06/12/2025
Benefits of Ylang Ylang Oil
Ylang ylang is considered an effective antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic and sedative. It has a positive effect on immune health, blood flow and emotions, making it a natural remedy for the endocrine, cardiovascular, reproductive and digestive systems. In foods and beverages, ylang ylang oil is used as a flavoring and preservative. In product manufacturing, it’s used as a fragrance for cosmetics, household cleansers, hair products and soaps.
Ylang Ylang essential oil benefits include:
Increasing blood flow
Relieving inflammation
Fighting parasites
Regulating heartbeat
Healing cardiac problems
Lifting someone’s mood
Promoting healthy intestinal function
With a naturally rich, floral scent that’s considered “romantic” and uplifting, many people like to diffuse ylang ylang in their bedrooms or add some to household cleaning products. The scent also has the ability to positively impact emotions and can help create a calming, relaxing atmosphere in your home. It especially can be useful for soothing you through a rough day when you add ylang ylang oil to your bath, lotion or other beauty care products.
9 Ylang Ylang Oil Uses
1. Heart Health Booster
Known to improve blood flow and fight inflammation, ylang ylang supports a healthy circulatory system. It’s considered one of the most helpful essential oils (along with lavender, clary sage and frankincense) for controlling blood pressure and preventing heart arrhythmia. Massage a single drop daily over the heart combined with a carrier oil. As a natural high blood pressure remedy, you can take ylang ylang as a dietary supplement too (only when using a therapeutic-grade oil = DOTERRA) by adding one to two drops to water or warm tea.
2. Mood Enhancer
Because of its ability to act directly on the olfactory system of the brain, inhaling ylang ylang can have immediate, positive effects on your mood and act like a mild, natural depression remedy. It’s said to “expand the heart,” and research shows it can help release negative emotions, including anger, low self-esteem and jealousy.
It’s also beneficial for fighting insomnia without drugs and chronic fatigue syndrome since it has mild sedative effects and can lower stress responses like a fast heartbeat and high blood pressure. Try diffusing the oil in your home or massaging it into your skin to bring on stronger feelings of awareness, confidence, peace and self-love.
3. Skin Health Preserver
One of the most popular uses for ylang ylang is applying to the skin in order to preserve a “youthful glow” and help prevent signs of aging or irritation. Ylang ylang is even powerful at fighting the development of skin cancer cells and melanoma. Combine one to two drops with coconut or jojoba oil and massage it into the face once or twice daily for protection.
4. Natural Energizer
If you feel like you’re always tired, drained or frustrated, trying aromatherapy treatment with ylang ylang can help. Many people find the scent to be energizing and useful for fighting fatigue or body aches. Add several drops to a clean cotton ball and apply it to your wrists, neck or chest.
5. PMS Remedy
Aromatherapy or massage with ylang ylang can be helpful for reducing PMS symptoms. To naturally remedy PMS cramps, tension and stress, you can apply ylang ylang oil along with lavender oil to the back of neck and lower abdomen.
6. Natural Hair Care Product
There’s many ways that ylang ylang and coconut oil benefit your hair. Try massaging ylang ylang into your scalp along with using coconut oil or jojoba oil (or your doTERRA conditioner) to increase the appearance of healthy, shiny hair. It can also be helpful for preventing tangles and dandruff, while also working as a hair loss remedy. Some research even shows this combination can kill head lice.
7. Aphrodisiac and Social Enhancer
Ylang ylang has been shown to act like a natural impotence remedy since it can help increase the libido of both men and women. To feel more connected with those around you (including your spouse or family members), diffuse ylang ylang in your room, inhale it from the bottle, add a drop to your body lotion, or even apply a small amount to your bedsheets or shirt collar.
8. Supports Endocrine System
Known to lower the risk for nerve damage due to diabetes complications, ylang ylang can help protect tissue and cells from damage, making it a natural diabetes remedy. Massage several drops into the reflex points of the feet, over the abdomen and pancreas, or use it internally.
9. Digestive Aid
To prevent poor blood flow or feelings of stress and anxiety that can interfere with healthy digestion, try inhaling ylang ylang, massaging it over the digestive organs or consuming several drops daily.
Ylang Ylang Research and Studies
Studies show that high-quality ylang ylang oil holds a high percentage of active constituents called terpenoids. Isolated terpenoid derivatives (including canangaterpenes IV-VI) show promising results as natural therapeutic agents for the treatment of several skin disorders. When tested on cancerous melanoma skin cells, terpenoid compounds exhibit a potent inhibitory effect on cell melanogenesis and immune-system cytotoxicity. In other words, antioxidants in ylang ylang oil help protect skin cells from oxidative stress and DNA damage that can lead to cancer cell formation.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Recipes
Ylang ylang works well with other essential oils like rose oil, lavender oil, frankincense oil, jasmine oil and bergamot oil. Depending on your condition and what you want to use it for, it can double as both a relaxant and a stimulant. Use several drops of mixed essential oils, and dilute them with a few drops of a carrier oil. Here are several combinations to try:
For building confidence: 2 drops ylang ylang and 2 drops bergamot.
For a natural home freshener that smells tropical: 2 drops ylang ylang and 2 drops jasmine.
To release tension: 2 drops ylang ylang and 2 drops frankincense.
To give you an energy boost: 2 drops ylang ylang and 2 drops of citrus oil like lemon oil, grapefruit essential oil or orange oil.
For an aphrodisiac massage rub: 2 drops ylang ylang and 2 drops sandalwood essential oil.
Homemade Ylang Ylang, Frankincense and Myrrh and Body Lotion Recipe. This homemade body lotion recipe brings hydration and essential vitamins and nutrients to the skin. In addition, the essential oils tone, lift, heal and protect the skin.
Total Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 30
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax
1/4 cup shea butter
2 tablespoons vitamin E (from a broken supplement gel)
10 drops frankincense essential oil
20 drops myrrh oil
10 drops ylang ylang essential oil
Glass bottle
DIRECTIONS:
Put olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter in glass bowl, and then place that bowl in saucepan with water. Heat stove to medium, and mix ingredients together.
Once mixed, put in refrigerator for an hour until solid. With a regular mixer or hand mixer, beat the mixture until it is whipped and fluffy. Then add essential oils and vitamin E and mix. Fill container and store in cool place.
How do you use Ylang Ylang?
