The Effects of Tea-Tree Oil on Acne

Acne care can get quite perplexing. With so many chemically and organically-derived products in the market today, you might find yourself squabbling with your inner demons to pick out the best treatment out of the lot. Though the chemical treatments tend to appear more effective, they are not always safe. Natural alternatives on the other hand, take longer than expected to clear the acne on the skin. So, what treatment does one opt for? That’s when tea-tree oil steps into the picture. There have been countless studies that have long discussed the benefits on tea-tree oil on the skin. Read on for more information.

What Is Tea-Tree Oil?

Tea-tree oil comes from the Myrtaceae family and can be extracted from the Melaleuca plant. This plant is now grown in a number of countries around the world, though originally indigenous to Australia. The undiluted oils extracted from the steam distilled leaves have both; herbal and medicinal properties that can aid in the recovery processes of a number of ailments i.e. scrapes, lice, chicken pox, Athletes Foot, yeast infections, sinuses and primarily, acne!

How Do I Use Tea-Tree Oil?

There are plenty of ways by which tea-tree oil can be used. A few drops of tea-tree oil to your skincare routine can just make all the difference!

Facial Mask

Whisk 3-4 drops of tea-tree oil and one egg white in a bowl. Both have anti-fungal properties. Apply it directly on your face and leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse the mask off with cool water. You’ll see a marked difference in the inflammation.

DIY Scrub

Mix 1 tablespoon honey, 10 drops of tea-tree oil and a handful of oats into a bowl. Massage the scrub in a circular motion on your face for 2-5 minutes and wash it off with cool water. Honey has anti-scarring properties and oats is a good exfoliating agent. A combination of these two ingredients with tea-tree oil could make an effective scrub to combatting acne.

Direct Application

If you have stubborn acne and you are planning to use tea-tree oil directly on them, do a patch test first. Once that is clear, add 2-3 drops of tea-tree oil on a cotton ball and dab on the affected areas. You’ll notice that over time, painful bumps and redness would have reduced!