A prized treasure
Star of the beaches of Saint-Tropez and the Côte d'Azur, summer elixir for skin and hair, Tahitian Monoï has acquired cult status in metropolitan France. It evokes warm sand perfumes, awakens voluptuous and sensual sensations, and wonderful desires of elsewhere and paradise. A little as if there, in France, on the other side of the world, it could deliver something of its thousand-year-old tradition, still retaining the strength of the Maohi culture from which it originated. Because in Tahiti and its islands, the monoi covers a much wider and more extraordinary reality
... Unfortunately, although a number of Western brands use the term "monoi" for marketing and commercial purposes for derivative products of sometimes dubious quality - self-tanners in particular - the real Tahitian Monoi is rarely found on the shelves of our metropolitan supermarkets. So make the most of your trip to fill up your tank!A 100% Fenua product
A decree of Appellation of Origin of 1992 defines very precisely the method of manufacture of this much appreciated elixir. "Monoï de Tahiti is the product obtained from the maceration of tiare flowers in refined copra oil, extracted from coconuts harvested in the geographical area of French Polynesia at the ripe nut stage, on soils of coral origin. These nuts must come from the coconut tree Cocos nucifera and the tiare flowers of the plant species Gardenia taitensis
(Candolla Flora) of Polynesian origin, harvested at the bud stage .The coconut tree from the coral soils of Polynesia produces a refined oil (first pressure) whose silkiness and lightness of touch are particularly appreciated by cosmetic laboratories.
As for the tiare flower, it is an endemic flower of French Polynesia. It has even become its emblem. A symbol of purity and beauty, it is the flower that is gracefully worn on the ear - on the right if the heart is free, on the left if not -, it is the flower that welcomes newcomers and celebrates their welcome. But beyond its charms, the tiare flower is also one of the most important plants of ra'au Tahiti: the traditional pharmacopoeia of Tahiti and her islands. The flowers are indeed abundantly quoted in the most diverse preparations ranging from the treatment of certain eczemas to headaches and insect bites.An ancestral recipe
In the preparation of Monoï de Tahiti AO (appellation of origin), the flower is used fresh, picked in the morning at the bud stage, and macerated within 24 hours of picking. The maceration in refined copra oil - the flesh of the coconut - lasts at least 10 days and allows the virtues of the flower to be extracted. The oil is then carefully filtered.
Another quality of monoi, the traditional mono 'i (pronounced "mono-i"), can also be found on the market in Papeete and among artisans, which corresponds to an older manufacturing method: the fresh grated coconut flesh is cooked in the sun, sheltered by a leaf or a pareo; preparation to which fresh or dried tiare flowers are then mixed. The sometimes observed addition of hermit crab or crushed goat's head speeds up the process of separating the oil, which comes to float after several days, and gives the traditional mono'i, the famous mono'i of the Mama.Undisputed benefits
The use of Monoï de Tahiti as a solar product is nothing other than a western diversion. In Maohi, the word mono'i can be translated by "perfumed oil" or "sacred oil" (in French the word spelled monoï, is one of the rare Tahitian words to have entered the French language dictionary). The etymology reveals more clearly the traditional use of the product. In the islands, mono'i
has accompanied every moment of the Polynesians' lives for more than 2,000 years.From birth, the mother gives her child a monoi oil massage. It is both to stimulate the good psychomotor development of the child and to condition, nourish and protect its skin. Monoi is then used daily by Tahitians as a real natural second skin whose functions can be modulated by different plants: it protects from the cold of the river; loaded with miri, it also protects from evil spirits; in the Marquesas, humuei
, a monoi with fragrant plants, is even used to attract the loved one! Monoi is also appreciated for nourishing long, thick hair that the rigours of the climate and the elements make dry and difficult to style. As a natural care and beauty oil, monoi combines the symbiosis of man and nature on a daily basis - a concept at the heart of the Polynesian cosmogony. Much more than a simple skin care product for those who want to read the multidimensional nature, monoi expresses all the richness of a sense of harmony and balance. Nowhere is this aspect better revealed than in the tradition of Taurumi Ma'ohi, the ancestral massage. It can be practiced very simply in the family setting, in the evening, in the soothing shade of a tree, in a place that is both peaceful and open, or in a more formal way by a tahu'a, a specialist.A whole culture
Skin care, body and soul care, monoi is obviously a sacred care, an anointing oil that is found in many rituals or ceremonies. No wedding or royal coronation without monoi and Tiaré flowers.
From the sacred rituals of Polynesia to the small Tropezian bottle, the Monoï of Tahiti, like the tattoo, expresses all the strength and modernity of a mythical culture. A culture which, long before the West rediscovered the virtues of balance of body and soul, was able to produce a natural and spontaneous sense of well-being, grace and beauty. Today, the Monoï de Tahiti has become an ambassador of Polynesia in the world; the greatest beauty and well-being brands are inspired by it to formulate treatments capable of distilling the magic of the Pacific and of making people discover the whole spirit of a certain art of living.
