What is it?
An extract of the flowers of the tiare, or Tahitian gardenia (Gardenia taitensis), a fragrant flower brought to the islands of French Polynesia by early Polynesian settlers. Islanders traditionally steep tiare flowers in coconut oil to make monoi, a scented oil for skin and hair, and also apply the fresh flowers directly. In cosmetics the extract is listed as a skin-conditioning ingredient.
Key information
- Tiare flowers steeped in coconut oil make monoi, a traditional Polynesian skin and hair oil.
- A lab analysis of a water-and-alcohol tiare extract found iridoids such as geniposide, flavonoids such as rutin, and chlorogenic acid.
- We found no safety review of tiare flower extract by the CIR Expert Panel or the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety.
More information
In a 2016 survey of cosmetic plants used in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, tiare was among the main cosmetic plants, cited mostly for scent and moisturizing. Monoi, coconut oil perfumed by steeping flowers such as tiare, was the most important cosmetic preparation for both skin and hair.
A 2023 laboratory study extracted tiare flowers with a mixture of ethanol and water and identified iridoids (gardenoside and geniposide), flavonoids such as rutin and quercetin compounds, and chlorogenic acid. The extract showed antioxidant activity in test-tube assays, ranking fourth of the five Polynesian skin-care plants tested.
Tiare flower extract has not had a dedicated safety assessment from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) or the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, and a search of the medical literature turned up no published skin irritation or allergy studies on it. Its safety record rests mainly on long traditional use on skin and hair rather than on formal testing, and nothing in the available research points to a specific hazard.
On labels it appears as Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract or Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract. Products scented with tiare may also list monoi or coconut oil; see our Monoi Oil and Coconut Oil profiles.
Sources: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016): Ethnobotanical survey of cosmetic plants used in Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia); Antioxidants (2023): Identification of Antioxidant Metabolites from Five Plants of the Polynesian Pharmacopoeia and Cosmetopoeia for Skin Care
