By Dr. Phoenyx Austin

Have you been frustrated with dry hair? Are you having issues with breakage? If you’re in search of an oil that will give your hair incredible sheen, strength and deep conditioning effects, you should definitely check out camellia oil! Camellia oil, or tea seed oil, is an incredible Japanese oil with a sweet, herbal aroma. It is made from the seeds of the Camellia flower and is a great source of unsaturated fats (similar to olive oil and grape seed oil), antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and is used in many high end beauty products. When used on hair, camellia oil helps to condition the hair shaft, stimulate scalp circulation, and promote healthy hair growth by preventing breakage and split ends.

Camellia oil can be found at local health stores like Whole Foods Market and via online distributors. One popular and highly respected brand is Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Hair Care Oil ($15.29 on Amazon.com). This brand of camellia oil is 100 % pure and manufactured in Japan. If you want to experiment with another popular, yet more pricey brand, there’s Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil ($41.00 on Amazon.com). But unlike the Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Hair Care Oil, this brand is not 100 percent camellia oil. It also contains almond oil and vitamin E.

How I use this oil:

It is important to always moisturize hair before using oil. So before using camellia oil, I like to co-wash (or moisturize with a light spray) and then place 4 drops of camellia oil directly on my scalp- one drop on my right temple, the other drop on my left temple, and 2 separates drops near the back of my scalp. Camellia oil is VERY rich oil, so a little or a few drops goes a long way. After placing a few drops on my scalp, I then massage the oil into my scalp for a couple minutes using my fingertips. I also work some of the excess oil down my hair. Then I add a few drops of oil to my palms, rub my hands together and smooth onto the ends of my hair. I also use camellia oil as a hot oil deep conditioning treatment every few weeks. After use, my hair always smells sweet, feels very soft, and has incredible sheen. For me, camellia oil is one of the best, yet less commonly known hair oils. And I think every woman should try it at least once- especially women who have issues with dry hair and breakage.

Have you ever used camellia oil? How did it work for your hair? Are you in search of a new hair oil- are you thinking of giving camellia oil a shot?

If you’d like to send a comment/question to Dr. Phoenyx Austin, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Phoenyx Austin is a writer, media personality, and physician who writes on natural hair, relationships and well-being.