Island Soap & Candle Works factory is located on the “Garden” Island of Kauai just a short walk from the ocean. Here, among swaying tropical coconut palms, we bottle our popular Hawaiian bath and body massage oils. Our coconut oil based massage oil also features macadamia nut oil and is infused with evocative tropical fragrances.
Use of Botanical Lotions in Hawaiian Traditions
Like medical traditions in China and India, ancient Hawaiian medicine was concerned with treating the whole person, using locally available resources. Traditional healers of Hawaii used natural plant extracts to treat not only physical ailments, but spiritual, emotional and psychological ones as well.
One of the most commonly used ancient Hawaiian medicinal practices was known as Lomilomi massage. Using several types of botanical lotions or oils as a lubricant, a healer might use a single finger, some combination of fingers, the entire hand and even the elbows and feet to massage a patient in order to eliminate an illness. Hawaiian Lomilomi massage was the standard cure for everything from simple headaches to serious orthopedic disorders and sprain injuries. Therapeutic massage was also used to assist women in pregnancy and after childbirth. These traditional Hawaiian body oils and emollient formulas were a standard part of such therapy.
Legendary Beauty
The clear-skinned, healthy complexion of Polynesian women is legendary around the world. Although genetics plays a part, traditional Hawaiian body oil made from coconut oil and scented with the essential oils of indigenous flowers and leaves was regularly applied by these women to enhance their beauty in addition to many therapeutic and healing benefits.
Skin Care and Coconut Oil
The health benefits of coconut oil, the main ingredient in our Hawaiian Botanical Massage Oil, has been widely know throughout history and in many varied cultures. This natural oil’s versatility is expressed by it’s use in many aspects of daily life such as: cooking, dietary supplements, conditioner for hair, massage oil and lotion for skin and the body and finally, as a medicine. One of coconut oil’s main benefits is it’s high Saturated Fat content which contains medium Chain Fatty Acids or Triglycerides. When applied on the skin coconut oil soaks in easily leaving your skin smooth to touch. Simply put, coconut oil also helps your skin retain it’s natural moisture content. This natural emollient also has beneficial antioxidant properties and is rich in many proteins which helps to prevent aging and wrinkling of skin. Coconut oil is also known to have strong disinfectant and antimicrobial properties which when applied on skin protects from certain infections.
Fresh Tropical Fragrances and Memories of Hawaii
Experience, memory and fragrance are often closely tied together. To evoke and capture the experience of visiting Hawaii, Island Soap & Candle Works has carefully chosen five popular tropical Hawaiian fragrances to feature in our Hawaiian bath and body message oils. The Plumeria flower is so common in Hawaii that it’s soft, slightly sweet fragrance often permeates the warm Hawaiian air when they are in bloom. It is commonly made into leis which are given as greetings and welcome. Our other tropical floral fragrance is from the small but very fragrant Pikake jasmine flower which was named after the Peacocks that roamed the royal gardens of Hawaiian Princess Kaiulani. Another well liked tropical fragrance blends the essences of two of Hawaii’s most popular fruits, mango and guava along with the sweet nutty scent of the coconut to create our Mango Coconut Guava fragrance. Of course a Hawaiian experience must include Pineapple which we blended with another island tropical favorite, Passion fruit. Finally no trip to Hawaii would be complete without the familiar soothing creamy fragrance of coconut.
