Skin Care
Beauty Secrets From the Most Gorgeous Place on EarthThe thickest hair, smoothest skin and hips that don't lie: these are the beauty secrets Tahitian women have relied on for centuries |
Coconut Oil ... But Better In a climate where you can't hide from the salt, sand or sun, a serious moisturizer is required. Even if you've never heard of it, chances are, you've already come into contact with monoi oil, the stuff Tahitian women (and men) have been slathering on for centuries. It's the ingredient that makes Nars lipsticks so creamy and Carol's Daughter hair products so strengthening.
Most Tahitian woman make this aromatic, luscious-smelling oil in their backyard over a period of weeks, allowing fresh coconut oil to marinate the tiare flower, a gardenia-like bloom that only grows in French Polynesia. Then they add turmeric, sandalwood or fresh vanilla grown on the island, depending on preference or according to family recipe.
Monoi is a cure-all beauty tonic that Tahitians lather themselves in to soften and strengthen skin and hair, and to prevent and soothe sunburns, mosquito bites, stretch marks and hyperpigmentation. Its numerous claims are backed up by more than just old wives' tales. Tiare flowers are high in methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory used in topical pain relievers like Bengay and Icy Hot. In a hair stretch-pull test (which is exactly what it sounds like) by Carol's Daughter, hair treated with monoi oil lasted 130,000 pulls, while non-treated hair snapped after 10,000 pulls.
If you're not scheduling a visit to Tahiti any time soon, you can find monoi oil online -- crack open a bottle while you're looking at your island screensaver, and it's almost like you're there.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Green Juice That Makes Kale Look Wimpy
Most Tahitian woman make this aromatic, luscious-smelling oil in their backyard over a period of weeks, allowing fresh coconut oil to marinate the tiare flower, a gardenia-like bloom that only grows in French Polynesia. Then they add turmeric, sandalwood or fresh vanilla grown on the island, depending on preference or according to family recipe.
Monoi is a cure-all beauty tonic that Tahitians lather themselves in to soften and strengthen skin and hair, and to prevent and soothe sunburns, mosquito bites, stretch marks and hyperpigmentation. Its numerous claims are backed up by more than just old wives' tales. Tiare flowers are high in methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory used in topical pain relievers like Bengay and Icy Hot. In a hair stretch-pull test (which is exactly what it sounds like) by Carol's Daughter, hair treated with monoi oil lasted 130,000 pulls, while non-treated hair snapped after 10,000 pulls.
If you're not scheduling a visit to Tahiti any time soon, you can find monoi oil online -- crack open a bottle while you're looking at your island screensaver, and it's almost like you're there.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Green Juice That Makes Kale Look Wimpy