Original information from Kobashi Official Website:
Ylang's actions are soothing and relaxing, useful during times of tension and stress, also helps to soothe anger and grief. Used in many local skin preparations and ointments.
LATIN NAME: Cananga odorata genuina.
SOURCE: Steam distilled from the flowers
COLOUR: pale yellow.
ORIGIN: Madagascar
AROMA: sweet, exotic, deeply floral and heady with a creamy note.
QUALITIES: the name means 'flower of flowers', and describes it well! Long used for its sensual and aphrodisiac properties, the fresh flowers are strewn on the beds of newly married couples. The fresh flowers are also sold in markets for personal adornment, to scent clothes and houses, and as temple offerings.
Ylang ylangs actions are soothing and relaxing, useful during times of tension and stress, also helps to soothe anger and grief. Used in many local skin preparations and ointments. Ideal for dry skin and as a hair rinse and tonic. It will help to stimulate the scalp and hair follicles. An ingredient in the Victorian hair treatment oil 'Macassar'.
There are three main grades of Ylang Ylang, graded depending on the length of the distillation process. The first is called extra, then three more distillations called grades 1, 2, 3 and complete. However the grades are not easily defined as various producers run the distillation at varying time lengths. The charged still is run constantly; in the beginning Extra and One are taken, then 2 and then 3.
In theory the lower boiling, more volatile components should be higher in the Ylang 1 and the higher boiling components in ylang 2, but this can vary over the extent of range of each oil. The density will be lower in ylang 1 and higher in ylang 2. The aroma will be finer and have more punch in Ylang 1 and Ylang 2 will be deeper and not as volatile.