Shea Terra Madagascar Tamanu Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Oil, All Natural & Organic Oil Rich in Anti-Aging Serum with Amino Acids & Anti-Acne Properties for Softer, Hydrated & Blemish-Free Skin, 2 oz

I do not generally endorse items. However, this item is THE BEST EVER in reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation. The instructions say to apply it five times per day, but I wear makeup and cannot do that, so I usually apply twice per day. I started using it in January of this year and I have to say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I've tried everything to reduce acne scarring and while things work gradually and over time (about a year to fade a scar), I can say that I see noticable results with this oil in about a month. The scars are not gone in a month (though they are in about three), but there's a marked difference. To give some background, I'm African American with a dark complexion. Over the last year I have been dealing with adult acne centered around the bottom and sides of my face. Once a pimple disappears, it usually scars to almost a black color (I would post pics, but my vanity won't allow me to). This oil has helped to eliminate some scars and fade most others in the four months I've been using it. Like I said, I don't usually endorse things, but I fully endorse this product. I will also say that I think the brand is important also. I purchased something containing tamanu from another manufacturer and it actually contributed to me breaking out more vs. clearing my skin. Bottom line, I can be confident makeup-free nowadays. I LOVE TAMANU! If I could, I would marry it. :-) P.S. The smell is putrid, but diminishes after application. I would slather yourself in it though.

Update - 11/27/12 I ordered a second bottle and this one is very smooth. It also has a dropper lid instead of a pump, which works much better for this thick, creamy oil. I am still using it as a face moisturizer, and while my skin hasn't become perfect, it stays moisturized without adding awful chemicals to my skin, which I can't say for most other moisturizers. ************************************************************************************** I've had this tamanu oil for three months now. I got it because I have very sensitive skin and it's natural and organic. The consistency of the oil has always been odd to me. It's oily but also grainy. Since this oil comes in a bottle with a pump, and the graininess clogs the pump, making it ineffective, I'm hoping mine is a fluke. For anyone else who's tried it, was it grainy for you? Using it to moisturize my face after a shower, it leaves tiny bits of the graininess all over my skin, which I have to wipe off once the oil's absorbed in. I don't like that part because it looks dirty and I wonder how much of the oil (& my money) is wasted in clumping/graininess. Still, I really like this oil and am willing to give it another shot to see if the graininess is atypical. Why I love this oil: I cut the tip of my thumb with a mandoline 5 days ago. It was fairly deep and in a slit/"v" shape. Gross, bloody, and painful. I used neosporin on it with a band-aid for the first 3 days (cleaning & changing at least 1x/day) with little change in the size of my cut and left it bare yesterday. Last night, I decided to try a little tamanu oil in place of neosporin. This morning, it looks like either side of the cut has begun growing back together so my thumb doesn't look like it's splitting in half down the middle. I am impressed. That's enough reason for me to buy another bottle once this one runs out. If the next bottle is grainy, I'll just return it and try another brand.

This was my first time both with Tamanu oil and with Shea Terra Organics and I am really sad to say it was horrible on both parts! I got the oil quickly and was super excited b/c of all the great reviews, so I was really anxious to try it. I already use organic Argan oil and just started using organic maracuja oil too, I read it makes them more effective if you switch it up every few days, so I decided to try some new ones to alternate in. I got this one for both myself and my Mom to try and right away neither of us liked the smell at all, which was super strong and not pleasent at àll, but I would tolerate it if the oil worked. After a few tries it gave my Mom's neck and face a bad rash and was starting to break me out too. But I had read that it really helped with brown age and hormone spots so I wanted to keep trying it for that . But the next time I went to use it just a few days afer getting it, I found it had melted black rubber from the dropper top, running down the dropper into the oil like toxic sludge! And more melted black rubber all around the rim and underneath the dropper top lid, which I forgot to say was noticably deformed on arrival, it was stuck pushed together and a lot thinner on one side. But it looked like it would still work after opening it, I never would've thought it was all thinned out b/c it had been melting into the oil the whole time! Scary! So I wrote to them telling what happened requesting a full refund and hoping for some answers, I was really worried about having using melted rubber on my face and my Moms too, esp with the itchy rash it gave her, but they didn't write back at all! Not even an apology! No explanation, nothing! I mailed the bottle back and Thank God got a refund, but I am shocked and disgusted that I still haven't heard back from them. Very bad business! Very scary experience! It still scares me, what the heck was in that bottle that it actually melted, liquidfied the black rubber dropper top??? I will never order anything from this company ever again! Please check your oils and bottles carefully Before using!

While Tamanu oil is not a miracle, I do like it. I have been using it for toenail fungus for about a year. After one year, my thinner nails have grown out pretty clear. One of my big toenails has grown out much better. The other has had to be treated by a podiatrist. After toenail removal, I've added the oil to my regimen. Can I swear the improvement was due to the oil? No. However, I'm continuing to use it just in case! I know that tea tree oil did nothing, as did any other OTC treatment. The odor from bottle to bottle varies. Some bottles really stink. Others have a nutty smell that's not unpleasant. If you use any product for nail fungus, please know that there is no immediate treatment. The product has to be used as the nail grows out. For toenails, this is a veeeeeeery long process. After 3 or 4 months of use, however, you should see clearer nail growing out if the product is working.

I've tried almost every skin cream on the market for wrinkles and hyper pigmentation. I decided to give this a try as there were some good reviews and it didn't break the bank like some drugstore/ department store brands can. It doesn't smell nice, but it's not awful. Just very green like a natural product should. First night I used this I had been at the beach, I was wind/sun burned and my face was very red. By the next morning I was normal color and not tight or itchy feeling. I also should add that I wasn't greasy, even after applying it just goes right into your skin. It's been a week and still I'm not overly oily. I also do micro needling, and this is a great product for afterwards! It heals the micro holes over night and any redness is gone by morning. My wrinkles look smoother (more plumped not so deep) and my skin is getting a nice even glow. I really like this stuff, and it feels good knowing what exactly I'm putting on my skin as opposed to store brand creams/lotions where I can't pronounce half of the ingredients. I would recommend this product :)

november 30, 2014 update: amazon notified me about a comment left on this review. it was shea terra organics saying they were sorry about how the product arrived. they just happened across my review and wanted to apologize and send some good product out at no charge. what i have learned from this experience is that in addition to writing a review, i should have contacted the manufacturer directly about the experience and not have assumed as i did that they would know about it. the original review is below with a qualification at the end. it always surprised me that i never heard back about this, and now i know why. since the situation has been righted, i am increasing my stars to three from one, because things can happen and manufacturers should not be villianized over mistakes when they correct them in good faith. the original order still gets one star. the contact gets five stars, so i averaged the stars to three. There was a hint of a problem before opening the envelope, as it was oily, so I knew the bottle must be leaking. It was worse than that; the black cap appears to have dissolved right inside the envelope. I read a review of this product that described this exact thing, but ordered it anyway because most of the other reviews were good. What a shame, as not only do I now have to make the effort to return it, i have to re-order and wait for another, hopefully better product to arrive. How old must this have been to have dissolved the cap, or rubber inside the bottle, or whatever black stuff is dissolved in there, that is actually LETTING THE OIL LEAK OUT? This is the single most disgusting buying experience I have ever had. :) And there isn't much else to do but laugh and be grateful that it arrived as it did, so i didn't use any of it! Don't get me wrong, tamanu nut oil is terrific. I have used tamanu nut oil in the past, and will continue to use it, but not from Shea Terra Organics or their seller ToysNGamesEtc. [11/30/14 insert: i rescind my comments about Shea Terra the manufacturer, but not about ToysNGamesEtc because as the seller, they must have known about my return as well as this review and they not only never contacted me but apparently did not advise the manufacturer of the problem.]

I have used this for several years morning and night. Great product for facial moisturizer

Recently ruined my skin barrier from overusing tretinoin. My skin was constantly red and itchy. Even the barrier serum and moisturizer I’ve been using for months started to burn upon application. Bought this oil after hearing good things about it and my skin has been SO much better. Just the next day after using it my skin wouldn’t burn or itch at all. It has a nutty smell (which I expected since it’s natural) and feels a bit greasy, but it’s been an absolute miracle for my damaged skin! Will be purchasing again once my bottle runs out