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Ylang-ylang is one of the most fun essential oils to say. Especially when you add a British accent. You say it Ee-lang ee-lang. So fun! (Check out this video real quick if you don’t believe me.)
But what is ylang-ylang? Where does it come from? What does it smell like? How is it used? Let’s discuss!
Ylang-Ylang Basics
- Ylang-ylang comes from a flower of a tall tree native to tropical Asia, especially in Indonesia.
- Ylang-ylang is used as a base note in many perfumes.
- Its key actions are relaxing, sedating, and balancing.
- Ylang-ylang is used to be calming on the nervous system and helps with circulation and anxiety. It also has aphrodisiac properties.
- Ylang-ylang is often used in skincare for an exotic and luxurious fragrance and to balance the secretion of sebum. It is good for both dry and oily skin types.
- Some essential oils that blend well with ylang-ylang include bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, jasmine, lemon, rose, and vetiver.
Ylang-Ylang Skincare
Ylang-ylang These are some Neal’s Yard Remedies products with ylang-ylang essential oil as an ingredient. Why Neal’s Yard Remedies? Because they have been an leader in organic skincare since 1981. Ylang-ylang essential oil is used in many of the most best selling products.
- Beauty Sleep Concentrate – this is one of my absolute favorite products. It comes in a pump bottle and is so easy to use- especially for those who may not be used to using a night cream. I call it a gateway night cream because it is so light on the skin and easy to apply. I wrote a full blog post about it here.
- Of course the other Beauty Sleep products have ylang-ylang too. The Beauty Sleep Body Butter and Beauty Sleep Body Lotion. The body butter is very thick and comes in a glass jar. The body lotion comes with a pump and is more liquidy. Both smell and feel divine!
- Orange Flower Facial Wash – this facial wash for dry skin has several essential oils in the ingredient list: neroli, mandarin, and ylang-ylang. What a lovely combination! Also the Nourishing Orange Flower Night Cream and the Orange Flower Facial Oil. (Have you tried a facial oil? Read here about why you should!!)
- Rehydrating Rose Facial Polish. Do you exfoliate? You should! This Rose Facial Polish has wild rose seed powder to gently exfoliate. I use it twice a week.
- Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture also has ylang-ylang among other healthy and nourishing oils and essential oils.
- Not a skincare product, but ylang-ylang is also a major ingredient in the De-Stress Aromatherapy Blend. This is an essential oil blend that can be used to diffuse or mix with a base oil. This blend also includes balsam copaiba, petigrain, and neroli. And of course you can also get the ylang-ylang essential oil (certified organic by the Soil Association).
Ylang Ylang skincare products look awesome, right? I like these products because they are made in small batches with quality ingredients and no nasty things like parabens, phthalates, GMOs, and synthetic fragrances. When I tried the products out for the first time, I immediately fell in love with them and the mission and ethics of the company. You can read more about Neal’s Yard Remedies here.
Would you like a sample of any of these? I keep samples on hand, but exactly what I have varies. I would love to share with you. Come and fill out your info here!

Ylang Ylang Image by Maya A.P from Pixabay Thanks! 🙂
I hope you learned something interesting! Comment below and don’t forget to join my group on Facebook!

Alicia Adams is the creator of Peppermint Tulip, a blog to share the organic life and products from Neal’s Yard Remedies. She lives in Texas with her husband and two young girls.
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