Botanical Name: Calophyllum inophyllum
Botanical Family: Calophyllacea
Extraction Method: Cold pressed
Part of Plant Distilled: Nuts
Country of Origin: Madagascar
Cultivation Method: Wild and certified organic
Composition: 100% Calophyllum inophyllum
Consistency: Medium
Scent Description: Well-rounded and distinctive with rich, pleasant-scented notes of pralines and cream, lovage, and fruit.
In Living Libations: Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever, Everybody Loves the Sunshine.
Blends well with: Bergamot, Ravensara, Frankincense, Lavender, Marjoram, Palmarosa, Oregano, Lemon, Immortelle, Ylang, Sweet Thyme, and Rose.
Uses: Excellent applied neat with essential oils or dilute 5-20% with jojoba.
Constituents: Glycolipids and phospholipids as well as calophyllic acid.
Tamanu Carrier Oil, also known as Foraha, is cold pressed from the kernels of the fruit of the Calophyllum inophyllum tree native to Polynesia. The kernels themselves do not produce oil until they are dried in the sun for at least one month upon which they produce a sticky-sweet oil that is a nourishing nectar for the skin. In Fiji, native people have been using Tamanu for centuries of sublime skincare.
This organic oil is more than just a carrier oil as it contains both fatty and aromatic oils and is replete with nourishing benefits including lovely lipids and a feast of fatty acids. Its extremely high (92%) lipid content plumps up the volume of the skin. Tamanu also contains high levels of a unique essential fatty acid that reduces the appearance of redness, melasma, scars, fine lines, and skin texture. Skin-duress will recess as Tamanu touches the epithelium. When the treasure of Tamanu is further enhanced with the power of essential oils, all of these beneficial botanicals come together to create one of the most nourishing, nutrient-rich carrier oils on the planet.
“Wherever the Calophyllum inophyllum tree grows, oil from the seeds of the tree is used as a folk remedy. The tree can be found on the east coast of Africa and in Madagascar, India, Southeast Asia, the Polynesian Islands, and the Hawaiian Islands. ... The dark green opalescent oil, known as foraha oil in Madagascar, has a pleasant, understated, slightly vegetable aroma. ... In recent decades, modern-medicine has discovered the benefits of Calophyllum inophyllum.”
~ George Halpern, The Essential Oils of Madagascar
