? tamanu gone bad? (Butch you out there?)

[Guest guest]

I have some tamanu oil that is in amber glass that I got in a garage sale a

while back and when looking at it today, I noticed it has what looks to be,

for lack of a better description <G>, little solid looking island thingies

floating on top. It hasn't been in cold cold storage, enough to make it

solidify, so I'm wondering if this is a normal occurrence? I'm thinking

it's not, but thought I'd ask anyway.

 

Thanks! :-)

 

Kelly

[Guest guest]

Hi Kelly,

 

Tamanu oil is one area that I am familiar with, as it's a favourite

healing oil for me, so thought I'd come out of hiding to reply to this

one. After downloading nearly three weeks worth of emails today, only

those with subjects that jump out at me are likely to get responses !

 

Good unprocessed Tamanu oil will separate and solidify at low

temperatures ... as it begins to warm up, you'll see the bits that take

longest to melt floating in the liquid oil. if your floating bits don't

melt back in then there may be something wrong with your oil, but I'd

let it warm and see before chucking it out !

 

The following quote is from a letter written to my Tamanu oil supplier,

from his R & D chemist.

 

******* beginning of quote by Dr Henry Meissner *************

 

Regarding your question as to crystalisation-racemisation of Tamanu Oil:

During storage of cold-pressed and filtered Tamanu Oil, particularly in

temperatures below 20-22oC, it is " normal " to see sedimentation and

crystalisation-racemisation occurring on the bottom and walls of the

storage containers, bottles or vessels.

 

One reason is non-temperature related - enzymatic activity in the oil -

which indicates it possesses biological functionality and therapeutic

potency peculiar to the oil of Tamanu. The other reason is temperature

related - which makes oil solidify at lower temperatures - as most of

oils and fats do.

 

So, solidified Tamanu Oil represents fully functional therapeutic

product, in which, enzymes were not destroyed (partially or totally) by

heating - as it happen when oil is heated above 55oC (partial

destruction of enzymes) and above 85-90oC where most plant proteins will

denature, hence any enzyme-related biological activity no longer may be

expected from such an oil.

 

In this respect Tamanu Oil behaves similar to highly therapeutic honeys

(from buckwheat, manuka etc), where crystalisation-solidifying occurs

within a few weeks after cold extraction and filtration-separation from

waxy cells. If those honeys will not crystalise-solidify (at least

partially) after a couple of weeks - its indicates heat extraction and

enzymes responsible for agglomeration-crystalisation were destroyed,

hence there is nice looking and sweet tasting honey - but without its

expected therapeutic activity and biological potency.

 

Temperature-related solidifying is something which could be altered by

adding other oils with lower solidifying temperature points but this is

a matter for individual manufacturers-suppliers to deal with. It all

depends, in what final product, Tamanu Oil will be used, hence the

possibility of blending with or adding another oil used and valued in

cosmetics. Please note in many cases you would only need to add less

than one percent of this “other oil”.

 

So, in summary, crystalisation and sedimentation is perfectly normal and

expected to occur during storage of Tamanu Oil, with the degree of

solidifying depending on how low storage temperate is, and this has no

detrimental effect on the product. If Tamanu Oil is completely liquid

at temperatures below, say 10oC, then, the oil has been treated by

heating at high temperatures or some other oils were used to lower its

solidifying temperature point - or both.

 

I think that this will explain the " aestethics " versus " therapeutic "

argument related to the appearance of Tamanu Oil to potential customers.

I presume that you would like to have 100% pure and nice looking,

clear green coloured, all liquid Tamanu Oil after being stored for

couple of weeks-months since its extraction - but I cannot help you here

as I cannot compete with nature to change biochemical and physical rules

(enzyme- and temperature-related) which after all are responsible for

biological activity and therapeutic properties of Tamanu Oil - the very

reason the oil is to be used by a satisfied end user! "

 

******* end of quote by Dr Henry Meissner *************

 

I cannot, of course, say if your Tamanu Oil is behaving according to Dr

Meissner's letter above. You don't say what temps your oil is stored at,

but from my experience, this tropical oil seems to consider it cold much

sooner than I do !!

 

Hope this helps,

Jane :-))

 

 

Kelly Beers wrote:

> I have some tamanu oil that is in amber glass that I got in a garage sale a

> while back and when looking at it today, I noticed it has what looks to be,

> for lack of a better description <G>, little solid looking island thingies

> floating on top. It hasn't been in cold cold storage, enough to make it

> solidify, so I'm wondering if this is a normal occurrence? I'm thinking

> it's not, but thought I'd ask anyway.

>

> Thanks! :-)

>

> Kelly

[Guest guest]

p.s. ... I should add, that letter was forwarded to me with permission

to disperse the info to anyone interested, just in case anyone's

wondering about copyright etc !

 

Jane :-))

 

Jane Eliza wrote:

 

 

>

> The following quote is from a letter written to my Tamanu oil supplier,

> from his R & D chemist.

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Jane! :-) I really appreciate your input! I have a handicapped

gander with a bad foot and was going to make some stuff with it for him

anyway. :-)

 

Kelly

-

" Jane Eliza " <jane

 

Sunday, January 16, 2005 9:16 PM

Re: ? tamanu gone bad? (Butch you out there?)

 

 

>

> Hi Kelly,

>

> Tamanu oil is one area that I am familiar with, as it's a favourite

> healing oil for me, so thought I'd come out of hiding to reply to this

> one. After downloading nearly three weeks worth of emails today, only

> those with subjects that jump out at me are likely to get responses !

>

> Good unprocessed Tamanu oil will separate and solidify at low

> temperatures ... as it begins to warm up, you'll see the bits that take

> longest to melt floating in the liquid oil. if your floating bits don't

> melt back in then there may be something wrong with your oil, but I'd

> let it warm and see before chucking it out !

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Jane,

 

That was really interesting.

 

Thanks for that great reminder that Nature is

messy, and live stuff refuses to be uniform.

 

Now, sorry to be so ignorant but I am getting

really curious. What IS Tamanu?

 

Ien in the Kootenays

****************************

I can finish my own sentences again!

muddled

****************************.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

>

> Thanks for that great reminder that Nature is

> messy, and live stuff refuses to be uniform.

 

What a lovely way of putting it, Ien !

Give me messy non-conformists any day over standarisation ;-)

>

> Now, sorry to be so ignorant but I am getting

> really curious. What IS Tamanu?

 

It's a tropical nut-bearing tree (Calophyllum inophyllum) which has been

used by generations of Pacific islanders (probably not only this

region...) for skin problems.

 

It is a pearlescent, deep green oil with a very earthy distinctive aroma

and is wonderfully healing. As the French have long had a presence in

the Pacific region, they have quite a lot of research available on the

properties and actions of the oil. I use it in blends for eczema &

psoriasis, shingles & other such conditions that adversely effect the skin.

 

I also use it in lotions & creams which I make mainly as healing

products, rather than just for their moisturising properties....

and I particularly love it in soap - as little as 5% makes a wonderful

soap for hair. I tried it a soap with 100% Tamanu not long ago - an

interesting, if very expensive, experiment! It has a very thick soft

lather that begins to feel like a lotion if you work it well. As I've

found that many good soaping oils don't work so well on their own, I was

pleasantly surprised to find what a lovely soap the Tamanu makes. But as

I said, expensive to use like that!

 

Another property of the oil is that it's rubifacient, so it's good to

add to carriers where heat is needed. I don't consider it a " carrier "

oil by itself, but rather, a 'healing oil' - it can be used on it's own

or included in a blend, but I wouldn't use it, for example, in a massage

blend unless I specifically wanted the heat.

 

A precaution on Tamanu - it is a nut, and as such, may cause problems

with people who have allergies to nuts, so it's wise to check that if

using it in products for other people, and include it on labelling where

appropriate.

 

> Ien in the Kootenays

 

Jane in the Land DownUnder :-))