Exploring Tea Seed Oils

During a recent trip to Uji, I participated in a hands-on workshop that changed how I view Japanese tea - not just as a drink, but as a source of powerful, natural skincare (I didnt know, excuse my ignorance!!) . We created a hand balm using tea seed oil (茶の実油), which comes from the seeds of the same Camellia sinensis plants used for making tea. The process was thoughtful, intimate, and deeply connected to the land. Before this, I had no idea that the tea plant produces seeds, let alone that these seeds are packed with a golden oil rich...