Oshima Tsubaki Oil Shampoo

Using this 400mL bottle of Oshima Tsubaki Oil Shampoo right now. I figured I love their camellia oils, might as well give the shampoo a try. Even better is that this is shampoo and rinse (conditioner) in one, super convenient, right?

Oshima Tsubaki Hair Water Part II

Three years after getting the freebie 20mL travel size of Oshima Tsubaki Hair Water, I finally bought the 180mL full size, among a couple of other things (Nivea Premium Body Serum and ABS Tsubaki Abura 100% Camellia Oil, will review next).

I have to say this hair water is definitely better than the competing (Shiseido) Tsubaki Tsubaki Water! I use them both the same way: just one single spray on wet hair right after the shower, towards the end-tips and not the roots or anywhere near the scalp, because I have an oily scalp.

This Oshima version is unscented, and it's much lighter and keeps my hair much less oily. Whereas the Shiseido Tsubaki version is heavily perfumed and gets my hair oily the very next morning. Enough said.

See my previous Oshima Tsubaki Hair Water post.

Oshima Tsubaki Oil Part II

Spotted this 40mL bottle of Oshima Tsubaki Oil for 798yen at Don Quixote, and of course I bought it because of that cute little travel sized 20mL spray bottle Hair Water. I was packing at the time and probably shouldn't add more weight to my suitcases, but I didn't care. I wanted to try that Hair Water, even though I already have a 250mL bottle of Tsubaki Water from the Tsubaki Shining Water Gift Set, just so I have something to compare ^.^

I've already reviewed the Oshima Tsubaki Oil, so this is just a quick picture post :) I haven't used the Hair Water either, so I'm looking forward to it and will review after a good trial.

See my previous Oshima Tsubaki Oil post.

Oshima Tsubaki Oil

The Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Oil in Water is too light for dry skin during the winter? No problem :D Meet Oshima Tsubaki Oil - 100% pure Camellia Japonica oil!


***Picture from TrueRenu.

Yes, you can say my experience with the Camellia Oil in Water emboldened me, but I've moved on to the 100% pure Camellia oil version. This one is a bit more expensive, $13-15 in a 60 mL glass bottle with a dropper that will dispense only a few drops at a time. The pure Camellia oil is still very light, much lighter than the Burt's Bee's, but it's potent as hell. Trust me, I learned the hard way. The first time I use this on my hair, I thought a few drops of this light oil weren't going to be enough, so I put some more on before the blow dry. Boy I was sorry. My hair ended up looking oily even though I just washed it :( From then on, I religiously used only a few drops. Lesson learned, and the result is super soft and gleaming hair! :D

As for body oil, the 100% Pure Camellia Oil was just perfect! Just enough to moisturize my dry skin in this fall weather without any greasy aftermath at all. I mean, it didn't even leave its own GLASS bottle greasy! You know how an oil would get all greasy and nasty once it gets on anything? Not with Camellia oil! I usually puts some on one hand, rub both hands together then apply the oil to my body. Then I'd pick the glass bottle up with my oily hands for some more, and this process would repeat until I'd moisturize my entire body after the shower. Yet the glass bottle remains clean and squeaky with no greasy residue, and I never even bothered to dry or wipe it up after use! So the oil absorbs in no time once applied to my skin as well. By the time I step out of the shower, my skin would show no traces of it, meaning no nasty residue on furniture and no ruined towels and clothing. Damn! I think I found another keeper! How incredibly lucky is that? I've got the hair and body oil for each season: the Camellia Oil in Water for the hot and humid months, and the 100% Pure Camellia Oil for the cold months. I think I'm all set, and I will probably stick to this combination for a long time unless something else better comes around. I really doubt it, though. Folks in Japan have been using this oil for generations!

By the way, the instructions for this 100% Pure Camellia Oil says it's pure enough for use as facial moisturizer, but I think I won't go there. Why messing with yet another oil for my face when I already have my lovely and gigantic jar of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream? Besides, the Oil Cleansing Method is still working its magic for me. I suppose I could use the 100% Pure Camellia Oil as the secondary carrier oil, but that would be a waste since the Camellia oil is much more expensive than Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Oil in Water

Here it is - Camellia Japonica (Japanese Camellia) oil! For my first experiments with this oil, so I chose a classic brand known for its quality Camellia oil, Oshima Tsubaki, and I chose lightweight product to start with, the Camellia Oil in Water.


***Picture from TrueRenu.

So why a lightweight product? Because I intended to use this as both hair and body oil, hoping to replace the greasy and heavy Burt's Bees Lemon & Vitamin E Bath and Body Oil! Two birds with one stones, don't you just love multi-purpose stuff? And plus I don't know how my hair and skin will react to the oil. I've read that Camellia oil is closest to the human skin's natural emolient, so although I was pretty sure it'll work out, I still wanted to be cautious just in case.

Anyway, Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Oil in Water comes in a 150 mL spray bottle for about $10-12 depending on where you get it. I'm sure you can probably get it for cheaper in Japan, but $10-12 doesn't really bother me. It is fragranced, but only mildly so and actually smells quite good to me, nothing too strong or overwhelming. The Camellia oil is dissolved in water, and unfortunately, it does contain alcohol, a lot of it, which turns the stuff completely watery and feels slippery as well.

That said, the Camellia oil in water did wonders for my hair as supplemental conditioner to the Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair's dryness. All it took was one spray into the palm of my hand, rubbing both palms together, then massage into my wet hair after the shower, focusing on ends and body rather than scalp. After the first use, my hair was noticeably softer with the blow dry. Squeaky and tangly? Before application of the oil, yes, but after application of the oil, nah. My hair combed through just fine with the oil :D Hooray!

As body oil, it was wonderful as well, absorbing almost instantly after application, probably all thanks to the alcohol. Too bad it's getting pretty chilly here, so I'm going to need something more substantial for my body during the cold winter months when my skin is most dry. But there is no doubt I've found a keeper with Oshima Tsubaki Camellia Oil in Water. I'm saving this one for the muggy summer, that's for sure! Imagine a good body oil that dries almost instantly - it's even better than the lightest body lotion on the market that will feel damp for a few minutes before absorbing! And it's more moisturizing, being an oil, albeit diluted. I think I got lucky with this one :D