Look for the tiare logo: every Monoi Tiki Tahiti oil is made in Tahiti with genuine MONOI de TAHITI and shipped from Honolulu by the official U.S. importer. Start with Tiare oil or browse all monoi oils. Any two oils ship free in the U.S. (orders of $30 or more).
Shop Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare oil
The exceptional properties of the MONOI de TAHITI and its unique virtues were officially recognized by an “Appellation of Origin” Guarantee of Origin – which the French government voted and passed through a decree dated April 1st, 1992 (Decree 92-340, English translation, PDF), after several months of arduous lobbying by the Association of the Monoi Manufacturers of Tahiti. Monoi de Tahiti was the first cosmetic product to obtain an appellation of origin.
In the French culture, an “appellation d’origine” is granted to only the finest products and that designation is traditionally known all over the world as the guarantee of a superior product. The appellation d’origine is also the recognition of a unique local know-how combined with the special qualities and characteristics of a regional soil.
Until only very recently solely 10% of the MONOI de TAHITI sold in France came from Polynesia because of widespread counterfeiting, the unfortunate price paid for the MONOI’s immense popularity since the 70’s. As a result, it became imperative to take strong measures to protect the authenticity of a unique product with legendary properties such as the MONOI de TAHITI and regain the confidence of consumers who are still fraudulently deceived by products pretending to possess the unique characteristics of the MONOI de TAHITI and the qualities imposed by the rigorous standards of the appellation of origin.
Despite the Appellation d’Origine and all the measures taken by the French Ministry of Frauds, the Monoi de Tahiti remains one of the most copied cosmetic products on the market today. To help further remedy the situation, a logo with the Tiare flower, emblem of Tahiti and key ingredient in the MONOI de TAHITI, was designed and placed on every bottle of Monoi or the other Monoi products made with the genuine MONOI de TAHITI. That logo alone is a guarantee of authenticity as well as an assurance of superior quality.
What the decree requires
Decree 92-340 of April 1, 1992, amended by Order 313 CM of February 20, 2008, sets these rules for Monoi de Tahiti:
- Tiare flowers (Gardenia taitensis) native to Polynesia, picked in bud and used within one day of harvest.
- At least 10 tiare flowers per liter of refined coconut oil, macerated for at least 10 days.
- Coconuts (Cocos nucifera) grown on coral atolls in French Polynesia, harvested ripe; kernels sun-dried into copra and pressed once, warm.
- Added fragrance no more than 4% of the monoi.
- Finished monoi at least 90% refined copra oil in which tiare flowers were macerated.
- Products sold with the name must contain at least 50% Monoi de Tahiti for bath, body and sun oils, and at least 30% for soap, and state the percentage on the label.
In the United States, MONOI DE TAHITI APPELLATION D'ORIGINE is a registered certification mark (U.S. Reg. No. 2,034,751). See every key number in one place on our Monoi Facts page.
Shop genuine Monoi de Tahiti
Every Monoi Tiki Tahiti oil is made in Tahiti with genuine MONOI de TAHITI. Shop the original Monoi Tiki Tahiti Tiare oil (with a dried tiare flower in every bottle), warm Vanille, or the classic Rouge tanning oil. Prefer a bar? Try our French-milled monoi soaps.
Giving monoi as a gift? The Monoi Oil Duo (Tiare and Vanille, $30) and the Monoi Oil Gift Set (Tiare, Vanille and Coco, $45) are ready-made Tahitian gifts.
Shop all monoi oils → Made in Tahiti since 1942, shipped from Honolulu by the official U.S. importer. Free U.S. shipping on orders of $30 or more.
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