Healing Burns

There are many wonderful carrier oils that can nourish the skin and speed the healing of a burn on your skin. Baobab oil, Shea butter and Tamanu oil are three of my current favorites.

Baobab: The oil is made from the fruit of the Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) by cold pressing the seed of the fruit. Baobab oil is highly penetrating, deeply nourishing and softens dry skin. It is known to restore and remoisturize the epidermis. Baobab oil has a high content of essential fatty acids.

Shea: Shea butter is extracted from the the Karite tree (Butyrospermum parkii), most often found in the tropical regions of West Africa. Shea is known to be an excellent moisturizer.  It is used as a lip balm, salve base, in body butters and in many skin care preparations. Used for sun-damaged skin and for long-term health of the skin.


Tamanu : The oil is made from the Calophyllum inophyllum tree. The harvested fruits are crushed to extract the nuts. The nuts are then sun-dried for eight weeks. During this time, the nuts turn brown and lose a third of their original weight. Inside their oil content becomes very high. Tamanu Oil does not exist in the fruit when it falls from the tree but forms during the drying period. Once dried, the oil is extracted from the nuts by cold pressing. Tamanu oil’s ability to heal damaged skin is well researched. The oil is notable for treating scars, stretch marks (fades stretch marks with great results), minor wounds, skin irritations, rashes, bedsores and many other skin concerns.

Burn Soothing Salve Recipe: In a double boiler melt a 1/2 oz of beeswax and then add 2 oz of Shea butter on a low heat and take of the heat as soon as the two are fully melted.  Mix in 1 oz of Tamanu oil, 1 oz of Baobab oil, and 30 drops of Lavender  essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia). Stir, pour into three 2 oz glass jars, cover and allow to cool. Apply this butter to the burn.

Tamanu Oil, extracted from the fruit of the Calophyllum inophyllum tree, is renowned for its remarkable skin healing properties. The oil we import is from Madagascar. The Tamanu tree blooms twice in a year, and has aromatic white flowers that create clusters of yellow-skinned fruits.

The fruit has a large nut within it. The oil is within the nut. The harvested fruits are crushed to extract the nuts. The nuts are then sun-dried for eight weeks. During this time, the nuts turn brown and lose a third of their original weight. Inside the nut the oil content becomes very high. Tamanu Oil does not exist in the fruit when it falls from the tree but forms during the drying period. Once dried, the oil is extracted from the nuts by cold pressing. It has a curry-like, nutty, aroma.

Tamanu oil’s ability to heal damaged skin is well researched. The oil is notable for treating scars, stretch marks (fades stretch marks with great results), minor wounds, skin irritations, rashes, bedsores and many other skin concerns.

• Greatly aids wound healing of severe cuts and burns.
• Acts as an effective germicide to kill or prevent infection.
• Analgesic effects, useful with St. John’s Wort herbally infused oil for sciatica.
• Used for shingles and skin ulcers.
• Promotes new tissue formation, accelerating healing and healthy skin growth.
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-fungal.
• It can be used undiluted on the skin or blended with other carriers, butters and essential oils. I like to melt it with shea butter, jojoba oil, beeswax and coconut oil for a rich and healing body butter.

The shelf life is about a year and a half from pressing and the oil is best kept refrigerated.