Lisylang
Origin: Comoros

• Details and product description

  Introduction:

  Ylang-ylang means “flower of flowers” in Malaysia, and “flower that floats on the wind” in the Philippines. The Dayaks of Borneo call the flower, kanonga, “flower among flowers,” which is the root of its botanical name cananga odorata. The ylang-ylang or cananga is a tropical tree around 15 meters in height with a straight, somewhat branchy trunk and horizontal branches. The branches droop, particularly at the top of the tree, which gives it a sagging look. it is an evergreen with alternate leaves around 18 cm long and 7 cm wide. The fruit is a green berry with sweet and aromatic flesh, which turns black when ripe. The yellow flowers are arranged in clusters in the axils of the leaves, they flower throughout the year, especially from November to March. At first the blossoms are green, but turn yellow as they mature. They give off a strong pleasant fragrance. There are several varieties of the genuina species. The “good” one is characterized by a large production of small yellow-gold flowers with a very fine perfume. It is used for propagation, unlike the variety with large flowers whose extracts are not as valued.     Almost all of the world market of essential oil is produced today in the Comoro Islands and in Nosy Be, a small island north of Madagascar.

  History:

  The trees (Cananga odorata) from which essential oil is distilled – known as fragrant trees – are native to the Philippines and now grow throughout all of tropical Asia. They were introduced to Bourbon Island (known today as Reunion) in 1884, then to Madagascar, Mayotte and the vicinity of Tahiti. The trees can be found growing wild in Malaysia, India and former French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). John Ray (1628-1705), an English botanist, was the first to mention ylang-ylang. He called it “Arbor sanguisant,” and its was later named “Borga cananga” and “Unona odorata.” In Histoire naturelle des drogues simples (Natural History of Simple Drugs) (1866), Guibourt described the plant and compared its fragrance to that of narcissus. Before World War I, the Philippines were the center of ylang-ylang essential oil production. A German pharmacist opened the first pharmacy in Manilla in a fashionable district where ylang-ylang essential oil was sold. This is how the perfumed oil became popular in high society, first in the Philippines, later in Europe and America. After the war, a larger production began in the French islands of the Indian Ocean for the needs of French perfumers. Quite likely, Coco Chanel received oil from the Comoro Islands because in 1920 the cultivation of ylang-ylang in the Philippines had decreased substantially. At its peak, the Comoro Islands produced 90% of ylang-ylang essential oil, with 1.2 million trees. However, recent exports have decreased due to the neglect of the plantations and a shortage of fuelwood needed for the distillation process. Moreover, pure ylang-ylang was replaced by C. odorata macrophylla, which is another variety that grows abundantly in Java. Its essential oil has an inferior quality and is used in lower quality perfumes, soaps and cosmetics. It is commonly known as cananga and is less expensive compared to ylang-ylang, which has more subtle fragrance and is considered a top-quality ingredient. Ylang-ylang has had many uses in different cultures throughout the centuries. In many places today, it is a symbol of voluptuousness and seduction. Cultural Significance: The essential oil has a floral, spicy, exotic, powerful, medicinal and slightly fruity fragrance. Throughout history, cultures have used ylang-ylang in diverse ways. Muslim women burnt the oil to perfume their harems. In China, ylang-ylang perfume was used to purify the robes of the mandarin (member of an elite group or powerful class). The purified robes were then put in a chest of fragrant wood. The robes were out of the chest only when it was necessary. When they were removed, the smell was still strong. Some chests have been found in modern times and a slight fragrance has still been detected centuries later. In Indonesia, there is an ancient tradition of spreading ylang-ylang flowers on the beds of newly married couples. In the Philippines, the flowers were crushed and applied to insect or snakebites. The oil was also used for skin and hair, because it was thought to stimulate growth    On the islands, indigenous peoples mixed flowers with coconut oil to protect hair from sea salt when they swam. This mixture called “borri-borri,” is also good for healthy skin, and helps to repel insect and snakebites. In Europe, cananga essential oil was one of the ingredients in Macassar, a very well-known hair oil in the 19th century.         

The documents to download below are in PDF format(learn more about PDF format)