Benefits & Uses: Ylang Ylang Essential Oil for Skin & Hair

Whenever I mention ylang ylang essential oil (pronouced ee-lang ee-lang), people usually have no idea what I’m talking about.  If you know me, you probably even think it’s a word I made up.  But this essential oil’s power ranges from its calming effect to being used in beauty products.  Once you smell the unique scent of ylang ylang, you will always be able to pick it out in a blend.  

The essential oil of ylang ylang, know for it’s sweet smell, holds remarkable potential as a natural beauty elixir. The ylang ylang oil comes from the ylang ylang flowers on a Cananga tree (cananga odorata). The star-shaped flower has a rich scent. Beyond it’s delightful fragrant flowers, the ylang-ylang oil offers a variety of benefits for both hair and skin care. 

Ylang Ylang essential oil benefits

Benefits for Hair:

1. Stimulates Growth: Ylang ylang oil’s ability to enhance blood circulation to the scalp stimulates hair follicles, promoting healthy hair growth and reducing hair loss within a hair care routine.
2. Scalp Balance: Its sebum-regulating properties help balance the scalp’s natural oil production by supporting the sebaceous glands, effectively tackling both oily and dry scalp issues.
3. Strengthens Strands: Nourishing dry hair from root to tip, ylang ylang oil acts as a natural conditioner, fortifying strands, reducing breakage, and enhancing hair resilience.

Benefits for Skin:

1. Oil Balancing Act: Ylang ylang oil helps to control sebum production, making it beneficial for various skin types, maintaining a harmonious oil balance.
2. Soothes Skin Woes: Those with problematic or sensitive skin will find it helpful. Its anti-inflammatory nature can alleviate dry skin that is irritated and red. 
3. Radiant Complexion: Packed with antioxidants, ylang ylang oil enhances skin health, contributing to a glowing and radiant complexion in skincare products.
4. Wrinkle Reduction: Ylang ylang oil’s antioxidant properties and hydrating effects may assist in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, contributing to a smoother complexion.

How to Use Ylang Ylang Safely

Before using ylang ylang on your hair or skin, make sure to patch test to ensure you don’t develop skin irritation or experience other adverse effects. If you have any side effects, it would be best to avoid it!  You can help to prevent this from happening by using a carrier oil of your choice, such as fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, or even in massage oils. 

As always, please don’t ingest essential oils. Here is a statement straight from Robert Tisserand’s (a licensed aromatherapist) page:

Ingesting essential oils for medicinal use or using them in cookery is potentially very hazardous and is not something that we would ever recommend. The human digestive system is used to processing essential oils in minute amounts in herbs and spices, and this is safe practice; however, any essential oil is at least 100 times more concentrated than found in a herb or a spice, which can cause irritation and internal damage to the digestive tract. (emphasis mine)

You wouldn’t drink 100 cups of tea in a day, so please don’t ingest this oil (or any) internally.

Ways to use ylang ylang essential oil

• In Your Diffuser

  • Add 5-10 drops of ylang-ylang essential oil (depending on your diffuser) and diffuse for increments of 30-60 minutes to help decrease anxiety, stress, and insomnia.  I find ylang ylang overwhelming if diffused by itself, so make your own blend with orange, bergamot, cedarwood, grapefruit, or vetiver.
  • For a feel good blend, add 1 drop ylang ylang, 1 drop bergamot, and 2 drops of grapefruit essential oils

• In Your Personal Inhaler

  • Add 10-15 drops of ylang ylang oil and breathe in to feel more relaxed or benefit from the aphrodisiac qualities

• On Your Skin and Hair

  • Per Using Essential Oils Safely, dilute to 0.8%.  This is 5 drops of ylang ylang essential oil to 1 ounce/30mL
    • Ensure proper dilution to avoid skin irritation 
  • Skin Care
    • Combine a couple drops of ylang ylang to your lotion to add a pleasing aroma!
    • Add a drop to your regular facial moisturizer and mix well to help balance facial oil. 
  • Hair Care
    • When used in your hair care products, it can help with dandruff and hair loss (as mentioned above).  Mix 5 drops of the oil to an ounce of your shampoo or hair conditioner, then rinse out.
    • Ylang ylang can also be used with a carrier oil (coconut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond, etc) to create a nourishing hair mask. Add a few drops to the carrier oil, apply to your hair, and allow to sit for 20 minutes before washing out. 

• In the Bath

  • Dilute 1 drop ylang ylang with 2 drops mandarin with into 1 Tablespoon (15mL) unscented body wash then add to one cup of epsom salt. Enjoy a relaxing bath!

• As a Calming Spray

  • You’ll need:
    • 2 oz (60 mL) of water
    • 1 Tablespoon of witch hazel (or vodka)
    • 10-15 drops of ylang ylang
    • (optional) Add 5-10 drops of complementary essential oils such as lavender, orange, bergamot, or cedarwood.
  • Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to combine the ingredients! 
    • Before each use, make sure to shake your bottle to disperse your essential oils again as water and oil do not mix.

Which of ylang ylang’s therapeutic benefits are you most excited to explore—relaxation, skincare, or haircare? It’s a fun oil to have around and one I hope you enjoy too!  Make sure to pin this to Pinterest so you can save it for later!

Interested in learning more about essential oils? Learn more about cinnamon, lemon, lavender, or grab my guide to 10 popular essential oils