be expensive and you need to know what you are testing for. Don't worry, we already test our ylang ylang essential oil to ensure it is 100% pure!
However, there are a few signs that you might come across that indicate the oil has been adulterated.
The first thing to look at is the price. Is it ridiculously cheap? If you think the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Many suppliers will dilute the essential oil so they can sell more and for a cheaper price. So be careful!
Another way you can tell if the ylang ylang oil is not pure, is from the scent. Ylang ylang has a very unique exotic aroma, so once you understand what it is supposed to smell like, it is easier to notice inaccuracies in adulterated ylang ylang oil. For example, if the ylang ylang smells very smoky with less floral notes, that could be a sign it is not pure.
To ensure you are purchasing 100% pure ylang ylang essential oil, you need to buy from trusted suppliers. Like us!
At The Soapery, we provide ylang ylang III essential oil and ylang ylang complete organic essential oil. We always ensure we are buying the highest quality, sustainable and 100% pure ylang ylang essential oil!
Continue Reading
Now you know more about ylang ylang essential, why not learn more?
- Learn whether essential oils can be used for cleaning with our mythbusting blog!
- Use essential oils to make your own diy home spray!
- Want to learn about the purity issues in the rosehip oil industry? Read our in depth purity blog!
Do you love ylang ylang essential oil? Let us know in the comments!
