Ylang ylang essential oil, distilled from the flowers of the tropical Cananga odorata tree, is best known for lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety, and balancing oily skin. It has a rich, sweet floral scent that makes it popular in perfumery, but the oil also has measurable biological effects backed by a growing body of research.
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate
The most well-documented benefit of ylang ylang is its effect on the cardiovascular system. In a controlled study of healthy men, inhaling the oil dropped average systolic blood pressure from about 115 to 98 mmHg, with diastolic pressure falling from 66 to 59 mmHg. Heart rate decreased significantly as well, with readings in most measurement leads dropping by roughly 8 beats per minute. These are notable shifts from simple inhalation, and they point to a genuine sedative effect on the nervous system.
This makes ylang ylang particularly useful for moments of acute stress or restlessness rather than as a substitute for blood pressure medication. Diffusing it in the evening or inhaling it directly from the bottle during a tense moment is where most people notice the calming effect.
Anxiety and Stress Relief
A randomized controlled trial tested ylang ylang aromatherapy on hospital patients facing invasive neurological procedures, a setting where anxiety runs high. Patients who wore cloth pads scented with the oil overnight saw their trait anxiety (the kind of deep, baseline nervousness that reflects your general temperament) drop significantly more than the placebo group: a 17% median reduction versus about 10%. Even more striking, the number of patients classified as “high anxiety” fell from 55% to just 5% in the ylang ylang group, compared to a drop from 50% to 32% in the placebo group.
Cortisol levels showed a trend toward reduction (about 29% lower in the ylang ylang group) but didn’t reach statistical significance in that study. The takeaway is that ylang ylang appears to work more clearly on the psychological experience of anxiety than on the hormonal markers, at least with overnight exposure.
Skin and Scalp Health
Ylang ylang has strong potential for oily skin and scalp conditions. In an animal study on seborrheic dermatitis, a ylang ylang formulation applied over six weeks cut sebum levels from 26.75 to 5.67 mg/cm², a dramatic reduction. At the same time, skin hydration more than doubled. The oil appears to restore normal barrier function rather than simply stripping oil away, which is why it’s often recommended for skin that’s both oily and dehydrated.
The oil also fights bacteria commonly involved in skin problems. Lab testing showed ylang ylang formulations inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (a major player in skin infections) and E. coli more effectively than ciprofloxacin, a prescription antibiotic, at comparable concentrations. Molecular modeling suggests its compounds may interact with pathways involved in acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, though human clinical trials on these conditions are still limited.
For everyday use, adding ylang ylang to a facial serum or scalp treatment can help manage excess oil production. If you’re dealing with a flaky, oily scalp, it’s one of the more evidence-supported essential oil options.
How to Use It Safely
Ylang ylang is a sensitizing oil, meaning it can cause allergic skin reactions with repeated use at high concentrations. Symptoms typically show up as red, itchy patches of eczema, especially behind the ears, on the wrists, or on the upper chest where people commonly apply fragrance. The standard recommendation is to keep topical dilution at or below 0.8%, which works out to about 3 drops per tablespoon of carrier oil. For general body use, most essential oils can go up to 2%, but ylang ylang specifically needs a lighter hand. On the face, stick closer to 0.5% to 0.8%.
For diffusing, you don’t need to dilute the oil. Add 3 to 5 drops to a standard ultrasonic diffuser and run it in 30-minute intervals. The scent is intense, and continuous diffusion can become overwhelming or trigger headaches in some people.
Choosing the Right Grade
Ylang ylang is unusual among essential oils because it’s sold in multiple grades, each collected at different stages of a single, long distillation process. The differences matter depending on what you’re using it for.
- Extra: Collected during the first 1 to 1.5 hours of distillation. This grade has the highest concentration of lighter, fragrant compounds like benzyl acetate (around 28%) and linalool (around 9%). It’s the top choice for perfumery, emotional aromatherapy, and any use where scent quality matters most.
- Grade I: Collected about 2 to 2.5 hours in. It contains more of the mid-range compounds and less of the light top notes. Still good for aromatherapy, with a slightly deeper scent profile.
- Grade II: Pulled after roughly 5 to 6 hours total. A more balanced, less intense oil often used in soap and body care products.
- Grade III: Collected after about 12 hours total. Heavier in character, with more of the woody, earthy compounds. This is the most affordable grade and commonly used in commercial products like lotions and candles.
- Complete: In theory, this is oil collected from start to finish without separation. In practice, most “complete” oils on the market are blends of the other fractions mixed together. A genuine complete oil has slightly sour, milky notes that many people find less pleasant.
For stress relief and mood support, Extra or Grade I will give you the most therapeutically relevant compounds. For skin and scalp applications, Grade II or III work well and cost less.
Pet Safety
Ylang ylang is listed as toxic to dogs and cats by veterinary toxicologists at Texas A&M. Oral ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, slowed heart rate, slowed breathing, and in large doses, seizures. Even diffusing the oil in a closed room with pets present carries risk, since animals have far more sensitive respiratory systems. If you use ylang ylang at home, diffuse it in a room your pets can leave freely, and never apply it to their skin or add it to their food.