A few years ago I introduced Tahiti Kiss Face Crème, a custom formulated crème for all skin types. The initial reviews for it were brilliant, with everyone who tried it loving it. As I played around with formulas for this crème, I thought about what sort of scent to add, because plain, unscented lotion really doesn’t smell that great.
Should it be floral? Herbal? Fruity? Earthy? Oceany? None of these spoke to me, because each individual person has his or her preferred scents, and how horrible it’d be to have a gorgeous oceanic fragrance clashing all day with the classic aroma of Chanel No. 5! This isn’t like soaps or lotions, which are designed to layer scent and be the primary for the day. No, face crème should be alone, a silent participant in the wearer’s day, not getting in the way of whatever else she’d like to wear.
It was around this time that I discovered Manoi de Tahiti as I was shopping for the ingredients I would need for this extraordinary face crème. Done correctly, Manoi de Tahiti is an infusion of the gorgeous tiare flower, a varietal of gardenia, in virgin coconut oil.
The native Tahitians infuse the flowers in the oil, then change out the flowers for fresh ones – up to twelve times! The result is a lightly floral-fragrant oil that is truly a head-to-toe delight. The Tahitian people use Manoi de Tahiti as a hair treatment, after-sun balm, and a treatment for many different skin conditions. I also read that they use it as a sunscreen, too, which I do not recommend. However one uses this glorious Tiare infusion, it promises to be a delightful skin treat.
As my formulation called for coconut oil already, I decided to exchange Manoi de Tahiti for the coconut oil, and that lends its beautiful fragrance in this crème. There are other ingredients to this crème, both all natural and purely synthetic, all granting a specific and significant contribution to the whole. They please me, as does the crème itself. But the Manoi de Tahiti is the piece de resistance of this crème and what keeps me coming back to it every day as my facial moisturizer of choice.
