Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1545716
40 ASCP Skin Deep Summer 2026 THERE IS A SLOWNESS woven into the application of an oil that no serum or moisturizer can duplicate (no matter how many peptides or other nutrients it has). The pause of warming the oil drops between your palms, pressing it into the skin instead of rubbing it. The breath before the work begins. That slowness is intentional. Few ingredients have carried this choreography across centuries the way Camellia oil has. WHAT IS CAMELLIA OIL? Camellia oil is not a single ingredient; it's a botanical category. Plants in this category share a genus and a similar fatty acid profi le, but their other compounds (secondary metabolites), like antioxidants, sterols, and vitamins, are what make a diff erence in the treatment room. Three plants in the camellia family supply the beauty (and food) markets: • Camellia japonica (tsubaki), most closely tied to Japanese beauty traditions • Camellia oleifera, the workhorse, with more than 2,000 years of historical use • Camellia sinensis, the same plant that gives us green tea, whose oil is the newest kid on the skin care block For barrier-focused esthetics practices, C. japonica and C. oleifera are the heroes. Both are cold-pressed from the seeds, which gives a pale gold oil that is nearly odorless and very high in healthy unsaturated fats. GETTY IMAGES Camellia Oil A storied ingredient for a moment of calm by Ella Cressman WHERE DID IT ORIGINATE? The origins of Camellia oil can be traced back to Izu Ōshima, a volcanic island south of Tokyo, where Camellia trees bloom in the nutrient-dense, dark volcanic soil from January to March. Legend has it that the women who harvested the seeds were known for their long, shiny hair and glowing skin. People noticed, and just like any trend, the practice of using Camellia oil in beauty rituals spread. By the 15th century, tsubaki was a fi xed part of Japanese beauty rituals. Geisha used a wax- and oil-based blend before applying their signature white-powder makeup. (This helped the powder stick and protected the skin from the heavy, sometimes lead-based pigments.) Samurai used Camellia oil on their hair, and Kabuki actors built it into their nightly routines. Long before the phrase was coined, Camellia oil was a barrier oil, used to protect and beautify the skin and hair. And though the ingredient has crossed oceans and several centuries, the chemistry has not changed. The highest cosmetic-grade tsubaki is still cold-pressed from organically grown seeds that are often from the same regions. INGREDIENT DECK application of an oil that no serum or moisturizer can duplicate (no matter how many peptides or other nutrients it has). The pause of warming the oil drops between your palms, pressing it into the skin instead of rubbing it. The breath before the work begins. That slowness is intentional. Few ingredients have carried this choreography across Camellia Oil A storied ingredient for a moment of calm WHERE DID IT ORIGINATE? The origins of Camellia oil can be traced back to Izu Ōshima, a volcanic Camellia japonica fl ower.