Tahitian Monoi Coconut Oil Is a Hero for Hair and Skin

May 2024 · 2 minute read

Many years ago, I was lucky enough to travel to Tahiti through a summer adventure program, which now sounds like a dream. In many ways it was, and it gave me a lifelong love of the beach, marine life, and the smell of monoi — a Tahitian perfume oil made by soaking the region's gardenia flowers in coconut oil.

It smells absolutely incredible, and after savoring the bottle I got as a teenager, I was resigned to the fact that it'd be hard to replace. But five or so years ago, I was thinking back on my trip and casually Googled to see if it was available online, and lo and behold, Amazon sellers carry the trademark flower-adorned bottle of Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare Coconut Oil (as does monoi.com, though stock is limited).

It's incredible news if, like me, you're pretty desperate for a tropical vacation right now. I can't say I'll be booking plans anytime soon — between flight delays and Polynesian peoples' calls for halted tourism until they have safe water — so closing my eyes while inhaling deeply is as good as it's going to get. And to be fair to the oil, that's pretty good.

It's also more than just a transporting scent. The combination of coconut oil and vitamin E leaves my skin feeling velvety, and as other reviewers described it, it's a "heaven in a bottle"-level effect. Others noted that it feels more moisturizing than plain coconut oil, and agreed that it's a "Polynesian vacation in a bottle" and "intoxicating."

Courtesy

Shop now: $12 (Originally $14); amazon.com

The one thing to note is that the oil base turns solid in cool temperatures, but warming it up in a glass of hot water or with a hair dryer brings it back to its ideal consistency. A nickel-sized dollop makes my hands so silky, while a quarter-sized amount of it leaves hair "strong,″ shiny," and feeling less damaged, per another user. Between its range of beauty benefits and the olfactory joy it brings me, it's not surprising people have used it for 45 years.

If you'd like to try the "gem of a product," get a bottle of Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare Coconut Oil for $12.

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