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by Chris Kilham
Oil of Tamanu—For Healthy Skin
Periodically a newly recognized
botanical ingredient comes to
market which offers significant
health benefits for topical use.
Oil of tamanu (Calophyllum
inophyllum) is such an ingredient. Since
the 1930s tamanu oil has been studied in
hospitals and by researchers in Asia,
Europe and the Pacific islands. The results
of this research are impressive.
Specifically, tamanu oil possesses a
unique capacity to promote the formation
of new tissue, thereby accelerating wound
healing and the growth of healthy skin.
This process of forming new tissue is
known as cicatrization. Oil of tamanu
appears to be one of the most effective
known cicatrizing agents in nature. For
this reason it is a widely used traditional
topical aid. In Pacific island folk medicine,
tamanu oil is applied liberally to cuts,
scrapes, burns, insect bites and stings,
abrasions, acne and acne scars, psoriasis,
diabetic sores, anal fissures, sunburn, dry
or scaly skin, blisters, eczema, herpes sores
and to reduce foot and body odor.
Tamanu oil is applied to the neck to
relieve sore throat and is massaged into
the skin to relieve neuralgia, rheumatism
and sciatica. Tamanu oil is employed by
Polynesian women for promoting healthy,
clear, blemish-free skin and is also used on
babies to prevent diaper rash and skin
eruptions.
Harvested by native people and cold
processed in the pristine environment of
the South Pacific Republic of Vanuatu, oil
of tamanu is a valuable topical and cosmetic
ingredient which can provide significant
benefits to consumers and companies.
Tamanu and its dispersal
The name Calophyllum inophyllum means
beautiful leaf, from the Greek
‘kalos’=beautiful and ‘phullon’’=leaf. The
tree is indigenous to Southeast Asia but is
profuse in Polynesia where it is traditionally
known as Ati. Tamanu grows up to 25
or even 30 meters in height, with long,
spreading limbs. The tree trunk is typically
thick with dark, cracked bark. The
tamanu branches are covered with shiny,
dark green oval leaves and small white
flowers with yellow centers. The blossoms
give off a delightful, sweet perfume. The
fruit of the tree, about the size of an apricot,
has a thin flesh and a large nut hull
inside.
Though the tree can be successfully
planted inland, tamanu naturally grows
profusely along coastal areas. Tamanu is
dispersed throughout Pacific islands when
the nut-containing fruits drop from trees
and float on the seas to other coastal areas
where they sprout and root. Tamanu is
unusual in that unlike most other trees, it
favors salty, sandy soil.
Polynesian natives claim that coastal
tamanu is more beneficial for topical and
cosmetic uses than inland tamanu. Oil of
tamanu is processed exclusively from
coastal tamanu trees, where the nuts are
hand-gathered by indigenous native
islanders.
Oil from an oil-free nut
Tamanu is a botanical oddity. When the
fruits of the tree are collected and cracked
open, the blond nut kernel inside contains
no apparent oil. But when the kernel dries
on a rack for a month or so, it turns a
deep, chocolate brown and becomes sticky
with a rich oil. Using only a screw press,
the oil is squeezed from the dark kernels.
The resulting oil of tamanu is rich, dark
green, and luxurious.
Unusual penetrating power
While oil of tamanu is thick and rich,
once it is applied to skin it is readily and
completely absorbed. Skin feels smooth
and plump, with no oily residue.
Anti-neuralgic and skin healing activity
Traditionally oil of tamanu has enjoyed
topical use for relieving the pain of
sciatica, shingles, neuralgia, rheumatism
and leprous neuritis, for which it is effective.
In 1918 researchers associated with
the French pharmacopoeia began research
into tamanu for topical and subcutaneous
use. In the late 1920s the oil of tamanu
was employed in Fiji to relieve painful
neuritis associated with leprosy. Sister
Marie-Suzanne, a nun in the Society of
Mary, administered tamanu oil (called
dolno, which means “no pain”) topically
to leprosy victims for the relief of neuritis,
with good results.
As a result of its effective use in Fiji, oil
of tamanu was further investigated by
French researchers in the 1930s for its
anti-neuralgic effects. But they quickly
became more interested in tamanu’s cicatrizing
properties, which subsequently
received the most attention. In the French
medical literature on tamanu oil, several
instances of its successful use in cases of
severe skin conditions have been reported,
with photographs showing before and
after use. In one of the most remarkable
instances, a woman was admitted to the
St. Louis Hospital in Paris with a large,
gangrenous ulcer on her leg, which would
not heal. Though doctors were sure that
amputation was inevitable, she was given
regular dressings of tamanu oil. The
wound eventually healed completely, leaving
a smooth, flat scar. In other cases,
tamanu oil has been employed successfully
to heal severe burns caused by boiling
water, chemicals and x-rays.
Current tamanu popularity
Though tamanu science has been conducted
ongoing since the 1920’s, only in
the last decade has tamanu gained any
market visibility for general use. Much of
this market activity is confined to Tahiti,
where the oil is marketed for first aid and
beauty purposes. In Europe market interest
in tamanu is new, but companies there
are currently formulating products containing
this oil.
Some constituents of tamanu oil
The oil of tamanu contains three basic
classes of lipids, neutral lipids, glycolipids,
and phospholipids, enumerated below. The
oil also contains a unique fatty acid called
calophyllic acid, and a novel antibiotic lactone
and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
agent called calophyllolide. These and other
components of tamanu oil are enumerated below.
General lipid composition
Neutral lipids 92%
Glycolipids 6.4%
Phospholipids 1.6%
Neutral lipids
Monoacylglycerols 1.8%
sn -1,3 – Diaglycerides 2.4%
sn -1,2 (2,3) – Diaglycerides 2.6%
Free fatty acids 7.4%
Triacylglycerols 82.3%
Sterols, sterolesters and hydrocarbons 3.5%
Glycolipids
Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol 11.4%
Acylated sterolglucoside 13.1
Monogalactosylmonoacylglycerol 22.2%
Acylmonogalactosyldiacylglycerol 53.3%
Phospholipids
Phosphatidylethanolamine 46.3%
Phosphatidylcholine 33.8%
Phosphatidic acid 8.1%
Phosphatidylserine 6.1%
Lysophosphatidylcholine 5.7%
Calophyllic acid—a novel fatty acid found only in tamanu oil.
Calophyllolide—a non-steroidal antiinflammatory 4-phenyl coumarin.
6-desoxyjacareubin—an antibiotic xanthone which inhibits S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, S. typhimurium and K. pneumoniae.
Jacareubin—an antibiotic xanthone which inhibits S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis and S. typhimurium.
Calophyllum B—an antibiotic xanthone which inhibits the growth of P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis.
Calanolide A—a coumarin which inhibits HIV reverse transcriptase.
Costatolide—a coumarin which inhibits HIV reverse transcriptase.
Calaustralin—a 4-phenylcoumarin.
Calophynic acid—a dihydro coumarin.
Summary comments on constituents
Other constituents of oil of tamanu may yet
be discovered. However, based on the
known activity of known constituents, it is
clear that oil of tamanu possesses antibacterial
and anti-inflammatory activities. The
unique cicatrizing properties of tamanu oil
are not yet explained in existing scientific
literature, though this activity is established
and accepted. The same is true for tamanu’s
anti-neuralgic properties. Tamanu oil is well
documented for its relief of neuritis but the
constituents responsible and their modes of
activity are yet to be determined.
Tamanu for topical first aid
Due to its cicatrizing, antibacterial and
anti-inflammatory activities, oil of tamanu
is suitable for use on a broad range of topical
conditions. Refer to the folk uses of the
oil for first aid purposes, described on page
36. Oil of tamanu can be applied neat to
skin. However, the oil is every bit as effective
if diluted by 50 percent with either
coconut oil or another suitable topical oil.
There is no apparent loss of efficacy for first
aid purposes when the oil is diluted by half.
Thus there is no known significant benefit
to using the oil full strength.
Tamanu for cosmetics
Oil of tamanu is a pure, rich, coldprocessed
oil suitable for general skin and
cosmetic purposes. The oil’s unusual
absorption, its mild and pleasant aroma
and its luxurious richness make it ideal for
use in lotions, creams, ointments and other
cosmetic products. Oil of tamanu absorbs
readily, leaving skin feeling smooth, plump
and soft. The oil adds a glow to skin, without
any residual greasiness or oiliness. Oil
of tamanu stands to be a significant ingredient
for companies that want to develop
unique products and achieve a market
advantage.
References available upon request. Send a SASE to totalhealth.
Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter and educator. He is the author of 10 books on health and fitness, a medicinal plant researcher and a teacher of yoga and meditation. He conducts field research on natural medicines around the world. He writes frequently for totalhealth.
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