Monoi Oil: A Decadent Treat for Your Hair and Skin
I love using essential oils for beauty purposes. I own about 65 different essential oils right now! While many essential oils, such as lavender, are affordable, others are simply way out of my price range. Rose absolute essential oil, for example, costs an average of $204.90 per ounce (Taylor, J.).
Gardenia essential oil is beautifully scented and great for skin and hair, but it makes rose absolute look like a bargain. One of the few sites I found gardenia essential oil (not gardenia fragrance oil) online was selling it for $623.00 per ounce (Artisan Aromatics). That’s because gardenias flowers have a low yield of essential oil, making it very precious.
Because I love the scent of gardenias and am always looking to expand my collection of essential oils, I began researching gardenia essential oil. Though the essential oil of these beautiful flowers is not an affordable splurge for me, I found that monoi oil was well within my budget.
What is monoi oil, and how is it made?
Monoi oil “is cultivated by soaking Tiare Tahiti blossoms (an exotic gardenia) in refined coconut oil” (Oliver, D.). In other words, it is a carrier oil that is infused with gardenia essential oil. I think of it as super-charged, superbly scented coconut oil.
There were two large, healthy gardenia bushes at my previous home. I had to admit failure, but I had multiple ruinous DIY flops when I tried to make monoi oil myself. My attempts smelled like overripe bananas and included some tiny little bugs — yuck! Because of my own terrible experiences, I would recommend purchasing monoi oil instead of attempting to make it.
What is monoi oil used for, and how do I buy it?
Elle Magazine named monoi oil “the best skin moisturizer” (Long, A.). It’s also nourishing for hair, so I used it on both my body and in hair treatments. Because of its delicate scent, it can also be worn when you want to enjoy a soft, clean fragrance.
There are several companies offering monoi oil online and one product that seems to be very natural and authentic is Monoi Tiare Tahiti. You can buy it at the manufacturers site, or through other vendors. Shea Moisture also sells it, and have had nothing but good experiences with that brand.
(Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated with the companies I mentioned in this article, and I am NOT receiving any financial compensation for this article.)
Monoi oil beauty treatment ideas:
Monoi oil smells like summer to me. That’s why, although it may seem counterintuitive, I especially like using it during the winter. The jasmine-like fragrance is uplifting and mosts my mood in when the skies are gray and temperatures drop. As mentioned before, this is a very moisturizing oil, so I use it whenever my hair and skin need extra moisture. Personally, I tend to have dry skin and hair in the winter.
- For softer hair, add a few drops to your shampoo or conditioner. Or, include monoi oil in a hair mask.
- Immediately after showering or bathing, rub monoi oil into your skin. This helps to seal in the moisture.
- Massage monoi oil into your feet after a pedicure or whenever feet are particularly dry. I prefer to do this at night, and I put socks on afterwards, so I don’t slip on the floor!
- If you’re fighting frizz, put a couple of drops of this Tahitian treasure in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, and apply the oil to your hair. Note that you probably want to avoid the scalp, because applying oil there might make your hair look greasy.
Thank you for joining me! Please feel free to share your own beauty tips or experience with monoi oil in the comments section.
Sources
Artisan Aromatics. (n.d.). Gardenia Oil, Organic Enfleurage Oil, aka Organic Gardenia Essential Oil. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://artisanaromatics.com/shop/organic-gardenia-essential-oil/.
Long, A. (2017, October 9). Tahiti’s Skin Secret. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/a11814/best-skin-moisturizer-monoi-oil-610000/.
Oliver, D. (2017, December 7). Get To Know Coconut Oil’s Sexier Cousin. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/monoi-oil-benefits_n_3581105.
Taylor, J. (2019, September 30). Top 20 Most Expensive Essential Oils In The World. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://www.naturallivingideas.com/most-expensive-essential-oils-in-the-world/2/.
