dōTERRA Ylang Ylang oil: price, uses and what to know

Ylang Ylang is the most perfume-like oil in the everyday range: heady, sweet and exotic, the smell of tropical flowers in a warm evening. It is used in tiny amounts, and those tiny amounts change everything they touch.

In short: Cananga odorata, distilled from the flowers of the ylang ylang tree in Madagascar, with a rich, sweet, creamy floral aroma. It costs $44 wholesale in the US and £43.75 in the UK, is used in mood blends with citrus, in natural perfume and on hair ends, and is so strong that one drop is usually enough.

What it is and where it comes from

The ylang ylang tree grows in tropical Asia and the islands of the Indian Ocean. Its drooping, yellow-green flowers are picked by hand early in the morning, when their scent is strongest. dōTERRA sources its ylang ylang from Madagascar, working with a growers’ cooperative under its Co-Impact Sourcing programme, which supports fair pay and community projects.

The distillation is unusual. Ylang ylang is distilled for up to 20 hours, and the oil is collected in stages, called fractions: the first, “Extra”, is the lightest and most floral, the later fractions are heavier and woodier. This fractional distillation is why two ylang ylang oils can smell so different.

The main aromatic compounds are linalool, germacrene D, benzyl acetate and benzyl benzoate.

Aroma

Intensely sweet, creamy and floral, with notes of banana, jasmine and a spicy, balsamic depth. In the bottle it can seem overwhelming; diluted or blended it becomes luxurious and warm. It is a classic ingredient in fine perfumery.

How people use it

In the diffuser. Ylang ylang is a mood oil, usually used with citrus to lighten it.

Blend	Drops	When
Ylang Ylang + Wild Orange	1 + 4	Uplifting afternoon
Ylang Ylang + Bergamot	1 + 3	Romantic evening
Ylang Ylang + Lavender	1 + 3	Relaxed evening at home
Ylang Ylang + Lemon + Frankincense	1 + 2 + 2	Sophisticated room scent for guests

As a natural perfume. Ylang ylang is the heart of many DIY perfumes. A simple roller blend: 10 ml of fractionated coconut oil or jojoba, two drops ylang ylang, three drops bergamot, two drops frankincense. Apply to pulse points.

In hair care. Traditionally, ylang ylang was mixed into coconut oil and used on the hair in Indonesia and the Philippines. One drop in a teaspoon of carrier oil smoothed over the ends gives shine and a subtle scent.

On skin. One or two drops in 10 ml of carrier oil as a body oil or in an unscented lotion.

In the bath. One drop, mixed with a spoonful of carrier oil or bath salts, is enough for a whole bath.

Safety

• One drop is enough. Large amounts can be cloying and, for some people, cause headaches or nausea.
• Always dilute on skin: one to two drops per 10 ml of carrier. Ylang ylang can sensitise skin with repeated neat use.
• Patch-test first on the inner arm and wait 24 hours.
• Keep away from eyes.
• For children, use only diffused in small amounts, or very diluted.
• Use in pregnancy or with low blood pressure only after asking a doctor.

Is it worth the price?

At $44 for around 250 drops, a drop costs about 18 cents. Because blends rarely need more than one drop, a bottle of ylang ylang lasts a long time, usually longer than any citrus oil. Ylang ylang is frequently adulterated with synthetic floral compounds or sold as a lower fraction (III) with a heavier, flatter smell; dōTERRA publishes batch test results at sourcetoyou.com.

What to pair it with

Ylang Ylang is not in Home Essentials or Family Essentials, but it appears as an ingredient in Serenity and in Deep Blue. On its own, it blends best with citrus such as Wild Orange and Bergamot, and with woods like Frankincense. If you are building a perfume collection, ylang ylang is usually the second or third floral oil after Lavender.

Where to buy it

Buy from the official dōTERRA warehouse in your own country at the price in the table above. Cheap “ylang ylang” on marketplaces is often a single low fraction or a synthetic fragrance oil; see how to spot a fake. Pick your country on the home page, or ask us.

Questions and answers

How much does dōTERRA Ylang Ylang cost?

In the US a 15 ml bottle is $44.00 wholesale and $58.67 retail; in the UK £43.75 / £58.33. The table above lists ten countries from the official October 2026 price lists.

How many drops of Ylang Ylang should I use?

Usually just one. Ylang ylang is so intense that a single drop flavours a whole diffuser blend, and more can become cloying or even give some people a headache.

What does “fractional distillation” mean for ylang ylang?

Ylang ylang is distilled for many hours and the oil is collected in stages, called fractions (Extra, I, II, III). The early fractions are light and floral, the later ones heavier and woodier, so how the fractions are handled shapes the final aroma.

Can I put Ylang Ylang on my skin?

Yes, but diluted: one or two drops per 10 ml of carrier oil. It can sensitise skin with repeated undiluted use, so patch-test first and never apply it neat.

Is Ylang Ylang in a starter kit?

No. Ylang Ylang is not part of Home Essentials or Family Essentials, so you buy it separately. You can, however, find it as an ingredient in Serenity and Deep Blue.

This information is for general aromatic and household use. dōTERRA products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Follow the label of the product sold in your country; ask a doctor before use during pregnancy, with children or with medical conditions.