Ylang-Ylang Plant Magic

Ylang-ylang is the ultimate floral indulgence and one inhale will have you feeling as though you’ve been swept away to a balmy night in some exotic destination. Aside from its alluring and sensual scent, ylang-ylang is also full of plenty of medicinal and magical properties - making it the perfect botanical to boost your body, mind, and spirit. 

The scientific name for ylang-yhlang is Cananga odorata, and it’s also known as the “flower of flowers” and the “perfume tree.” Its name means wilderness.

The flowers grow on a tree that can reach up to 20 meters high and are native to tropical regions throughout Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It’s now cultivated and grown around the world. 

Ylang-ylang is one of those scents that you just have to experience to fully understand - but the smell is very rich, floral, and somewhat citrusy. It somehow manages to smell both sexy and calming - spicy and sweet. 

While the intoxicating scent is reason enough to use this flower - its magical and medicinal properties are what really make this tropical flower essential for any modern mystic.

In this article, we’ll discuss both the scientific healing properties of the plant and the more subtle energetic powers that have made the flower a popular magical ingredient for hundreds of years.

The beautiful lemony-colored flowers of ylang-ylang have a variety of health benefits. Traditional medicinal uses include treating conditions like asthma, gout, rheumatism, and even malaria. Headaches and stomach problems were commonly treated with the sweet tropical flower as well. 

Healers still use ylang-ylang essential oil to treat skin issues like cuts and burns. It can also be used to treat insect bites - and traditional healers even use it to treat snake bites.

With all of its antimicrobial properties, it makes sense why this treatment would have been effective over the years in stopping infection and inflammation. 

In more recent studies, scientists have isolated several beneficial chemical compounds in the plant including sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids.These compounds within the plant have been found to be antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.The scent can act as an insect repellent when worn on the body. 

Some of ylang-ylang’s most powerful medicinal properties target mental and emotional health conditions as it is both soothing and stimulating. It is believed to helpalleviate depression and anxietyover time by those who use aromatherapy methods. Ylang-ylang can even help to lower your heart rate and reduce high blood pressure. 

Why there isn’t a ton of scientific effort to back up the magical properties of plants - the metaphysical and spiritual benefits have been felt and utilized over the years by shamans, healers, and others who are in tune with the subtle energies of nature. 

In Indonesia, ylang-ylang has long been used as an aphrodisiac to help stimulate passion and desire. Even today, ylang-ylang petals are often scattered on the beds of newly married couples to encourage love and fertility. 

Ylang-ylang isn’t exactly a common ingredient in spell work - mostly because it is somewhat rare and coveted - but those who do possess fresh flowers or essential oil often use ylang-ylang in spells for love and romance and to create harmony between masculine and feminine energies. 

Ylang-ylang creates peaceful and calm energy, so it is great for any magical ritual for relaxation and to bring peace to the home. It can be used to help boost confidence and self-love, and even to assist with meditation and spiritual awakening. 

• Love - enhancing romance. 
• Calm - relieves stress and relaxes the mind and body. 
• Spirituality - helps with meditation and connection to the Universe and nature. 
• Joy - uplifts the spirit and helps release negative energy. 
• Confidence - helps to overcome insecurities. 
• Sex - helps to increase sensuality, intimacy, and physical pleasure. 

Aside from being one of the most intoxicating and luxurious scents out there - ylang ylang has a ton of skincare benefits, which is one of the many reasons why we love it here at LAB.OTANICA. 

Ylang-ylang helps to balance and regulate oil production in the skin. If you’re a skincare fanatic you’re likely familiar with sebum - when balanced it helps to keep the skin from drying out, but when your skin overproduces sebum it can often lead to oily and acne-prone skin. 

Ylang-ylang can help make sure that your body is producing the right amount of sebum for healthy glowing skin, without going overboard. It also soothes any existing inflammation and skin irritations. 

Ylang-ylang is also great for fighting acne due to its antifungal and antimicrobial properties and can even enhance the epidermis’ regenerative process. So, whether you suffer from dry flaky skin or oily acne-prone skin - ylang-ylang can help! It is truly perfect for all skin types

If you’re looking to harness the power of this magical plant, you’re in luck! You can easily incorporate ylang-ylang into your daily life and skincare regimen to receive the many benefits and blessings offered by the flower.

1. Turn your morning facial cleanse into a ritual for self-love and beauty!

Creating intention and ceremony around everyday activities is a powerful way to call in more magic to your daily life. Instead of simply washing your face in the morning, create a ritual around self-love and beauty with ourClearity Micellar Cleansing Floral Water. 

Clearity combines the power of beautiful ylang-ylang with calming chamomile and is charged with clear quartz crystals to help give you the ultimate cleanse - physically and spiritually. Before you wash your face, consider setting an intention to release negative thoughts about yourself that no longer serve you.

Let go of anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt, and feeling like you’re not enough - say those things out loud before using a few pumps of Clearity Micellar Cleansing Floral Water and then rinsing it off with warm water.

As the water goes down the drain, imagine those negative thoughts going with them - along with all of the excess dirt, oil, and dry skin that you’ve removed while washing your face! 

Next, set some positive intentions for yourself now that your face and energy are feeling clean and fresh. Look in the mirror and repeat a positive affirmation for yourself - such as “I am beautiful. I am confident. I am loved!” Congratulations - you’ve just turned your skincare routine into a magical ritual! 

2. Meditate with ylang-ylang 

Since ylang-ylang helps with relaxation and reduces stress and anxiety - meditation is a perfect way to harness its special plant magic. Use a few drops of essential oil on your hands and rub them together then place over your face and inhale deeply a few times before beginning your meditation practice.

You can alternatively diffuse some ylang-ylang oil in a diffuser to cleanse the space before meditating, or even light a ylang-ylang candle or incense. 

3. Give your partner a sensual massage 

If you’re looking to spice things up with your partner, consider incorporating some ylang-ylang and create a beautiful and sensual experience for your lover. You can mix a few drops of ylang-ylang essential oil with coconut or jojoba oil and then gently rub it into your hands before offering your partner a massage. 

Not only will the essential oil benefit their skin - it will help to calm them while simultaneously stimulating their senses with its aphrodisiac and pleasure-inducing properties.

This can be a great way to reconnect after a difficult conversation or experience, or simply a love offering to show your partner how much you care. It’s a beautiful way to ensure that your special someone feels loved, and appreciated, and you will both feel the benefits of exotic, enticing ylang-ylang essence. 

Plants are magic - and so are you! We wish you love and many blessings on your magical journey. 

Pura vida!

Created in Synergy with Amanda Morgan & Meleesa Luna