Using Tamanu oil for hyperpigmentation is an effective skin care strategy. Uneven skin pigmentation (or hyperpigmentation as it is often known) is a common skin complaint. Hyperpigmentation is a common, usually harmless condition in which patches of skin become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin. Hyperpigmentation occurs when the skin produces more melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color.
The spots are known as age spots or sun spots and hyperpigmentation is also at the heart of skin conditions such as melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. A number of factors can trigger an increase in melanin production, but the main ones are sun exposure, hormonal influences, age and skin injuries or inflammation.
Tamanu oil is an exceptional treatment for hyperpigmentation. It comes from the tamnu tree which is native to the Pacific Islands. For centuries, natives used tamanu oil for skin conditions such as rheumatism, ulcers, and wounds. Tamanu oil can be expensive seeing as the trees only blossom twice a year, and one tree only produces about 5 kg of oil per year. Tamanu oil is incredibly rich in fatty acids and is highly antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant.
Tamanu oil is one of nature’s most powerful skin regenerators.
Tamanu Oil Hyperpigmentation
1. Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are a category of polyunsaturated fats that your body doesn’t produce on its own, but needs in order to maintain healthy tissue. Essential fatty acids play a key role in cell membrane development and the amino acids in these fats are essential in rejuvenating skin cells that result in healing skin problems and discoloration.
2. Calophyllic Acid
Spots or patches of darkened skin that appear after an inflammatory skin condition. Calophyllic acid is a very unique organic compound found in plants that is abundant in tamanu oil. Canophyllic acid has antibacterial properties that help fight off inflammation.
3. Antioxidant and UV Protective Properties
One of the most common causes of hyperpigmentation is overexposure to UV rays. Some individuals are more susceptible to hyperpigmentation, such as women with hormonal imbalances, many times caused by birth control or pregnancy, as well as people with darker skin tones. Two major antioxidants present in tamanu oil are coumarins and xanthones. These potent molecules help cell membranes maintain their integrity against free radicals caused by UV rays.
4. Prevents Infections
If you’ve had a skin infection, blisters, burns, or other trauma to your skin, you may have a loss of pigmentation in the affected area. Studies have shown that oils extracted from the tamanu tree have high antibacterial activity against bacteria involved in skin infections.
5. Omega 3 and 6
Tamanu Oil’s omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which aid in reducing hyperpigmentation. According to an article published in the Archives of Dermatological Research topically applied Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids can induce a decline in hyperpigmentation after 3 weeks of treatment.
Its anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antioxidant qualities make Tamanu oil a perfect remedy hyperpigmentation. Its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties not only sooth the impurities but also prevent them from reoccurring. Once applied to the skin, sebum production ceases, allowing for a smooth transaction of vital fatty acids to insert your dermis.