Face Oils That Work: Tea Tree Oil

Among the most potent oils that are known to combat numerous skin conditions (including infamous acne), tea tree oil may be one of the most touted ones. It’s an essential oil that’s extracted from leaves of the Australian tree called Melaleuca alternifolia.

Most people have shown good tolerance for it but before you run through a bottle of it, you must remember that it’s an essential oil, which is potent and not meant to be used directly on your skin. You should dilute it first with a carrier oil like jojoba oil, coconut oil or sesame oil.

What is tea tree oil?

Traditionally used as a medicine by native Aborigines for centuries, this essential oil extracted from the Australian Melaleuca alternifolia. It’s been known to have properties that heal your skin when applied topically, or was inhaled to treat coughs.

How does it work?

A major compound called Terpinen-4-ol is one of the 100 components in it with strong antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also has some antioxidant properties, the combination of which makes it a great choice for acne-prone skin.

What are the benefits of tea tree oil for your face?

There are many benefits presented by tea tree oil for your skin.

• Fights acne - Tea tree oil has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties which kill off acne-bacteria, unclogs your pores and reduces your redness and inflammation. There’s even research that shows it reduced the number of zits and overall appearance of acne in people, who used tea tree oil gel vs a placebo gel.

• Reduces oiliness - Studies have shown that tea tree oil may have the ability to mattify skin to an extent and when used in combination with sunscreen, it showed improvements in oiliness of the skin.

• Soothes dry skin - You may be able to relieve your skin of dryness if you apply tea tree oil in the area. It will also decrease the skin inflammation and irritation that occurs with dryness.

• Good for eczema - Eczema is a skin condition that causes dryness and flare-ups from skin inflammation. Tea tree oil has been found to be a potent remedy for eczema conditions.

• Reduces inflammation - Tea tree oil reduces skin inflammation and swelling, relieving the skin of irritation and pain. This is what makes it such an amazing oil to treat acne.

• Relieves itchy skin - Inflammation automatically causes your skin to become itchy and tea tree oil is great at soothing skin infections and reducing discomfort. Dermatitis sufferers can relate to the feeling of itchiness on affected skin and tea tree oil is better than many chemicals that are used to decrease the allergic reaction.

• Good for minor cuts - Your open wounds can get contaminated with the MRSA bacteria, which is known to cause infections in the wounds. Also, the blodd cell activity is increased by the body, which may reduce healing time.

How do you incorporate it into your skincare routine?

• In skincare products - You can find it in topical skincare like face washes, serums, moisturizers and the like and incorporate it into your regime accordingly.

• With a career oil - You can also use it as a facial oil in combination with a carrier oil like jojoba oil.

• Mixing with acne treatment products - You can also include tea tree oil into your current acne-treatment medications and applied as per your daily routine.

Are there any side effects to watch out for?

Mostly, it’s a safe choice for almost everyone, but in some people, it may cause an allergic reaction resulting in irritation and swelling. To acne-prone people, it sometimes causes a burning sensation accompanied by itching, stinging, redness and dryness.