What is it?
An oil obtained from the seeds of Camellia oleifera, a relative of the tea plant that is grown across southern China and is one of the world’s major oil trees. It is also called camellia oil or tea seed oil, and because it is rich in oleic acid, like olive oil, it is sometimes called “oriental olive oil.” In cosmetics and personal care products it conditions and softens skin and hair. It is not the same as tea tree oil.
Key information
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded that Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil is safe in the present practices of use and concentration in cosmetics.
- It is mostly oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, at roughly 72 to 87 percent in the data the Panel reviewed.
- In China it is produced mainly as an edible cooking oil.
- Despite the name tea seed oil, it has nothing to do with tea tree oil.
More information
Camellia seeds are pressed or extracted with solvents, and the oil may then be refined. A 2024 review notes that traditional extraction can leave unwanted substances in the oil, such as solvent residues, benzopyrene, aflatoxins and heavy metals, and describes newer methods developed to improve quality. Refining also removes some of the oil’s natural polyphenols and antioxidants. In one study of four varieties cited in the review, monounsaturated fats made up 73.5 to 84.5 percent of the oil and polyunsaturated fats 4.2 to 13.05 percent.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel included Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil in its assessment of 244 plant-derived fatty acid oils and concluded that it is safe in the present practices of use and concentration. In the 2010 use data the Panel reviewed, it was reported in 25 products, at up to 3 percent in lipstick. Across the many clinical tests available for the group, the Panel found that refined plant oils were not skin irritants or sensitizers, and it asked suppliers to keep limiting pesticide residues and heavy metals in botanical ingredients.
Because its polyunsaturated fat content is modest, camellia seed oil is not one of the PUFA seed oils the Foundation rates Red Light. On labels, look for Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil. Oils from related species, such as Camellia Japonica Seed Oil and Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, are separate ingredients that were covered by the same CIR review.
Sources: Cosmetic Ingredient Review: Plant-derived fatty acid oils, final report for Expert Panel review (March 2011); Current Research in Food Science (2024): A critical review of the bioactive ingredients and biological functions of Camellia oleifera oil
