Monoi oil
Encyclopedia
Monoi oil is infused oil made from soaking the petals of Tahitian gardenias (tiare) in a semi-wax coconut oil
. Monoi is an ancient Tahitian word meaning "scented oil" in the Reo-Maohi language. Monoi is widely used among French Polynesians as a skin and hair softener. It is also popular in Europe and gaining recognition in the United States.
Today’s marketplace is rife with monoi oil imitations. Authentic Tahitian monoi oil follows a strict manufacturing code that oversees the entire process from handpicking the tiare flowers to storage and shipping of the final product. This process has been validated and protected by an Appellation of Origin
which was awarded to Monoi de Tahiti on April 1, 1992.
tribe, the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa (New Zealand
). Early European explorers who travelled to the Polynesia
n Islands, including James Cook
documented the natives’ use of manoi for medicinal, cosmetic and religious purposes. Monoi featured prominently in the lives of these ancient people, from birth until death. It was applied to the bodies of newborns to keep them from dehydrating in hot weather, and from getting chilled in cooler temperatures. When a person died, their body was embalmed and perfumed with manoi to help facilitate their journey into the afterlife.
Monoi was also used in ancient Polynesian religious rites. During ceremonies which took place in the "maraes" (temples), Maori priests used manoi to anoint sacred objects and purify offerings to their deities.
Maori navigators used manoi to protect their bodies from cold, harsh winds and salt water during long canoe expeditions at sea. (Even today, many divers rub monoi all over their bodies prior to diving for the same purpose.)
In 1942, monoi began to be manufactured commercially.
The tiare flower (Gardenia taitensis
), from the Rubiaceae family, is Tahiti's national flower
. The small white, star-shaped flower grows on 3 foot (0.9144 m) high bushes throughout French Polynesia
, which features soil of coral origin, and blossoms all year long. Other names for this flower include Tiare Tahiti and Tiare Mahoi.
Beyond their contribution to Monoi Tiare Tahiti, tiare flowers are deeply rooted in everyday Polynesian life. In traditional medicine
, the flower is prepared in a variety of concoctions to alleviate a range of common maladies including the common cold
, headaches and sunburn. Many Polynesians enjoy placing a few tiare flowers on a small, water-filled saucer to release the fragrance throughout their "fares" (Polynesian houses). The flower necklaces that are offered to tourists as a welcome gesture are created with tiare flowers, and vahine (Polynesian women) customarily wear them behind one ear.
The tiare flowers that are used in Monoi de Tahiti are hand-picked at a very particular stage of their growth, specifically when they are still unopened. The flowers are immediately taken to the manufacturing plant
and stripped of their pistils. The flower portion is placed in refined coconut oil for a minimum of 15 days. This is known as "enfleurage" (flower soaking), a French term used to designate a specific extraction step. According to specific maceration standards set by the decree of Appellation d'Origine, which each manufacturer must scrupulously follow, a minimum of 15 tiare flowers must be used in every liter of refined coconut oil.
Coconut Oil
Coconut palm
trees remain the most utilized Polynesian island tree and cover approximately 150000 acres (607 km²) of land. Under favorable conditions, the coconut palm tree grows its first fruits during its 6th year and produces approximately 60 coconuts per year, from its 10th to its 70th year. As the nut begins to form it is completely empty and contains no nutrients. When its size increases, the shell hardens and becomes filled with a transparent liquid that will turn into oil upon full maturity.
When the coconuts fall from the trees, they are gathered to undergo the ancient process of extracting the coconut almonds. The shell is cracked open with an ax. The two coconut halves are left for several hours in the sun, until the almonds have shrunk enough to be removed and broken into small pieces. The fragments are then taken to special flat wooden barracks covered with sliding metal roofs, which are popularly known, on the Polynesian islands as "coprah dryers". The sliding roofs are only used at night and during the rainy season
. The coprah is left to dry for more than a week until the coconut meat has lost over 90% of its moisture.
Placed into special natural fiber
bags, the coconut fragments are shipped to the unique oil mill located on the island of Tahiti where they will be thrown into special machines and grinded to a fine coco flour. The flour is then heated up to 125 degrees and finally pressed into raw coconut oil. After that step, the oil will undergo more refining to remove all impurities and obtain the highest possible quality.
Once the refining process is completed the coconut oil is placed into special storage tanks until it is purchased by 1 of only a handful of Monoi manufacturers. These manufacturers will proceed individually to the final maceration step which is to infuse the oil with Tiare flowers. Monoi de Tahiti must be stored in drums with a food-suitable liner or material. Drums must be lead-sealed when they leave Tahiti
and kept away from humidity, light and heat.
which is a skin-soothing agent. It is a naturally concentrated emollient which penetrates the skin, re-hydrates the layers of the epidermis and shields skin against external damages including sun and wind. Monoi oil is used:
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
. Monoi is an ancient Tahitian word meaning "scented oil" in the Reo-Maohi language. Monoi is widely used among French Polynesians as a skin and hair softener. It is also popular in Europe and gaining recognition in the United States.
Today’s marketplace is rife with monoi oil imitations. Authentic Tahitian monoi oil follows a strict manufacturing code that oversees the entire process from handpicking the tiare flowers to storage and shipping of the final product. This process has been validated and protected by an Appellation of Origin
Geographical indication
A geographical indication is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin...
which was awarded to Monoi de Tahiti on April 1, 1992.
History
The date when monoi was first created is unknown; however, its origins can be traced back 2000 years to the MaoriMaori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
tribe, the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa (New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
). Early European explorers who travelled to the Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n Islands, including James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
documented the natives’ use of manoi for medicinal, cosmetic and religious purposes. Monoi featured prominently in the lives of these ancient people, from birth until death. It was applied to the bodies of newborns to keep them from dehydrating in hot weather, and from getting chilled in cooler temperatures. When a person died, their body was embalmed and perfumed with manoi to help facilitate their journey into the afterlife.
Monoi was also used in ancient Polynesian religious rites. During ceremonies which took place in the "maraes" (temples), Maori priests used manoi to anoint sacred objects and purify offerings to their deities.
Maori navigators used manoi to protect their bodies from cold, harsh winds and salt water during long canoe expeditions at sea. (Even today, many divers rub monoi all over their bodies prior to diving for the same purpose.)
In 1942, monoi began to be manufactured commercially.
Ingredients
Tiare FlowerThe tiare flower (Gardenia taitensis
Gardenia taitensis
Gardenia taitensis is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is an evergreen tropical shrub that grows to 4 m tall, it has glossy dark green leaves that are oppositely arranged along the stem. The flower is creamy white, pinwheel-shaped with 5 to 9 lobes and very fragrant...
), from the Rubiaceae family, is Tahiti's national flower
National emblem
A national emblem symbolically represents a nation. Most national emblems originate in the natural world, such as animals or birds, but another object may serve. National emblems may appear on many things such as the national flag, coat of arms, or other patriotic materials...
. The small white, star-shaped flower grows on 3 foot (0.9144 m) high bushes throughout French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
, which features soil of coral origin, and blossoms all year long. Other names for this flower include Tiare Tahiti and Tiare Mahoi.
Beyond their contribution to Monoi Tiare Tahiti, tiare flowers are deeply rooted in everyday Polynesian life. In traditional medicine
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine comprises unscientific knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
, the flower is prepared in a variety of concoctions to alleviate a range of common maladies including the common cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
, headaches and sunburn. Many Polynesians enjoy placing a few tiare flowers on a small, water-filled saucer to release the fragrance throughout their "fares" (Polynesian houses). The flower necklaces that are offered to tourists as a welcome gesture are created with tiare flowers, and vahine (Polynesian women) customarily wear them behind one ear.
The tiare flowers that are used in Monoi de Tahiti are hand-picked at a very particular stage of their growth, specifically when they are still unopened. The flowers are immediately taken to the manufacturing plant
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
and stripped of their pistils. The flower portion is placed in refined coconut oil for a minimum of 15 days. This is known as "enfleurage" (flower soaking), a French term used to designate a specific extraction step. According to specific maceration standards set by the decree of Appellation d'Origine, which each manufacturer must scrupulously follow, a minimum of 15 tiare flowers must be used in every liter of refined coconut oil.
Coconut Oil
Coconut palm
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
trees remain the most utilized Polynesian island tree and cover approximately 150000 acres (607 km²) of land. Under favorable conditions, the coconut palm tree grows its first fruits during its 6th year and produces approximately 60 coconuts per year, from its 10th to its 70th year. As the nut begins to form it is completely empty and contains no nutrients. When its size increases, the shell hardens and becomes filled with a transparent liquid that will turn into oil upon full maturity.
When the coconuts fall from the trees, they are gathered to undergo the ancient process of extracting the coconut almonds. The shell is cracked open with an ax. The two coconut halves are left for several hours in the sun, until the almonds have shrunk enough to be removed and broken into small pieces. The fragments are then taken to special flat wooden barracks covered with sliding metal roofs, which are popularly known, on the Polynesian islands as "coprah dryers". The sliding roofs are only used at night and during the rainy season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
. The coprah is left to dry for more than a week until the coconut meat has lost over 90% of its moisture.
Placed into special natural fiber
Natural fiber
Fibers or fibres are a class of hair-like materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to pieces of thread. They can be spun into filaments, thread, or rope. They can be used as a component of composite materials. They can also be matted into sheets to...
bags, the coconut fragments are shipped to the unique oil mill located on the island of Tahiti where they will be thrown into special machines and grinded to a fine coco flour. The flour is then heated up to 125 degrees and finally pressed into raw coconut oil. After that step, the oil will undergo more refining to remove all impurities and obtain the highest possible quality.
Once the refining process is completed the coconut oil is placed into special storage tanks until it is purchased by 1 of only a handful of Monoi manufacturers. These manufacturers will proceed individually to the final maceration step which is to infuse the oil with Tiare flowers. Monoi de Tahiti must be stored in drums with a food-suitable liner or material. Drums must be lead-sealed when they leave Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and kept away from humidity, light and heat.
Common Uses
Recent manufacturer tests verify that monoi oil is rich in methyl salicylateMethyl salicylate
Methyl salicylate is a natural product of many species of plants. Some of the plants which produce it are called wintergreens, hence the common name.-Botanical background:...
which is a skin-soothing agent. It is a naturally concentrated emollient which penetrates the skin, re-hydrates the layers of the epidermis and shields skin against external damages including sun and wind. Monoi oil is used:
- After a shower or bath to rehydrate skin to its natural healthy look
- Before or after a swim, it provides protection against the effects of sun, wind, sea or pool water
- As a pre-shampoo hot oil treatment, it helps repair and deep condition the hair to a healthy shine.
- During a bath. A few drops in the water reportedly encourages relaxation while keeping skin soft and subtly fragrant.
- As a dark tanning oilTanning oilTanning oil can refer to two types of skin products.* Indoor tanning lotion refers to oils and lotions that enhance tanning in a tanning bed or outdoors. They do not contain any SPF....
- After being warmed in the palms of the hands, it is suited for massaging sore parts of the body or for warming up a weak body.
- As a pain relieverAnalgesicAn analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
for sunburn.