We’ve already shared quite a bit about our Monoï de Tahiti: how it’s made, why its designation of origin is protected, and why every bottle contains a real flower. What we haven’t mentioned yet is the place where it all begins.
I took the photo above myself at a tiare plantation in French Polynesia. Rows of low, dark-green shrubs with glossy leaves—and nestled among them, small white flowers whose intense fragrance can be detected even from a distance.
A shrub that blooms almost all year round
The Tiare Tahiti, botanically Gardenia taitensis, is an evergreen tropical shrub that can grow up to four meters tall. In the warm climate of French Polynesia, it blooms almost year-round.
Harvesting remains a labor-intensive process, however. Each shrub produces only a limited number of suitable flower buds per day. At least twelve fresh tiare flowers are needed to make one liter of Monoï de Tahiti—and each one is picked by hand.
A quick linguistic aside: In Tahitian, „tiare“ already means „flower.“ So, strictly speaking, when someone refers to the „tiare flower,“ they are saying „flower-flower.“ Nevertheless, this term has long since become established in German.
Harvesting takes place early in the morning
Harvesting begins early in the morning. The fresh flower buds are picked just before they open. They must then be processed quickly—no later than the day after harvest.
Then the actual production of the monoï begins: The tiare flowers are left to steep in refined Coconut oil infused. This process takes place at room temperature; the oil is not heated during this process. You can find detailed information about what happens next in our article What is Monoï de Tahiti?.
Our Monoï oil is produced in Tahiti Nui, the main part of the island of Tahiti—the largest island in French Polynesia. This is more than just a charming origin story: the designation “Monoï de Tahiti” is subject to specific requirements regarding the origin of its ingredients and its production in French Polynesia.
Only a product that meets these requirements may bear the protected designation of origin Appellation d'Origine . A coconut oil with a floral scent could, in principle, be produced anywhere—but that would not make it a Monoï de Tahiti with an Appellation d’Origine.
More Than Just a Raw Material
On the islands of French Polynesia, the tiare is, of course, a part of everyday life—far beyond its use in cosmetics. The flowers are used to Hey (Tahitian; in Hawaii Lei (as they are called), the traditional flower wreaths and garlands, which are tied and presented as a greeting, as well as worn at celebrations or when saying goodbye.
The tiare flower is also often seen behind the ear. Depending on which side it’s worn on, it can reveal whether the wearer’s heart is already taken. We’ll tell you more about the flower in our Monoï bottle and its meaning in this article What's „floating“ in the monoï bottle?. You can also find a detailed plant profile at Tiare Tahiti: The Flower of Monoï.
Anakena – Natural Cosmetics was founded on Rapa Nui. Rapa Nui and Tahiti are separated by about 4,000 kilometers of open Pacific Ocean—a vast distance. However, both islands are part of the broader Polynesian cultural sphere. While their cultures and histories are distinct, they are also connected by shared Polynesian roots, related languages, and a centuries-old tradition of seafaring.
You can learn more about Rapa Nui and the origins of our brand on our Easter Island Page.
That is why the tiare is not just an exotic ingredient to us. It represents the cultural context in which Anakena – Natural Cosmetics was born and from which our brand continues to draw inspiration to this day.
From the plantation to your doorstep
The hand-harvested tiare flowers are processed into Monoï de Tahiti in Tahiti. Our Monoï is then bottled for us in France and shipped from there to Germany.
In our online store, you'll find this traditional oil as Monoï de Tahiti in a 100-ml bottle. For a complete skincare routine, you can use our Shower Gel Skin & Hair, the Body lotion and the Face cream combine.
The next time you open a bottle of our Monoï, you might think about where it all began: a tiare bud, hand-picked early in the morning in Tahiti.
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