Beauty Secrets - Exotic Oil

The women in Polynesia use Monoi to protect their skin and hair against the elements of sun, wind, and sea, and today it is still an integral part of Polynesia but as a superior ingredient in natural skin care products like soaps, lotions, and other skin care products.

Why should such simple ingredients have such great benefit? Part of the reason is that coconut oil has a high fat content. In fact, it's one of the few saturated fats that comes from a plant. Most saturated fats come from an animal source. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid which has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

Monoi has been traditionally used in the healing of --

• Skin care - moisturizes, protects against environmental damage, leaves skin feeling smooth
• Hair care - repairs keratin, moisturizes, and adds shine
• Sun care - promotes tan, after sun moisturizer, natural mosquito barrier
• Massage oil - penetrating oil that has aromatherapeutic benefits

The national flower of Tahiti is the tiare (pronounced tee-a-ray) -- a heavily scented white gardenia. The tiare flower is hard to separate from the Polynesian culture. The flower necklaces that are offered to tourists are made of tiare flowers. The tiare is also used in traditional medicine.

The flower is non toxic and is infused with other healing oils for many remedies such as mosquito bites, earaches, and headaches. It's most well known for its role in making Monoi.

Tahitian women often wear a tiare flower behind one ear. Behind the left means they are married. Behind the right means they are single and looking.

Yet another exotic oil that does wonders for your skin is Tamanu oil which is a thick brown-green oil. It has remarkable healing qualities -- anti-inflammatory, antineuralgic, antimicrobial (fungi, yeast, bacteria, and viruses), antibiotic and antioxidant properties.Tamanu also has a great reputation as a liniment for joint pain and bruises but is also used for --

• healing cuts and burns
• helping clear up acne and psoriasis
• soothing boils
• open sores and wounds
• chapped lips
• diaper rash
• sciatica
• rheumatism

Depending on who you ask, tamanu oil smells like butter pecan ice cream or Kaluha. Nowadays it's use in anti-aging formulations to combat wrinkles, but traditionally, the oil was used to protect the skin against sun exposure. As science discovers its medicinal qualities, it's being used in non traditional ways.