(Calophyllum inophyllum) Organically grown; unrefined Unrefined Tamanu oil is dark green and milky with a nutty aroma. It is moisturizing and supports healthy skin response to minor infections, burns, stings, scars and skin issues. Used sparingly, it is readily absorbed.
Country: Madagascar Extraction Method: Cold pressed nut from Tamanu Tree; unrefined and therefore is brownish-green, dark and milky. It has a rich vegetable scent, is luxuriant and moist. It smooths and softens the skin without leaving a residue because it is readily absorbed, which makes it a great carrier oil. Aroma: Moderate nutty/vegetable scent; Susan Parker describes it as a "pungent, healing scent." Also described as the scent of bullion cubes. Color: "Muddy" green Components: The fatty acid compounds are: Oleic acid, Linoleic acid, Palmitic acid and stearic acid. Comedogenic Rating: 2 (not likely to clog pores of most people) Approximate Shelf Life: 1 year when properly stored. Caution: Potential nut allergy
Is your Tamanu Too Thick? The viscosity (consistency) of some oils are just naturally thicker while some are thinner.
Warm Water Bath First, place the oil bottle into a bowl (a glass baby food jar is perfect) and set in a pan of warm water (or double boiler) with enough warm water to affect the temperature of the oil. Avoid any possibility of allowing the water to get into the bottle. (I put my bottle in a ziplock bag and make sure it is standing upright.) Allow it to warm for about 15-20 minutes, replacing the water as needed if it evaporates. Continue warming until you get the oil at the right consistency to work with. You may also want to use a pipette to help dispense.
If using for Acne or Rosacea, please see these detail pages in our Education, Health Care Topics section.
Research Studies done in 1998 at University of Sherbrooke in Canada, analyzed Tamanu/Foraha and determined coumarin in the oil contained two compounds, calanolide A and calanolide B, which other studies have concluded to be useful against HIV. In another study, scientists in Japan studied several 4-phenylcoumarins taken from Foraha and concluded that calocoumarin-A produced positive results when trying to inhibit the Epstein-Barr virus.
Tamanu oil possesses significant antimicrobial qualities, as proven in antibacterial and antifungal tests. It contains powerful bactericide and fungicide agents that defeat human and animal pathogens. There are no reports of adverse effects from topical application. Tamanu oil has compared favorably when used instead of antibiotics in alleviating many maladies.
Scientific studies have confirmed that Tamanu oil is a significant healing agent that regenerates cells of the epidermis (production of new skin tissues). Most importantly studies have found that Tamanu oil has anti-inflammatory, anti-neuralgic, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties. Therefore, scientists have confirmed the use of Tamanu oil is a natural way to treat many conditions such as; psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease and eczema and acne.
The Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists has researched Tamanu oil chemical compounds and the beneficial effects in the role of anti-ageing and improvement of scars. The Bioscience Laboratories concluded that Tamanu oil’s ability to improve the appearance of scars was significant after a nine week study was completed on six subjects with obvious scars for one year or more. The effect on the subjects scar length was reduced by an average 0.28 centimeters, and width was reduced by an average 0.12 centimeters.
Tamanu oil was applied twice daily for nine weeks, and obvious improvement appeared after six weeks and continued throughout the nine week test. Quantitative measurements of skin color for melanin (darkness) and hemoglobin (redness) were made on the scar and surrounding normal skin areas, as well scars were rated for roughness, length and width. Science Direct Study: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicological effects of feeding the oils Calophyllum inophyllum (and others) to rats. The rats showed good physical appearance and steady weight gain, with no mortality recorded.
