When tamanu oil was combined with sericin (a silk protein) and the antihistamine levocetirizine, it reduced itching and redness in atopic dermatitis more effectively than standard gel formulas. The oil-based formula achieved 94% drug absorption efficiency and released the active ingredient steadily over 24 hours.

Researchers created a tamanu oil microemulsion (tiny oil droplets suspended in liquid), optimized its formulation, then incorporated it into a gel. They tested the final product on atopic dermatitis in animal models, measuring itching frequency, skin inflammation, and cellular changes.

Funding not disclosed in abstract