Tamanu Oil And Frankincense Magic! DIY Anti-Aging Face Serum

There’s a very specific kind of skincare fatigue that sets in around ingredient number eleven.

You know the one.

Where you’re squinting at a bottle trying to work out if “tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate” is a good thing or a warning sign.

I get it.

So here’s a different approach: two ingredients. That’s it.

Tamanu oil and frankincense, paired in a way traditional healers and modern formulators both happen to agree on.

This isn’t a brand new idea. You’ve probably seen a version of it doing the rounds on Pinterest with rosehip oil instead. Same concept, different oil, and a few genuinely good reasons to make the swap.

Tamanu oil is thicker. Richer. It’s been used for skin repair for generations, and its fatty acid profile plays particularly well with mature or dehydrated skin, the kind that laughs off lighter oils.

Pair it with frankincense, an essential oil with a research trail that goes back decades, and you’ve got something that punches well above its two-ingredient weight.

Let’s get into it.

I’m Patri Hernández, a certified organic skincare formulator and dermocosmetic technician with a background in health coaching. I specialise in botanical ingredients, essential oil safety, and building evidence-informed natural skincare formulas that actually hold up to scrutiny.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through one of them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend ingredients and products I genuinely think are worth your time, and affiliate relationships never influence what I suggest.

So what’s the big deal with tamanu oil?

Let’s start here, because most people have never heard of it.

Tamanu oil comes from the nut of Calophyllum inophyllum, a tree native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. It’s been part of traditional skin healing there for generations, long before anyone put it in a dropper bottle and called it “beauty leaf oil.”

Here’s the interesting part.

It contains a compound called calophyllolide, along with a hefty dose of fatty acids, and researchers have actually gone looking for what that combination does on skin.

A 2021 scientific review examining tamanu oil for atopic dermatitis pulled together the existing evidence and found consistent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and wound-healing activity across laboratory and animal studies. I HATE ANIMAL TESTING!!!

Worth flagging: that’s not the same as a clinical trial on humans. Most of the research so far is in vitro and in vivo, meaning lab dishes and animal models rather than a room full of women applying it nightly for six months. AGAIN, I HATE THIS!!

That distinction matters, and it’s exactly the kind of nuance a lot of wellness content skips over entirely.

Plenty of bloggers write with total confidence about “miracle oils” without the formulation training to actually interpret the research behind them properly. That’s the gap I’m here to close.

What tamanu oil actually brings to your serum

• A thick, deeply nourishing texture built for drier, more mature skin
• A fatty acid content that supports your skin’s moisture barrier
• Antioxidant compounds that may help counter some of the oxidative stress behind visible ageing
• A distinctive olive green colour and a nutty scent. Both completely normal.

Quick fact worth banking: unrefined tamanu oil is naturally a deep, murky green. If the bottle you’re holding is pale and almost odourless, it’s been processed more heavily, or diluted. Check the label before you buy.

And frankincense? Still holding up.

Frankincense essential oil comes from the resin of Boswellia trees, and it’s one of the oldest ingredients in skincare, full stop. Ancient. Practically prehistoric by beauty industry standards.

But it’s not coasting on reputation alone.

The anti-inflammatory action alone earns it a place in your serum. Inflammation is one of the quieter drivers of premature skin ageing, doing damage long before you notice a single wrinkle.

What you actually need

No mystery ingredients here. Just:

• 20ml tamanu oil
• 5 to 6 drops frankincense essential oil
• Optional: 5ml jojoba oil, to soften tamanu’s thick texture
• Optional: a few drops vitamin E oil, for shelf life
• A 30ml amber or blue glass dropper bottle

That dark glass isn’t there for aesthetics. Carrier oils and essential oils both degrade faster in light, and a clear bottle will quietly shorten your serum’s life without you noticing until it smells off.

How to make it

1. Sterilise your bottle. Hot water or a wipe of alcohol, then let it dry properly before anything goes in.
2. Add the tamanu oil. Pour in 20ml. Adding jojoba to lighten the texture? Do it now.
3. Add the frankincense. Five to six drops for a 20 to 25ml blend. That’s roughly a 1% dilution, comfortably inside the 0.2 to 1.5% range generally recommended for facial cosmetics.
4. Add vitamin E, if you’re using it. Not essential, but it slows oxidation nicely.
5. Cap it and roll it gently between your palms to combine. Skip the vigorous shaking; it introduces tiny air bubbles that speed up oxidation.
6. Label it with the date. Feels fussy. Saves you from guessing three months from now.

This makes roughly a month’s supply, give or take how liberally you apply it.

How to use it

Two to three drops on clean, slightly damp skin, morning or evening or both. Warm it between your fingertips first, then press it into your face and neck. Don’t rub it in like you’re late for something.

Using other actives, retinoids, acids? This oil goes on last, once everything else has absorbed. Oils sit on top of water-based products, and layering order matters more than most people assume.

The mistakes that undo all your effort

• Overdoing the frankincense. More essential oil does not equal more results. Push past roughly 1 to 2% dilution on the face and you’re just inviting irritation.
• Skipping the patch test. Tamanu oil is generally well tolerated, but it comes from a tree nut, so if you have tree nut allergies, speak to a doctor before you go anywhere near this recipe.
• Storing it somewhere warm or bright. Heat and light both speed up oxidation. Your bathroom windowsill is the enemy here.
• Expecting results by Thursday. Botanical actives are a slow burn. Give this a genuine four to six weeks before deciding whether it’s earning its spot.

The patch test nobody wants to do

I know. It feels like an unnecessary hurdle between you and glowing skin.

But the American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying any new product to a small area, the inner forearm works well, twice daily for seven to ten days before it goes anywhere near your face.

It catches sensitivities early, before they become a visible problem on skin everyone can see.

A few variations worth knowing

If tamanu’s rich texture feels like too much for oilier skin, rosehip oil is a solid swap, with a similarly strong antioxidant profile in a much lighter package.

And since plenty of people land here searching for a castor oil and frankincense recipe specifically, know this: castor oil can absolutely be blended with frankincense too, but it behaves very differently on skin. Thicker. More occlusive. Some people love it on dry patches, others find it far too heavy for daily facial use. Think targeted spot treatment, not all-over serum.

This same base recipe, scaled up slightly, doubles nicely as a diy anti-ageing body oil for elbows, knees, and décolletage, all the spots that show dryness and crepiness long before your face gives anything away.

Storage, because nobody wants rancid oil on their face

Cool, dark, dry. Away from direct sunlight and away from a steamy bathroom if you can manage it. A bedroom drawer beats a bathroom shelf every time.

Stored properly and used consistently, this blend should hold up for around three months. If it starts smelling sharp or sour, or just different from the day you made it, that’s your cue to toss it and mix a fresh batch.

Building this into a bigger routine rather than using it on its own? My guide to the correct order of skincare products covers exactly where an oil like this slots in alongside your serums, moisturiser, and SPF.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this serum every day?
Most people can, morning or evening or both. Notice any sensitivity, scale back to every other day and reassess from there.

Is tamanu oil comedogenic?
It sits in a moderate range on comedogenicity scales, so if you’re very acne-prone, patch test on the jawline before committing your whole face to it.

Can I use this if I’m pregnant?
Frankincense essential oil is generally considered low risk at low dilutions, but essential oil use in pregnancy is a personal call, best made with your midwife or doctor, especially in the first trimester.

Why does my tamanu oil smell so strong?
Nutty, herbaceous, a bit unusual. Completely normal for good quality tamanu oil. Rancid or sour is different, and that’s when you replace it.

Can I add other essential oils to this blend?
Yes. Geranium and rose otto both pair beautifully with frankincense for mature skin. Just keep your total essential oil content within safe facial dilution limits if you’re combining more than one.

The last word

There’s something quietly satisfying about a formula this simple actually doing its job.

Tamanu oil and frankincense aren’t chasing a trend. They’re botanicals with genuine history and a growing research trail behind them, mixed in the kind of straightforward ratio that doesn’t need eight other ingredients to justify itself.

Give it the full month. Store it properly. Let it do the work.

References

• Potential of Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum) Oil for Atopic Dermatitis Treatment, National Center for Biotechnology Information
• Protective potential of frankincense essential oil against UVB-induced photodamage, PLOS ONE / National Center for Biotechnology Information
• Essential Oil Dilution Guidelines, Tisserand Institute
• How to Test Skin Care Products at Home, American Academy of Dermatology

Love, Patri xx