Friday Mar 29, 2024

Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil

The Camellia Oleifera seed oil is also known as Tea Seed oil.  It is extracted from the seeds of Camellia Sinensis, the plant from which a lot of tea is made.  This oil is packed with many beneficial properties.  It can be used for cooking and also cosmetically.  It has many other health benefits as we shall see below.

Because of its origin from the tea  tree, it makes it the real tea oil. On the other hand, Tea tree oil does not come from the tea plant but from the tree known as Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia.

Production process of Camellia Seed Oil

The production process begins with the collecting and sorting of the mature camellia seed pods. This is a very meticulous process that requires skill and experience. It requires the examination of the pods to ensure that they are mature enough to be picked and that they will be good enough to be used for manufacturing. The picked pods are left out in the sun to be dried. When this happens it causes the pods’ wooden shells to burst open so that the seeds on the inside are revealed. The seeds are then removed and prepared for the next step of manufacturing: the extraction process.

Types of Extractions

Unrefined oils are those that do not use high heat or chemicals. They are a lot healthier and better when it comes to gaining optimal benefits from the use of the oil. Refined oils on the other hand have its advantages and disadvantages. The refining process requires heat or chemicals and it is done so that the oils can have an identical appearance and scent. This is ideal for distribution purposes as this leads to a more uniformed set of products. The refined products are a lot less expensive because the production process costs less. However they are of a lesser standard. This is because the beneficial components of the seed are diminished under such conditions.
Here are the different processes that are employed in the creation of camellia seed oil:

Cold Pressing

Cold pressing is a method that requires hands on work. It is an intricate process that should result in the oil’s main elements remaining intact and the nutrients being preserved to maintain the best quality. There should be no chemical addition to the oil in this method and the nutrients that the seeds possess should still be available in large amounts within the oil. The oils that are done using this process are a lot more expensive than the other methods because of the work involved in this process and also since the method generates about 30% of the available oils in the seed.

Heat Extraction

Heat extraction requires the use of high heat and high pressure machine driven methods to extract large amounts of oil from the seeds. This extraction process pulls in about 70% of the oil from the seeds. This results in production costs that are a lot less than that used in the cold pressing extraction. However, the quality of the oil is less than that of cold pressing methods as the nutritional components of the oil decline under extreme heat.

Chemical Extraction

Chemical extraction requires even more heat than the heat extraction does and is a more extensive process. It involves the use of very high temperatures and the addition of solvents like the powerful ethanol. This process pulls the most oil from the seed by generating 98% of oil from the seeds. This leads to production costs being even lower. However as can be imagined this process leads to oils that are of lesser quality than the other two methods and will provide less healthy benefits. The solvents are removed from the extracted oil by the process of distillation. Some traces might still be available in the product; however it is typically very small amounts.

 

Benefits of Camellia Oil

There are various kinds of camellia oil but for the purposes of this article we will concentrate on the main tea seed oil.  This is an oil well endowed with a lot of beneficial properties. It has antioxidants, its neuroprotective, can be used a hair conditioner, moisturizer, analgesic, anti-aging, anti-microbial, emulsifying agents, immune booster, anti-allergic, anti-mutation, anti-inflammatory, and insecticide agents.

This color of this oil is amber green.  It has a sweet and pleasing aroma, making it a good agent in aromatherapy.  However, its taste is rather bland.

Camellia oil can be used both topically and internally to gain from it.

Here are the health benefits of Camellia seed oil.

Anti-cancer

Camellia oil has been identified to prevent the spread of three cancers, namely, colon, uterus and breast cancer.  It also reduces the risk of these cancers.  One only needs to make it part of their diet by cooking their food with it.

Reduces oxidative stress

This is a kind of stress that are deposited into our bodies by free radicals.  Research has it that this particular stress is a leading cause of heart and degenerative diseases.  The antioxidants in the tea seed oil can reduce the oxidative stress and prepare our bodies better to deal with damage from free radicals.

Immune booster

This oil when regularly consumed enhances the functioning of the immune system.  This aids in fighting all manner of diseases and infections.  The micronutrients known as triterpenoids in camellia oil take all the credit for this.

Skin care

In China, women use this oil for many skin care gains.  It is effective even when making home-remedies for cosmetic application.  It has moisturizing effect on the skin because of its high content in oleic acid or omega-9 fatty acid.  It is absorbed quickly into the skin.

For that soft, silky skin, apply this oil just after bath or shower.  Your skin will be protected from dryness and paleness that comes with long shower moments.

It heals scars that come as a result of wounds, scrapes, acne and cuts.  It is also a good agent for preventing sunburn and also heals the skin damaged by the sun and other free radicals.

Camellia seed oil also slows down that aging process in that it rejuvenates skin cells and reduces any damaged caused to the skin by various agents.  Regularly massage your skin with this oil for that soft, smooth and youthful skins.

Camellia oil also softens the rough spots like knees, elbows and heels, preventing cracks and dryness.

Soften your nails with camellia oil by simply dipping your fingers in warm oil for easy management.  Camellia oil is also good for removing makeup and preventing acne.

Hair care

The camellia seed oil has so many benefits to help guarantee stronger and healthy hair. The oil has a long list of advantages and purposes for hair care, the oil helps to:

  • Make hair softer and thus easier to manage.
  • Revive and maintain the radiance of your hair.
  • Preserve the moisture within your hair
  • Protect your hair against pollutants within the external environment
  • Repair split ends and hair breakage
  • Heal itchy, dry and flaky scalps
  • Prevent and treat dandruff
  • Treat color damage and other problems caused by chemicals.
  • Work as a hot-oil conditioning to condition your hair and keep it disentangled and easy to manage.

 

Joint inflammation treatment

The oil is often used to fight against inflammation in the joints. Many of the properties of the oil such as the oleic acid and kaempferol prove beneficial to reduce inflammation of the tissues within the body. This helps to alleviate the pain symptoms of arthritis and also helps both respiratory illnesses and headaches.

Control Blood Pressure Levels

The oil contains higher levels of potassium and this is the leading component that has a significant impact on the body’s blood pressure levels when the oil is taken internally. Additionally, the monounsaturated fats within the oil help to reduce hypertension which will put you less at risk for health complications like a heart attack or a stroke.

Osteoporosis Treatment

The potassium within the Camellia oil along with minerals like calcium and phosphorous makes it quite beneficial for the development of your bones. It is a good source for the sustenance of the bone’s mineral density and this helps to delay the development of osteoporosis within the body. The oil can also be used to treat osteoporosis that already exists. The treatment will help to remedy the pain that is caused by the disease and will help to facilitate increased movement.

 

 

Other Benefits Of Camellia Oil

  • The oil also has the ability to be used for mechanical purposes. The oil is sometimes used to grease and wash machines and their various parts. The oil is fit for the use in machines because of its additional anti rusting properties.

 

  • The oil’s properties has made it a popular choice in cosmetics, hair products, body lotions and perfumes.

 

 

Side Effects of Camellia Seed Oil

 

The use of camellia seed oil comes free of side effects for the most part. However there have been a few reported cases where the oil has caused a few issues among its users. To prevent any reactions it is advised that you do a skin test before using the oil as a remedy.  The following issues have been tied to the oil:

Irritation: The camellia seed oil does have high levels of chemical compositions and fatty acids and these properties might cause irritation in some of its users when applied to the skin. To see if your skin responds negatively to the oil do the skin test on a very small patch of your skin and wait for about 3 hours to see if any irritation occurs.

Lowering blood pressure levels: The oil is the perfect remedy lower blood pressure levels because of its monounsaturated fats. This is why it is an oil of choice for persons with cardiovascular problems. However it is not to be used when you are already using other medications such as those specifically for hypertension. This will lead to the blood pressure lowering to levels that can be dangerous for your health.

 

How to use Camellia Seed oil

 

For Hair Care

  • You can use the oil for hair application before washing. Simply rub 2-3 drops of the oil into the hair and cover with a steam or shower cap. Allow the oil to sit in your hair for about 30 minutes to an hour. Follow this up by washing your hair with your favorite organic shampoo and rinse as you would normally do.

 

  • You can also apply the oil to the hair after washing. After washing with your organic shampoo put 2-3 drops of the oil in your hands and apply it to your hair evenly from the roots to the ends. This will help to keep your hair nourished and to prevent breakages and damages.
  • You can also apply the oil to your hair on regular days without washing, to maintain a silky and smooth texture.
  • Use the oil as your deep treatment instead of using other manufactured products that contain heavy chemicals, Camellia oil helps to reverse the dull appearance of your hair and it also helps to restore your hair from heat and coloring damage.

 

For Skin care:

  • The restorative elements of the oil including vitamin E can be made use of by spreading 1-2 drops of the oil to your face and neck daily. Massage the oil into your skin until the oil soaks into your skin.
  • If you have scars, wrinkles and blemishes place a drop or two of the oil onto your face and rub it into the problem areas. Perform this daily and this should help to restore the skin.
  • To soften rough parts of the skin such as elbows, knees and heels, you can dampen the skin and massage it into the area until the skin absorbs the oil. This is best done right after taking a shower and before going to bed.

 

For Cooking

The camellia seed oil is perfect for cooking because it doesn’t have a strong scent and its fragrance is very pleasing. Coupled with its health benefits, it also has a very thin consistency and will not be overpowering within your food. Here are the other benefits that makes the camellia oil suitable for cooking purposes:

  1. It has a very high smoke point and this allows it to be versatile for different cooking methods. It is less likely to become inflammatory compared to other types of oils.

 

  1. It has very high levels of the beneficial monounsaturated fats compared to other oils.
  2. It has lower levels of saturated fatty acids compared to other oils such as olive oil.

 

  1. Its high levels of vitamin E provides additional nutrients for your meals.
  2. It contains polyphenols that are important in helping the body to form antioxidants that will help the body to fight against diseases such as cancer and organ failure.
  3. The oil is free of cholesterols which makes it healthier than many of the fats that we usually utilize for cooking.

 

How to Use Camellia Oil

  • You can infuse the oil in your meals in creative ways. You can use it for your salad dressing or it can be used to create other sauces to be used for your side dishes.
  • You can also sauté the oil with your beans and seasoning and stir fry your meat. If you don’t use it for stir frying, you can Use the mixture to pour over your favorite meat kinds.
  • You can also use it as your oil of choice for roasting your vegetables. Simply toss the vegetables in the oil, add seasoning and allow it to become tender.

 

In Conclusion

This is a power-packed essential oil that can be used in various health care treatments because it is enriched in essential fatty acids.  It is also a good immune booster and can treat and prevent colon, uterine and breast cancer.

It contains vitamin E and other micronutrients which offer tremendous health benefits to our bodies. It relaxes oxidative stress caused by free radicals, keeps our bodies relaxed and strong enough to deal with damage from free radicals.

This oil has also been used in producing perfumes, hair and skin products as well as salves.  It softens our nails, elbows, knees and heels.

 

 

@OilAdmin

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