Our Polynesian ancestors carried with them many canoe plants during their navigational years because of their usefulness in different aspects of their lives. Some of them were for food while others were for medicine, building canoes and for beautification of their skin. We inherit these gifts from them, as such; we must treat them with respect and continue to use them for our skin health. I used to help my mother in making various kinds of Polynesian seed oils, some of them were prepared for our daily usage while others were for gifts to visitors and special occasions. Polynesian seed oils include coconut oil as a base, mix with different varieties of flowers, and other seed oils. Additional ingredients such as mohokoi, langakali, pakopako, feta’u, tuitui and ahi can be added to the base so that one formula can be different from the others. These seed oils contain many skin health benefits, uncovered by science, but known to our ancestors for over thousands of years. We should continue to use our Polynesian seed oils so that we can maintain our healthy, good-looking brown skin and help pass on their beautification legacy to future generations.
Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera L.) has been used for over thousands of years in Polynesia with much, proven health benefits to their lives and our skin physiology. Coconut oil is the base and the other seed oils and flowers are added to differentiate one type of oil from the others. Our ancestors used to relieve stiffness in the joints, rheumatism and back pains by rubbing a liberal amount coconut oil on them (Medicinal Plants of the South Pacific). Additionally, coconut oil was used as ointments to maintain their smooth and soft skin. Others have also used coconut oil with turmeric to treat sick newborn infants and women who have just given birth. Additionally, to place a baby from a breech to a normal position in the mother’s womb, the abdomen is massage with coconut oil.
Sylla et al (Bull Soc Pathol Exot. 2003 May; 96(2): 104-9) reported that different vegetable base (which include coconut oils) lotions and creams gave protection against Simulium damnosum bites and concluded that they were more effective compared to control. Konan et al (Parasite. 2003 Jun; 10(2): 181-4) demonstrated that oil-based formulations are good repellents in the form of dermal pomades. They are recommended as a protection against awakening and bedtime mosquito bites. Likewise, Conrado S Dayrit (XXXVII Cocotech Meeting, Chennai, India. July 25, 2000) reported that various fatty acids in coconut oils have antimicrobial effects against gram+ bacterial species instead of gram- species. Additionally, John J Kabara, PhD (Health Oils From The Tree Of Life: Nutritional and Health Aspects of Coconut Oil) and Sun et al (FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2003 May 15: 36(1-2): 9-17) have reported that monolauric fatty acid, found in coconut oils, have been shown to protect the skin from bacteria and protozoan infections. It also contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which has also been shown to have antioxidant properties with potential benefits against skin aging. These researches, though only a part of all the scientific studies on coconut oil’s health benefits, serve as proof that coconut oils has skin health benefits and so we must continue to use them to beautify our skin like our ancestors who had gone before us.
Tuitui nut oil (Aleurites moluccana L.) has been used for over thousands of years by our ancestors with much skin health benefits, but lately scientific researches have finally verified their effectiveness. It has essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids) that are vital to healthy skin metabolism, provides light moisture and gently lift debris from delicate, dry skin. The precious oil from the nut (57-80%) has also been reported to contain vitamins A, E and F that are good for skin health and wound healings (www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Aleurites_moluccana.html). For these reasons, it is perhaps why all Polynesians, for massaging ache and pain of the body, use tuitui nut oil frequently.
Perhaps I can refresh your memory to this health benefits from the tuitui nut oil. The candlenuts are chewed together with some pakopako and mohokoi flowers until they are soft before they are applied to your skin and rubbed against it slowly. During this process, dirt and other debris from the skin are removed, leaving your skin soft, clean and smells so good. I am sure that we all remember this type of skin treatment. The perfume of the mohokoi flowers is irresistible but the silky and softness of the skin of those who use this ancient skin treatment is unbelievable.
Feta’u nut oil (Calophyllum inophyllum L.), like coconut and tuitui nut oil, has been used for over thousands of years because of its effectiveness in maintaining their healthy skin. As such, we should continue to use them daily so that our skin can be beautiful as theirs. This oil is widely used in the cosmetic industries and is known as Tamanu seed oil. It is reputed to contain three types of lipids which offers moister that is absorbed quickly leaving the skin soft and nice to the touch. It has also been used for treatment of ringworms and scabies (Ridley HN. Malay drugs. 1906. Agricultural Bulletin of the Straits and Federated Malay States 5: 193, 245 & 269; Perry & Metzger. 1980. Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia: Attributed Properties and Uses. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press). Scientific researches also shown that Tamanu seed oil has an excellent dermo-purifying action due to the presence of an unique fatty acid known as calophyllic acid, which has an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. This is why Tamanu seed oil is used on acne; hence, it will help keep our skin healthy (Apora et al. 1962. Calophylloide, a complex coumarin anticoagulant from Calophullum inophyllum L. Department of Pharmacology, all India Institute of Medical Sciences. New Delhi; Bhalla et al. 1980. Calophyllolide- a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent. Indian Journal of Medicinal Research, 72(Nov): 762-765). Dweck & Medows reported that products containing Tamanu seed oil helps reduce and improve the appearance of scars (Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum)-the African, Asian, Polynesian and Pacific Panacea. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2002.24, 1-8; Chevalier, J. Doctoral Thesis. Paris 1951).
The synthetic baby oils and other cosmetics have slowly replaced the use of ancestors’ seed oils for beautification of our skin because it does not involve the laborious process of making them. We must reuse our ancestors’ skin health regimen because the cosmetic industries are mining them for their own benefits due to the advent of scientific researches that have shown and proven why our ancestors had used them. It is imperative that we must use them to beautify our skin and pass on their skin beautification legacy to the future generations as they had done for us.
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