Tamanu, or Calophyllum inophyllum, grows wild in Polynesia and Southeast Asia, and is cultivated in Madagascar and Hawaii.
It is a tree about 30 meters high, thick, bumpy bark and large branches. Its leaves are firm, dark green, oval, with small white flowers with a yellow center, an aroma reminiscent of lime.
The fruit the size of an apricot hides seeds with a yellow core, from which together, a month after harvesting, oil is obtained by cold pressing.
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The oil is thick, cloudy, green, with a whitish precipitate, and predominantly contains oleic and linoleic acid.
The oil sometimes likes to be squeezed in the bottle, especially in the winter, so it looks more like some paste rather than oil. If this happens, it needs to be warmed slightly to make it liquid again.
Despite its density, it is relatively easily absorbed through the skin.
Calophyll oil (or tamanua) has antibacterial, antiviral, fungicidal, cicatricant (promotes healing), anti-inflammatory effects. It stimulates collagen synthesis and has a photoprotective effect.
This tree was considered a sacred plant by tropical peoples, and has long been an important part of folk medicine in the Pacific Islands. It has traditionally been used for a wide range of skin diseases, from superficial burns, cuts, scratches, insect bites, all the way to neuralgia and fissures. Polynesian women use it to maintain healthy and clean skin, as well as to treat and prevent diaper rash in children.
Due to its exceptional anti-inflammatory effect, it is indispensable in the treatment of all inflammatory skin conditions: eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic and atopic dermatitis (even that caused by x-rays), rosacea, acne.
It is one of the most effective oils for stimulating the formation of new tissue, so it is regularly used to treat scars and stretch marks.
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It is also used to treat cracked skin, frostbite, painful areas caused by diabetes, lesions caused by herpes, facial neuralgia, anal fissures, all kinds of vaginal infections.
Due to the content of coumarin, it is excellent in the treatment of ruptured capillaries, inflamed and varicose veins, hemorrhoids, as always when there is a problem of poor circulation (cellulite). In all these problems it is almost always combined with gotu kola macerate (centele).
Although it has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, tamanu oil, if used alone, can bother people with sensitive skin, so it is best used in combination with other vegetable oils.
