In just a couple of months I’ll be headed back to Africa. I’m lucky that we have a nice little house we turn into our base, in Kampala Uganda. But I don’t spend too much time there… the real work I do is out in the jungles and on the plains, looking for lost healing secrets so I can bring them back to you.
I travel 20,000 miles a year to find the source of traditional herbs, roots and flowers that are little-known or forgotten.
Knowledge of these plants has been passed down through generations of revered healers. In Africa, they call these healers daktari wa miti shamba, “doctor of herbs.” But it’s all done by word of mouth, and so much is still unknown to the rest of the world.
I want to help preserve this knowledge, or it will be lost.
Besides Africa, South America, Europe and Bali, there are many other places I still need to see for myself. Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania are on the list. Borneo, Sumatra, and Papua New Guinea are too.
And I’m anxious to explore the wild parts of Vietnam. I’ve been doing some research on what I can hope to find.
For instance, there’s a tree that grows along the beaches in Vietnam. It’s a relative of the mangosteen and thrives in salty soil and coral sands. The locals for generations have treated the tree as a sacred gift. They said the gods hid in its branches.
It’s called the tamanu tree (Alophyllum inophyllum). Locals comb the beaches and gather up its fruit twice a year to make a remarkable dark green oil.
From my research, seems like it’s kind of a long process, but I’d like to try it for myself. What you do is crack the nuts to take out a small kernel. Then you dry the kernels in the sun for two months. Even though the kernels look dried on the outside, when you press them you get a thick, dark green oil.
Tamanu nut oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) is one of the most healing skin remedies on Earth. When I go there, I’m anxious to see how traditional healers use this oil.
The oil soothes skin irritations, sunburn, and rashes. It hydrates and helps regenerate skin1 cells. Traditional peoples have used tamanu oil for centuries to speed up wound healing. They use it to heal sores, minor cuts and abrasions.
I’ve heard that a few drops on the neck can even relieve a sore throat. And, if you massage it into the skin, it can help with rheumatism and sciatica.
Tamanu has a unique compound not found in any other plant. It’s a fatty acid called calophyllic acid. And it could be what gives tamanu its skin healing power. This fatty acid helps grow healthy new skin.
It’s why there are a few places where tamanu is used to heal severe burns from chemicals, boiling water, and x-rays. And it helps heal diabetic ulcers.
This ability to grow new skin is important for healing scar tissue. In one clinical study six people with visible scars applied a tamanu formula to their scar twice a day. After nine weeks of the tamanu treatment the appearance of the scars were visibly reduced. The overall size of the scars decreased about 40%.2
Tamanu oil can fade scars or stretch marks, but it can also heal everyday cuts and wounds. It’s also a good skin treatment for eczema, psoriasis and acne.
I’m thinking of creating a kind of lip-balm using tmanu oil because it works really well for moisturizing chapped lips. You can even use it on babies to heal diaper rash.3
Here’s something most nutritionists and alternative doctors don’t know: Tamanu is slowly becoming available in the West.
Look for “cold-pressed” and “unrefined” tamanu oil. The oil should be a dark green. If it’s more yellow it may have been mixed with cheaper oils. If it looks black, the kernels may have been burned and damaged during production.
Apply tamanu oil two or three times a day for healing. The oil is exceptionally thick, but not greasy. Your skin will absorb it easily and feel smooth and plump.
You can mix tamanu with other oils yourself , too. Coconut oil is a good choice. And like coconut oil, tamanu oil may solidify at cold temperatures. You can put your bottle in a pot of simmering water or in the sun. It will return to liquid at 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
You may want to use tamanu oil the way women traditionally do in places like Vietnam and Tahiti. Apply it daily to promote healthy, clear, blemish-free skin.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1. Dweck A, Meadows T. “Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum) – the African, Asian, Polynesian and Pacific Panacea.” Int J Cosmet Sci. 2002 Dec;24(6):341-8
2. Beausoleil C, Lehman L. et al. “Evaluation of the Ability of One Test Product to Improve the Appearance of Scars.” Bioscience Laboratories, Inc., XX (2001). Report #010514-111.
3. Steiner, R.P. “Folk Medicine: the Art and Science.” American Chemical Society, Washington, DC (1986)