I went to Hawaii recently and was interested to discover about the skin care industry that has developed out of making products from natural Hawaiian sources namely Kukui Nut oil. The Kukui Nut comes a flowering tree that grows in the tropics, also known as the Candleberry, Candlenut, and Kemiri tree. It is used for cooking and in traditional medecine in many parts of the world. In addition to these applications, the Hawaiians have been using the nut and its oil as the basis for skin care rememdies for centuries.
In ancient Hawai’i, the Kukui Nut, was used as candles, hence how the names the Candleberry and Candlenut are derived. The Hawaiians discovered that applying the oil to the skin helped heal and protect it against the harmful effects of the sun, salt water and wind. The Kukui nut oil helps soothe sunburn and provides relief from eczema and psoriasis. As well as soothing and healing dry and cracked skin, the oil provides moisturizing and softening effects.
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Clinical studies involving Kukui Oil have shown that it provides a rich botanical source of a-linolenic acid which helps maintain the cellular structure of the epidermis. Kukui Oil has a rapid rate of absorption on human skin which means that is provides a good means of delivering vitamins and minerals to the skins layers. So make sure you look for skin care products that are supplemented with Vitamins A, C and E.
Sun care products containing Kukui oil do not generally provide a sun block so you wouldnt use these products for skin protection, they are generally more for use as an after-sun soother and moisturizer.
Other products I have tried and recommend are the Hawaiian Sea Salt and Sugar scrubs. These are exfoliant products packed with the enzymes Papaya and Pineapple. I generally use one of these once a week to gently exfoliate my body and feet – they really do leave my skin feeling more radiant.
Another interesting line of products coming out of Hawaii are the lip care balms. These lip balms are made up of a compound of Kukui Nut, beeswax, and Mango Butter and come in a range of flavours such as sugar cane, coconut or just pure. One of my friends who suffers with cracked lips alot fed back that they are very rich and hard-wearing which meant that she found that she had to re- apply them much less frequently then the products she was generally used to using. Some of the unscented balms can also apparently be used on chapped noses, cracked cuticles, and mosquito bites.
Since coming back from my trip I have done some research and found that these products are easily available on the internet. I would just advise you to check that you are buying from a reputable dealer, preferably one based in Hawaii since this provides some confidence as to the source of the ingredients.
suziw is writing related articles at HubPages – Skin Care Products Articles