Calophyllum (Foraha or Tamanu)

For several years, we offered an totally unfiltered Calophyllum Inophyllum oil..thick, green, vegetal.  It was an interesting oil to work with..not an appealing carrier oil, but the therapeutic results, when blended with Ravensara essential oil to treat Herpes infections or shingles were amazing.   

This unusual carrier oil, cold pressed from the fruit of a shrub that grows in Madagascar, in the South Pacific, in Southern Africa, and in many islands in the Southern Hemisphere is believed to have pain relieving effects, making it useful for rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica, facial neuralgie, etc. Useful for lesions due to herpes and/or shingles (especially with the addition of Ravensara Aromatica Essential Oil.)  We are even offering our Madagascar Ravensare essential oil preblended in Calophyllym.

Sometimes recommended for treatment of physical and chemical burns. The oil may be used as a base oil or an additive.  It has been shown to be non-irritating to the mucous membranes which may make it useful in treating anal fissures, vaginitis and on cracked nipples.

Some sources recommend it for cellular regeneration, saying it is a powerful healer for burns, cuts, etc. Donna Maria recommends it in mature skincare blends. It may also help with eczema, burns, rashes and insect bites. I have seen it recommended in skincare blends for mature skin, and seen a lot of folks talking about using it to help relieve eczema.

Price recommends its use for various problems of the scalp and hair.

GOLDEN CALOPHYLLUM

Several years ago we switched to a Calophyllum offered by a different producer...highly filtered, much paler in color, but with the same sweet almost edible aroma.    I have since learned that the more traditional dark green (almost black) Calophyllum is produced by heat... the nuts are heated in hot water before crushing to release the oil.

Our new "Golden" is produced with no heat at all, thus preserving more of the benefits of the pure oil.  It has the typical  longlasting aroma reminiscent of butter pecan icecream, and leaves my skin feeling soft and velvety.

Traditional Calophyllum inophyllum (Foraha or Tamanu)

Dark green, thicker, almost vegetative this is the traditionally produced Calophyllum that we have offered in the past.  We prefer our new Golden Calophyllum for ease of use. Both are cold pressed, I am told that the golden is produced from freshly fallen nuts, grown under relatively dry conditions, while the dark green oil is produced from aged nuts, grown in very wet conditions.  I believe the golden is much more highly filtered.