The most commonly mispronounced essential oil (you actually say EE-langEE-lang, without the hard “Y”) is also one of the loveliest natural scents in the cosmetics world, and as such Ylang Ylang has been used for centuries in floral perfumes and products.

Ylang Ylang is so much more than a pretty scent, though: this oil, derived from the flower of the Cananga odorata tree, is brimming with topical and medicinal benefits.

For starters, it’s antiseptic – an excellent quality in an underarm deodorant. It’s also anti seborrhoeic, which means it’s particularly effective at soothing eczema and other skin irritations (razor burn, anyone?).

It’s also thought to be nervine, which means it has a positive impact on the nervous system, and is a sedative, which means it’s soothing for the body and mind during periods of stress.

Ylang Ylang is also a proven aphrodisiac – mixed with the pheromones emitted from your sweat glands makes it a pretty potent ingredient in a deodorant. (In all seriousness, it’s only a mild aphrodisiac; we include it in our free-from deodorant more for its floral scent and antiseptic qualities.)

Find it in our:
Lemon Myrtle & Geranium Deodorant

Sources:
Tan LTH, Lee LH, Yin WF, et al. Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Bioactivities of Cananga odorata (Ylang-Ylang). Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM. 2015;2015:896314. doi:10.1155/2015/896314.

Hongratanaworakit, Tapanee, and Gerhard Buchbauer. “Relaxing effect of ylang ylang oil on humans after transdermal absorption.” Phytotherapy Research 20.9 (2006): 758-763.

Bilcu, Maxim, et al. “Efficiency of vanilla, patchouli and ylang ylang essential oils stabilized by iron oxide@ C14 nanostructures against bacterial adherence and biofilms formed by Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical strains.” Molecules 19.11 (2014): 17943-17956.