If you don’t know about tea tree oil, now is the time to find out.
Made from the leaves of the small tree native to Australia called Melaleuca Alternifolia, tea tree oil (also known as melaleuca oil) has been used by the Aborigines for centuries as a method of traditional medicine, treating coughs, colds and other ailments. Today, tea tree oil has been found to be extremely effective in skin, hair, and nail health. You can even apply tea tree oil directly for the skin for healing purposes. In fact, A person can treat acne, contact dermatitis, athlete’s foot, or even head lice using tea tree oil.
Why use Tea Tree Oil for Acne?
Acne is a disease of your pores and your sebum & oil glands. It is especially prevalent when your skin over-secretes sebum or oil, which is why oily and combination skin types are specifically prone to developing acne. Oil-filled pores and dead skin cells fuel bacteria – specifically, acne-causing Propionibacterium acnes. These bacterias then release a type of protein that your immune system reacts badly to, which causes inflammation. This inflammation is what you see as a pimple or acne.
Tea tree oil is probably best known for its antibacterial properties. Along with a number of other compounds, tea tree oil contains terpinen-4-ol, a compound effective in killing bacteria, viruses, a variety of yeasts, and fungi. So, when applied to problem areas of the skin, tea tree oil works hard to promote the healing of these infections.
Perhaps the most relevant property of tea tree oil to skincare is being anti-inflammatory. Teripinen-4-ol is responsible for this; Sikkema and colleagues (1995) found that overall, after coming into contact with the components of the tea tree oil, the Propionibacterium acnes cells lose their intracellular material, are unable to maintain internal homeostasis, and their respiration is inhibited. In other words, tea tree oil impacts acne’s ability to properly function and stay viable.
In a study done by Enshaieh and colleagues (2007), it was found that applying a 5% tea tree gel to acne lesions was shown to be more than three times as effective at reducing the number of lesions, and nearly six times as effective in reducing the severity, than a placebo.
Grace & stella’s Tea Tree Essential Oil is 100% pure tea tree oil, meant to be diluted into your favorite moisturizer or carrier oil and applied directly to problem areas of the skin.
Often, those with Oily Skin assume the use of oily products will lead to excess production of oil and therefore, increased breakouts. Though it may sound counter-intuitive, with tea tree oil, this could not be further from the truth. Water is repelled by oil, exactly like a magnet, but oil loves oil, making Tea Tree Oil the perfect solution for oily, acne prone skin, as it effectively works its way into your clogged pores.
Because of its antiseptic properties, tea tree oil makes an excellent candidate for use for oily skinned individuals - Oliveira and colleagues (2016) found that those who used sunscreen containing tea tree oil consistently for 30 days showed improvements in oiliness. It is important not to strip your skin of its natural oils; otherwise, the skin is likely to overreact and actually produce more oil, which is the last thing you want. Tea tree oil aids to simply reduce oil production instead of stripping your skin of it.
Reducing swelling and irritation in the skin is one of the many benefits of tea tree oil. Similarly, adding a few drops of tea tree oil with a carrier oil to a bath can be extremely beneficial for treating body acne. Because acne can sometimes be caused by the clogged pores of oily skin, tea tree oil can help by clarifying the skin by lifting oil and dirt out of these obstructed pores. mud masks can also be used to extract oil from deep inside facial pores - grace & stella’s Dead Sea Mud Mask is great for this.
Other Benefits of Tea Tree Oil Aside from Acne-Treatment
Believe it or not, the pros of using tea tree oil don’t end with treating acne. It can also be very effective in relieving Psoriasis, a disorder of the skin causing skin cells to multiply up to 10 times faster than usual. It is characterized by red, scaly, and inflamed areas of dry skin. Tea tree oil’s anti-inflammatory properties are a game-changer for Psoriasis as it eases massive discomfort through its antibacterial properties.
Eczema presents an analogous issue to the skin, leading to severe rashes, blisters, inflammation, and pain. Tea tree oil’s antiseptic properties can combat this itch and discomfort. Similarly, research has shown tea tree oil to be effective in suppressing allergic contact dermatitis. Other conditions that can be treated with tea tree oil include dandruff, head lice, nail fungus, and minor cuts and scrapes.
Other than bodily use, tea tree oil has been found to be a productive natural hand sanitizer, insect repellent, and natural deodorant.
Note that it is also possible to be allergic to tea tree oil - it also should not be ingested, and should be purchased from a reputable source.
Purchase grace & stella’s Tea Tree Essential Oil today and start reaping the benefits of this incredible product!
