WHAT IS KUKUI OIL?

WHAT IS KUKUI OIL?

Kukui trees are easily identified on the slopes of Hawaiian mountains as they have very light, silvery-green foliage. From a distance, they stick out against the much darker green foliage (листва) of the other trees. The trees may reach 80 feet high. Leaf shape varies greatly but can be anywhere from rounded (ovate) to having three (trilobed) or five lobes. Leaves are generally four to eight inches long. A small green fruit surrounds the internal nuts.

While the rest of the world has only just been made aware of kukui oil, the same cannot be said for the Hawaiians who have been using it for centuries. The oil is produced by cold pressing the oil out of the kukui nut tree which is also called the candlenut tree and known scientifically as Aleurites Moluccans – the State tree of Hawaii.

It is a rich source of nutrients including fatty acids, various minerals, vitamins and natural antioxidants that can help soothe (снимать боль, облегчать) irritated skin and even heal wounds.

Kukui oil is not the only product derived from the tree, in fact, the seeds have been traditionally utilized for a wide variety of different purposes. The name Candlenut comes from the fact that the seeds of this tree have an extremely high oil content. In fact, its high enough that you can light a nut and use it to provide light. Oil from the seeds was pressed to make oil for lamps while the seeds themselves have been strung up (подвешивать) and set alight (поджигать) for use as torches.

It also has many other uses such as an emollient (смягчающее средство), ink for tattoos, and as a poultice for headaches.

The oil has also been mixed together with soot (сажа) to create a form of paint and also added to various other ingredients to help the drying process for varnishes (лак) and paints. The seeds can also be eaten so long as they are cooked first. The uncooked seed is slightly toxic to humans so the Hawaiians have typically roasted them and combined them with seaweed (водоросли) to produce a condiment (приправа).

Getting back to the kukui oil, it is a pale, clear oil that can also be a light yellow color.

According to studies, kukui nut oil has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Many people use it to treat some of the most common, chronic skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis while it can also be applied to burns or minor wounds to speed up healing.

One study found that the bark of the tree helped stimulate healing from burn damage to rats. The same study demonstrated that the extract could expedite (ускорять) healing time and also appears to promote the production ofcollagen.

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