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Activities:
Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, ultraviolet (UV) radiation absorption, anticancer
Important Chemical Components:
Major: Dipyranocoumarins (including 4-phenylcoumarins, calanolides, inocalophyllins);
Oleic acid
Linoleic acid
Palmitic acid
Stearic acid
Glycolipids, phospholipids;
Inophyllum B and P;
Phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol)
Tocotrienols (δ-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol)1–4
Terpenoids
Minor: Triterpenes (friedelin, friedelan-3-β-ol), steroids, benzodipyranones, xanthones, flavonoids, tocopherols5–7
Origin Classification:
This ingredient is considered natural. Organic forms are available.
Personal Care Category:
Anti-inflammatory, occlusive, emollient, sun protective, antioxidant, scar treatment, and first aid for burns
Recommended for the following Baumann Skin Types:
Perfect for dry, sensitive S1 (acne) type skin. May be too greasy for individuals with oily skin types. Best for DSNT, DSNW, DSPT, and DSPW.
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Calophyllum inophyllum, a member of the mangosteen family (Clusiaceae, also known as Guttiferae), is a large, nondeciduous tree native to Africa, South India, Southeast Asia, Polynesia, the Philippines, and Australia.1 C. inophyllum ranges from nearly 25 to 75 feet high and is found in the high plateaus of Madagascar as well as the shores throughout the Philippines and India, and is characterized as a tropical evergreen shrub that grows along the southern coast of Taiwan.4,6–8 It is rumored that the trees that grow along the coastal shore provide a better oil for use in cosmetics than the inland trees, but there have been no scientific studies to support this claim.9
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C. inophyllum is now cultivated in much of the tropical world. The oil derived from this abundant plant, known by a wide variety of names, including Alexandrian laurel, Domba oil, beach mahogany, beauty leaf, beach calophyllum, dilo, and kamani, but perhaps best known by the French Polynesian term tamanu, is a cold-pressed vegetable oil extracted from the fruit and seeds of the plant. The leaves, bark, and seeds (almonds) of C. inophyllum are widely used in traditional medicine in most Pacific islands as well as the regions mentioned above.10 The fruits contain a nut kernel, which has little oil. However, if it is dried on racks for a month, a chocolate brown, rich oil forms. Mechanical pressing results in a greenish yellow oil, similar to olive oil, with an aromatic odor and an insipid taste.
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C. inophyllum has been used for hundreds of years in cuisine and as an ornamental plant because of its beauty and sweet fragrance. Its name comes from Greek – kalos (beautiful) and phullon (leaf). The wood is hard and is used in construction and canoe building. The seeds are the source of the oil, which is used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes and was once used as a lamp oil. Polynesians considered tamanu trees as sacred,8 and the wood was used to carve idols. The trees were planted inside the royal marae (sacred areas) and it was believed that the gods ...