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INCI name

Cananga odorata

Ingredient Properties

Natural

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Picked at sunrise, when they are the most fragrant, ylang-ylang flowers are steam-distilled to create a beautiful and smooth floral oil.

Ylang-ylang stands out <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/a/how-essential-oils-and-absolutes-are-made">from other essential oils</a> for the number of different aroma profiles you can obtain from an especially long steam distillation process. The petals are left to boil for up to twenty hours! Essential oil is regularly tapped out of the final vessel, not just once at the end. Each stage therefore captures different fractions of the plant, producing several oil qualities with various scents and benefits. The first extraction usually happens after an hour and a half, and is commonly called Ylang Ylang Extra. Then, a few hours later come Ylang Ylang 1st, then 2nd and finally, 3rd grade.

Two grades are closer to a classic distillation though, as it’s collected after a full, uninterrupted process: Ylang Ylang Complete (very long boiling time) and Ylang Ylang VOP which stands for Very Old Process (shortened boiling time).

What does ylang-ylang essential oil smell like?

Alina Gliwinska, perfumer at Lush, describes: “Ylang oils are very versatile and work well in many different types of perfumes. Primarily it can add flowery notes, but it’s great to round up scents, smooth the final floral aroma, and help balance the accords. It is a great addition to a fruity scent as it brings that sweet, exotic fruit type of notes. It can soften green and woody notes as well. It has the power to brighten fragrances and make them last longer.“

Of course, you now know that ylang ylang oil scents depend on the grade, and we use several. Alina continues: “We mainly use ylang ylang Extra and 1st grade. Extra is the most desired quality as it is very powerful and intense but still light, sweet, petal-like, flowery and slightly fruity. It is the best for fine perfumery and it is a privilege that we can use this quality”.

“We also use some ylang ylang Complete, which is smoother. It is a more balanced combination of floral, fruity, and earthy tones. For me, it is great to build and enrich those notes in a perfume, and not really for when the floral side needs to stand out. We also use Ylang VOP. The shorter distillation captures the lighter and most volatile compounds of the flowers.”

What are the benefits of ylang ylang oil on the mind, skin and hair?

Our long-standing and main supplier for our various grades of ylang ylang is located on the island of Anjouan in the Comoros. The distillery is capable of processing up to 150 tons of flowers per year and works with approximately 400 farmers. Eager to improve their quality and productivity, they are interested in modern solutions whilst respecting the local traditional methods and customs.&nbsp;

Concerned about their environment, they have implemented regenerative and agroforestry practices, encouraging producers to diversify crops and planting several thousand ylang ylang trees and other species that limit soil erosion. One of the challenges of producing ylang ylang oil is the amount of wood needed to heat the vats during the very long distillation process. Our supplier aims to solve this problem by implementing modern techniques that significantly reduce the need for wood and by investing in tree planting.

Lush also produces its very own ylang ylang oil in Ghana. <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/ghanaian-ylang-ylang-oil">Discover this source here.</a>

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/ylang-ylang">Learn more about the ylang ylang plant and flowers.</a>

Cananga Odorata Flower Oil (Ylang Ylang Oil)