Pale yellow to yellow clear liquid with intense sweet floral creamy odor
Producing Countries
Comoros Islands, Madagascar, Philippines, Indonesia
Pyramid
Heart
Rich, narcotic, jasmine-custard sweetness with a creamy, banana-like quality. Ylang extra is the finest fraction of ylang distillation — the most floral, the most intense, the most concentrated.
Rich, narcotic, jasmine-custard sweetness. Creamy-banana quality with a spicy (clove-like) undertone from eugenol. More floral and transparent than lower ylang grades. Less heavy than ylang II or III. A luminous, almost edible sweetness — custard, jasmine, tropical fruit. On blotter, the floral-sweet character persists with gradual warming.
The highest-quality fraction obtained from the fractional distillation of Cananga odorata flowers. Ylang-ylang distillation produces four grades (Extra, I, II, III); the 'Extra' is the first fraction collected, containing the lightest, most floral components.
The scent is intensely floral, sweet, and narcotic, with a particular jasmine-custard-banan a quality. Key arom a compounds include linalool, geranyl acetate, benzyl acetate, methyl benzoate, and par a-cresyl methyl ether. The Extr a grade is richest in linalool and lightest in the heavier sesquiterpene fracti on that characterizes the lower grades.
Ylang-ylang Extra is used in high-quality floral compositions where the finest, most transparent ylang character is desired. The lower grades (I, II, III) are progressively heavier, less floral, and less expensive — used in functional fragrance and soap perfumery.
Ylang-ylang means 'flower of flowers' in Tagalog. In the Philippines and Indonesia, ylang-ylang flowers are strewn on the beds of newlyweds on their wedding night — a tradition rooted in the belief that the scent enhances romantic desire. Modern research has confirmed that ylang oil does reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which may explain its traditional associations with relaxation and intimacy.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Fractional steam distillation of fresh Cananga odorata flowers. The Extra grade is collected during the first 1-2 hours of a 15-20 hour distillation. Yield for Extra grade is approximately 0.5-1% from flowers. Principal production in Madagascar, Comoros Islands, and Réunion. The Comoros (Anjouan, Mohéli) produce the majority of the world's ylang oil. Flowers are harvested by hand at dawn when volatile content peaks.
Pale yellow to yellow clear liquid with intense sweet floral creamy odor
Flash Point
170.00 °F. TCC ( 76.67 °C. )
Specific Gravity
0.94800 to 0.96800 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index
1.49700 to 1.51100 @ 20.00 °C.
In Perfumery
Heart note in floral, amber, and narcotic compositions. Ylang-ylang Extr a provides the finest ylang character — intensely floral without the heaviness of lower grades. It is central to jasmine-ylang-tuberose white-flower bouquets and to certa in foundational amber structures. The material works in both masculine and feminine compositions; its spicy quality connects to fougère traditions.
