I bought this thinking it’d finally kill a cystic zit that’s been camping on my chin for weeks. It didn’t — not overnight anyway.
But then I globbed the extra on my cuticles out of laziness and woke up to fingers that didn’t look like I’d been picking at them. That’s when I got curious.
It’s a 30ml dropper bottle of pure Tamanu oil from Balm Balm. $22. The brand claims it fades scars, calms breakouts, and basically fixes everything.
Cold-pressed & unfiltered
Smells like a campfire — in a good way. Earthy, nutty, zero perfume.
Absorbs in 45 seconds
Not the 10-second miracle they claim. You’ll look shiny for a minute. Worth it.
One ingredient
No filler. Just Tamanu. That’s rare in a world of 50-step serums.
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
One hero: Tamanu nut oil. It’s packed with calophyllolide — a compound that’s basically nature’s Neosporin. Also has fatty acids that don’t clog pores, which is wild for an oil.
- Calophyllolide: antibacterial + speeds healing
- Linoleic acid: sinks in without greasiness
- Oleic acid: softens dry patches
- Vitamin E: stabilizes the oil, keeps it fresh
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
Thick. Like honey that’s been sitting in a cold pantry. You need 2 drops — not 5 — unless you want to look like a glazed donut. It warms up fast between your palms.
Week 2: I started using it as an eye cream. Sounds insane. But that dry crepe under my eyes? Gone. No milia either — which I was sure would happen.
Photo: Ali Pazani / Unsplash
That chin zit? Smaller but still there. But the dark mark it left behind? Faded by 60% in 3 weeks. My cuticles stopped cracking. And my scalp — which gets flaky in winter — hasn’t itched once since I started massaging this in before washes.
Photo: Barbara Krysztofiak / Unsplash
It’s not a miracle worker — but it’s a solid utility player. I’d buy it again just for the cuticle and scalp tricks alone.