Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract

Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract comes from the leaves of the Japanese camellia plant (tsubaki).

The leaves are packed with polyphenols, flavonoids, and some extra goodies like squalene and lupeol, that give it antioxidant and skin soothing properties.

Lab work shows that a butylene glycol extract of young camellia leaves mopped up radicals, reduced protein damage in the stratum corneum after UVB exposure, and lowered free-radical levels inside culture skin cells.

Another related whole-plant extract calmed inflammatino and boosted the skin's own antioxidant enzymes in a mouse eczema model.

Concentration uses typically range from 0.1-5% as a botanical extract.

There are no published case reports of allergic contact dermatitis to this ingredient and one report noted that camellia leaf extracts are used topically without reported irritation issues. But like any botanical extract, patch testing is sensible if you react to plant extracts generally.

On allergies: there are no published case reports of allergic contact dermatitis to this ingredient, and one review notes camellia leaf and flower extracts are used topically without reported irritation issues; the theoretical concerns are its tannins and saponins, which can be sensitizing at high levels, so patch testing is sensible if you react to plant extracts generally, but the risk looks low.