Camellia Oil

Skin Care Benefits

• Camellia oil can be used as an emollient for dry skin and may even help with acne. It is a light, easily absorbed oil that can be used as a moisturizer for dry, rough spots. The oil is said to help prevent and smooth wrinkles and stretch marks and heal scars. It is also used to strengthen and promote healthy growth of fingernails by massaging the oil into the nail.

Hair Care Benefits

• Supposedly geishas soaked their wooden combs in the oil overnight to help nourish the scalp and hair. You can buy camellia oil hair products with the oil as the main ingredient or you can use the pure oil as a hot oil treatment or a pomade. You can purchase pure camellia oil online or at many health food stores.

Misconceptions

Camellia oleifera may be confused with Camellia sinensis, from which green tea is derived. They are similar but from different families of camellia. Camellia oleifer is the seed used for camellia oil. A combination of sinensis and oleifer is used at times in different products. Camellia oil is referred to as tea seed oil, which causes confusion with tea tree oil, which is from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia that is not edible like camellia oil.