top of page
Writer's pictureCoco

Hooked on a Tree

The first time I became familiar with "tamanu" was actually when I was relaxing under the branches of this majestic tree in Tahiti a few years ago, sipping some coconut milk with a straw, directly from a coconut shell.







I was reading a book and not really paying attention to my surroundings when the wind startled me, and suddenly the sky became very dark. As I was developing a plan to find shelter from the threatening fast-approaching storm, I heard the first drops of rain, and I came to the conclusion that I was going to get very wet. You probably know that rain in the tropics is not a drizzle. It is a downpour.

The noise that those gigantic raindrops were making all around me was something else, very much like a triple-stroke vivacissimo drum roll. However, I quickly realized that the tamanu tree was my best bet for protection. Sure enough, I did feel the mist, but I never got wet.






When the downpour was over, I asked a local Tahitian young man what kind of tree I was sitting under. That is when he started talking about this extraordinary tamanu tree and its amazing properties... and I got hooked!

Both the legend and modern times have it that the tamanu tree is a sacred tree with unparalleled therapeutic properties.



Up to 80 feet tall, this red-barked tree has a unique umbrella shape, deep green and shiny leaves, and white blossoms that produce a nut.





Fresh from the tree, the nut is not very fragrant, not very oily.

Once dried in the sun for several weeks, it turns dark yellow to brown and produces a MAGICAL OIL.

I am not talking about the sacred beauty monoi oil. That is another extraordinary oil, by the way, but this one, also from Tahiti, is a multi, multi-purpose medicinal oil.





BURNS AND SUNBURNS

Did you come back from a weekend at the river or an afternoon at the beach and realized that, even though it was overcast, your face and arms are now sunburnt?

Did you take out a dish from the oven, you forgot you were wearing short sleeves, and your forearm hit the 350 degree oven rack?




HARD-TO-HEAL WOUNDS AND POST-SURGERY SCARS

Did you have a bad laceration or have surgery and are finding yourself struggling with the constant itch of a healing wound?

The Tamanu oil will stop the itch, give your skin a huge boost in the healing process, and you will most likely heal without a scar. It will promote the formation of new skin tissues, and you will be surprised how quickly that scar gets unnoticed.

WRINKLES AND STRETCH MARKS

Depending on your age, you may be concerned about wrinkles or stretch marks. Both are unattractive, yet often avoidable.




SKIN DISORDERS

Acne… Eczema…

Have you tried all the skin-care kits and formulas on the market, yet not a single one has worked for you, and you have lost faith? Is the itching driving you crazy? Don’t rub it! Don’t scratch it! Gently apply the Tamanu oil to soothe the irritation and to stop the spread.

DAMAGED SKIN

You may be loving the outdoors, but your skin may not… It is often the case. You enjoy the moment, then you realize that the sun, the wind, the pool chlorine, the ocean salt were all aggressive elements and you should have been more careful. Protect your skin.




It is rare to find a natural product with such a concentration of analgesic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, and there are two main reasons for this rarity:

1) Mother Nature does provide, but different plants are remedies to different troubles.


2) For some obvious reasons, the pharmaceutical laboratories do not like the all-in-one little bottles of some oil extracted from some nut from some island across the world…

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Between the choices of steroid/cortisone-based ointments and a 25% concentrated monoi oil with tamanu nut that has worked for skin disorders and damaged skin, wrinkles, scars, and sunburns generations after generations, it seems to me that the natural choice makes sense. Plus, I trust the source. The Tamanu oil comes from a Tahitian institute near Papeete which I toured and which I trust.




The French stamp of “Appellation d’Origine” certifies the origin of all ingredients used.

Last but not least, the people who work there love their land, love their surroundings. They care about their products, and they care about their customers – you and me – those who will use the fruits of their land, the fruits of their hands.

Can we say that for all medication and ointments today? Food for thought.

41 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page