Ylang ylang oil, from the flowers of the tropical Cananga odorata tree, is the floral thread in two of our scent blends: lemongrass all-purpose and lavender bathroom. The interesting part is how it is made.
Contains added scent. Prefer none? Our Fragrance-Free All-Purpose Refill and Spray Kit have no fragrance or essential oils. No fragrance-free bathroom cleaner yet.
Quick facts
- What it is: Ylang ylang flower oil (Cananga odorata flower oil), labeled Ylang Ylang Oil
- Its job: Fragrance only
- EPA Safer Choice: Not on its ingredients list
- CAS number: 8006-81-3
One flower, several grades
Ylang ylang flowers are usually steam-distilled in fractions. The first, sold as "extra," is sweeter, while later grades (I, II and III) carry more heavy sesquiterpenes such as germacrene D. Fractions can be recombined into a "complete" oil (Tisserand & Young, 2014).
Allergens to know
The oil contains three allergens EU cosmetics labels must name above 0.001% (leave-on) or 0.01% (rinse-off): linalool, benzyl benzoate and benzyl salicylate (Tisserand & Young, 2014; European Parliament & Council of the European Union, 2009).
Since 2023 the EU list also names ylang ylang oil itself and beta-caryophyllene, another of its compounds (European Commission, 2023). Sensitive to scents? Look for those names.
A 2008 review reported skin sensitization from the oil in animal and human studies, though the compounds responsible are unclear (Burdock & Carabin, 2008). Linalool mostly causes trouble once air-oxidized: at a Dutch clinic, 11.7% of 821 consecutive dermatitis patients, a referred group, reacted to it (Dittmar & Schuttelaar, 2019).
Safer Choice judges fragrances under separate criteria (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.-a, n.d.-b). See how we vet ingredients.
Handling and safety
- Undiluted essential oils can irritate skin and eyes. Each tablet holds a little, diluted in water.
- Store unused tablets packaged and out of reach. They can look like candy.
- We found no pet toxicity listing for ylang ylang oil, so we make no claim either way. These products also contain citrus or lavender oils, and the ASPCA lists the orange and lavender plants, not our cleaner, as toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA, n.d.-b, n.d.-c). Keep pets away until surfaces dry. Never apply cleaner to an animal. Worried about a pet? The ASPCA hotline is below.
- We have not measured dried residue, so wipe high chair trays with a damp cloth.
If something goes wrong
- Eyes or skin: rinse well with water. Call your doctor if irritation continues.
- Swallowed: call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (America's Poison Centers, n.d.).
- Pet ate a tablet or cleaner: call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, fee may apply (ASPCA, n.d.-a).
Where you will find it
Two blends: Lemongrass (lemongrass, orange, lemon, ylang ylang and patchouli oils) for all-purpose, and Lavender (lavender, lavandin, rosemary, frankincense, bergamot, cedarwood and ylang ylang oils) for bathrooms.
- All-Purpose Refill, Lemongrass
- All-Purpose Kit, Lemongrass
- Bathroom Refills, Lavender
- Bathroom Kit, Lavender
See all our ingredients →
Sources
- America's Poison Centers. (n.d.). [Homepage]. https://poisoncenters.org/
- ASPCA. (n.d.-a). ASPCA Poison Control. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- ASPCA. (n.d.-b). Lavender. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/lavender
- ASPCA. (n.d.-c). Orange. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/orange
- Burdock, G. A., & Carabin, I. G. (2008). Safety assessment of ylang-ylang (Cananga spp.) as a food ingredient. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(2), 433-445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.105
- Dittmar, D., & Schuttelaar, M. L. A. (2019). Contact sensitization to hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool: Results of consecutive patch testing and clinical relevance. Contact Dermatitis, 80(2), 101-109. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.13137
- European Commission. (2023). Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 as regards labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1545/oj
- European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2009). Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1223/oj
- Tisserand, R., & Young, R. (2014). Essential oil safety: A guide for health care professionals (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-a). Safer Chemical Ingredients List. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-ingredients
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-b). Safer Choice criteria for fragrances. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-criteria-fragrances
