Monoi Oil for Hair
A French Polynesian Hair Care Tradition
Polynesian women are famous for luxuriant long hair. According to the Monoi Insitute, Monoi de Tahiti oil is the reason. The institute has tested the oil and found it to improve hair condition, even with one application. What is Monoi de Tahiti and does the oil live up to the claims?
What is Monoi Oil?
Monoi de Tahiti is a type of highly refined coconut oil blended with the extract of Tahitian flowers. The original monoi oil blend only used tiare, a Tahitian gardenia. Today many different flower blends are mixed with tiare, including jasmine, vanilla and ylang ylang. Each bottle of monoi oil contains a tiare flower.
This cosmetic grade coconut oil is not as heavy as other types of coconut oil, making it suitable for all skin and hair types. The oil hardens when it reaches temperatures below 68 F. Placing the bottle in a cup of warm water will allow it to liquefy for use.
Since 1992, bottles of authentic Monoi de Tahiti oil bare an "Appellation of Origin" or "Guarantee of Origin" seal from the French government.
History of Monoi Oil
The word "monoi" means "scented oil" in the ancient reo-maohi Tahitian language. For centuries, Polynesian people in Tahiti mixed tiare and other local flowers in coconut oil. At some point, tiare became the preferred flower for the oil blend.
18th century documents from British navigator, James Cook, who visited the French Polynesian islands, mentioned monoi oil. Oral history also references the use of monoi oil for healing, spiritual purposes, skin care and hair care. People used monoi oil for aromatherapy and therapeutic massages. As a home remedy, monoi eased ear aches and soothed headaches and insect bites. Ancient birth and burial rituals involved anointing someone with monoi oil.
At one time, people could only obtain the oil in Tahiti or Hawaii. Now that the oil is more widely distributed, more people are discovering this traditional skin moisturizer and hair conditioner. The oil comes in
The Tiare Flower in Monoi Oil
The flower mixed with monoi oil is the "gardenia tahitensis", which is also known as "tiare Tahiti". The tiare flower has six white petals and grows on small shrubs, which bloom annually. The tiare is a popular symbol of French Polynesian culture in Tahiti. The tiare extract has been credited with medicinal and soothing properties. Many traditional medicinal remedies for ailments ranging from headaches to rashes incorporate the tiare flower extract.
In hair care, the tiare flower extract allows the monoi oil to soothe sore scalps, balance dandruff and moisturize dry hair.
Tahitian Coconut Oil
The oil of the Tahitian coconut palm tree, cocos nucifera, is also known as copra oil. Tahitians harvest the coconuts by hand on a number of plantations. They take out the pulp and dry out the shell in the sun. The workers then take the dried shells to a refinery where a pressing process refines the coconut oil.
Monoi Oil Benefits for Hair
The Monoi Institute conducted a 1998 study on the effect of monoi oil on hair. The results demonstrated that monoi oil smoothes the hair cuticle, penetrated the hair shaft to add moisture, improved shine and made hair easier to comb.
When hair expert Jennifer Bahney wrote about monoi oil on her website,Longhairlovers.com, she described the oil as a good, non-greasy conditioner that washed easily and left hair soft. Yet, hair expert Karen Shelton wrote in on her website, Hairboutique.com that monoi oil may be too light for some dry hair types.
Monoi oil works well as a pre-shampoo treatment, a leave-in conditioner or as a daily moisturizer.
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