New Age Alternatives to Spirituality and Inner Growth
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil….Rama Ka Dinky A Dinky Dong
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Is this not the most funny name for a flower let alone a scent? It sounds like the end song in the movie, Grease. It has that sound of “Rama Lama She Wadda Wadda Yippity Yip De Boom Boom” fifties sound to it. It also is the only plant that I have seen that has the same exact name twice. If you haven’t guessed already, this posting will be about the Ylang Ylang plant and its essential oil.
Unfortunately, Ylang Ylang’s scientific name is no where as cool as its common name. The botanical name for Ylang Ylang is Canaga Odarata; how they got Ylang Ylang out of that we may never know. 
This plant is actually a flowering evergreen tree that is native to Asia. It can grow 80-100 feet, has glossy leaves and large fragrant flowers that eventually grow into black seeded fruit. The flowers are where the essential oil is produced. Ylang Ylang is also know as a perfume tree because it is so fragrant that it perfumes the air around it.
The Ylang Ylang is Malayan and means “flower of flowers” and the flowers are handpicked at dawn very carefully because if the flowers are bruised, they turn black very quickly. This plant can be found mainly in the South Sea Islands such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Tahiti and the Philippines. According to all of my resources, the best oil comes from the Philippines. Ylang Ylang has a deep and rich history with the “beautification” of the indigenous populations all over the world.
It is used placed in the beds of newlyweds on their wedding night in Indonesia as an added aphrodisiac. In the South Seas, women dress their hair in Ylang Ylang oil mixed with Coconut oil. In fact, Ylang Ylang was used as in ingredient in the hair tonics of Europe and was more commonly known as Macassar oil. This oil is why so many pictures showing antiques always had that lace doily thing on the chairs. It was used to absorb the hair oil from staining the cloth and velvet furniture. The Philippines had the monopoly of the Ylang Ylang scent until around the turn of the century and it was called the “poor man’s jasmine” since it was far cheaper than the heady Jasmine scent.
While it is mainly the flowers and their essential oil is that are used; Ylang Ylang has variety of other medicinal purposes. Utilizing the plants leaves, you can rub them on the skin to decrease itching and the tree resin is used to aid in aching muscles, joints, and skin problems. When they distill the Ylang Ylang, they call the first batch of essential oil, Ylang Ylang extra, and is considered to be the highest grade of oil. Any distillation that is made after is graded on a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade scale but only the highest grades are used for perfume formulations.
Flowering Ylang Ylang
Well, I think I’m finally stumped to find a Greek reference to this specific flower, although technically, essential oils were discovered by the Greeks. Ylang Ylang is a main ingredient in a lot of things we use such as soap, cosmetics, detergents, lotions and perfumes. You probably knew this but it is also uses in foods, alcoholic and regular beverages, dairy desserts, baked goods, and my favorite, CANDY. It was also one of the ingredients in CHANEL #5, the perfume by Coco Chanel.
Now, enough with the pretty side of Ylang Ylang, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of what it does and how it can help you. The flower itself is an exotic, sweet, floral, and heavy on its own, think great-granma’s perfume but when blended with a carrier oil or other essential oil, it is so delightful. Trust me, try smelling Ylang Ylang “neat” and you will immediately think “That lady who writes those blogs is crazy, you can never make this smell less overbearing”…then try to mix it with other oils and check out the difference.
- Various Parts of the Ylang Ylang Plant
Medically, Ylang Ylang is good for numerous types of ailments such as depression, peace, love, and as an aphrodisiac. It can also aid in the cleansing of small cuts or scratches since it is an antiseptic, in fact, my dog decided he wanted to run really bad with the guy running past us on the street and I had no choice but to follow…unfortunately, it was on my knees, elbows, and hands as he dragged me through the dirt. Anyway, I decided to test out the antiseptic part of Ylang Ylang and it smelled fine and it did not hurt to put on my decidedly shredded elbows and knees. It also lessened the pain, so if I live to write another blog and do not die from massive ”wound” infection, we know it works.
Ylang Ylang can be used as hypertensives (brings your blood pressure down) and a sedative BUT do not excessively use since it may cause nausea and headaches. It is calming and relaxing which can help reduce stress of a busy day and allow you to have restful sleep. It also an euphoric, enhances communication, and uplifts your mood. We definitely could use something to uplift our moods in today’s day and age. It is great for after workouts to help loosen tight muscles and lessens muscular pain. The fragrance of Ylang Ylang calms anger and all negative emotional states, transforming the energy into a more positive direction. For those that suffer from stomach cramps, it has been used to aid in the pain associated with stomach cramps.
It balances oil skin and clears blemishes as well as relieve the symptoms of menopause and hot flashes. Ylang Ylang has a balancing action on the sebum in your skin so making it effective on both oily and dry skins. It also promotes hair growth when massaged into your scalp. Apparently, it is another wonder oil, since it can aid in keeping the breasts firm and perky. It is really effective in decreasing rapid breathing and rapid heart beat. If you haven’t guessed yet, this flower and oil seems particularly suited to the women of the world.
Magically, it is associated with the planet Venus and the element Water. Both Water and Venus are primarily geared to love, peace, sexuality, calm, spirituality, and meditation. Ylang Ylang is specifically beneficial to the Zodiac signs of Taurus and Pisces.
It can also bring out your inner “sex bomb” and release your inhibitions when with the one you love. As a massage oil, it helps resolve frigidity and impotence. Again, it is important to remember that using too much Ylang Ylang can give you a killer headache and nausea, so be smart, cut pure Ylang Ylang essential oil with a carrier oil and use sparingly.
- Ylang Ylang Flowers
Ylang Ylang works very well with several different essential oils such at Bergamot, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Rose, and Verbena. Here is a quick little recipe that you can throw together as a perfume oil or lotion from one of my favorite “cook” books. It can be found in “The Fragrant Veil: Scents for the Sensuous Woman” by Elisabeth Millar.
This one is called “Romantic Encounters” and you combine 2 drops of Ylang Ylang, 2 drops of Jasmine, 2 drops of Bergamot, and blend with either Sweet Almond oil or 1 tablespoon of unperfumed body lotion.
Another nice blend to relax and prepare you for bed is from another one of my favorite books, The Essential Oils Book: Creating Personal Blends for Mind & Body” by Colleen K. Dodt. Add these oils directly to the bath tub, 2 drops of Ylang Ylang, 2 drops of Lavender, and 2 drops of Rose Absolute or Rose Otto. Prepare to be relaxed and lulled to a refreshing nights sleep.
So now you know all about the wonderful scent of Ylang Ylang. I have been thinking what’s next on the aromatherapy blog front and I have to say its “vroom, vroom, Vetiver”. So to all of my followers, thanks for hanging in there and I promise not to disappear for this long again. Be sure to check out the posts on Opals and the Tower Tarot Card.
Leave a Reply
