Are you thinking of escaping to a warm, tropical paradise? Madagascar might be just for you. It is a beautifully diverse island in the Indian Ocean. It is an island of white sandy beaches, humid rainforest, baobab trees and stunning flowers. Madagascar boasts an incredibly rich ecology and landscape, in fact it is one of the richest eco systems on earth and is home to nearly a quarter of all the flowering plants in Africa. One of it’s finest botanical treasures is the exquisitely fragrant ylang ylang flower, which encapsulates the very essence of an island paradise in the sunshine.
It’s name translates as the ‘flower of flowers’ and it isn’t difficult to smell why! Ylang ylang oil has a sweet, floral fragrance and is a heady natural perfume in its own right. It remains one of the most important raw materials in French perfumery, providing an abundance of wonderfully floral, sweet and spicy notes. Together with rose and vanilla, it forms the foundation for many perfume recipes. Ylang ylang can be distilled several times so always choose the finest grade for the highest quality oil. Ylang Ylang Extra Grade is the best oil you can buy.
Traditionally the fragrant blooms were steeped in coconut oil by the islanders, to create a heavily scented oil. This body oil was then used as a skin moisturiser and a hair pomade, to protect the skin from the weather and the salty seawater. It helps to nourish and rejuvenate the skin and is unrivalled as a hair care oil. Simply add a few drops to your hair treatment oil or your shampoo, it is a wonderful oil for promoting healthy, shiny growth. (I always add a couple of drops to my coconut oil)
Ylang ylang is not just an amazing perfume, it is also incredibly useful in aromatherapy for calming the nerves and heart. It’s chief actions are to calm and relax, its cooling nature helps it to relieve nervous tension, palpitations and hypertension. Wherever there is agitation, upset or restlessness, ylang ylang will bring harmony and calm. It’s relaxing properties make it a first choice oil for upset, fearfulness and anxiety. It’s benefits also extend to sexual anxiety too and this may help to explain it’s benefits as an aphrodisiac. A sunshine holiday in a bottle, ylang ylang oil is my companion in times of stress or difficulty, when I’m feeling burdened or overworked. Ylang ylang will help to calm and ground you, while encouraging emotional calm and renewed enjoyment. Try burning a few drops in your essential oil burner with one or two drops of rose geranium or lavender, or add some to a hot bath. You can find generous amounts of this wonderful oil in our fragrant tranquility bath salts and our island flower body oil…
I love it for whenever I feel the need to escape.
Lindsey x