Looking for a more natural alternative to treating annoying acne and breakouts? Tea tree oil has been used as a remedy for many health and wellness conditions including acne. You can find tea tree oil in all types of products from cream, moisturizer, toners, cleansers, serums and masks. In fact, many skin care brands have even come out with their own tea tree oil line of products including The Body Shop and their purifying Tea Tree Facial Oil.
What is Tea Tree Oil?
Tea tree oil is an extract that originated from an Australian native plant called the melaleuca alternifolia, where aboriginals have used its healing powers for centuries. The main ingredient in tea tree oil is a chemical compound called Terpinen-4-ol, which helps give the extract its antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Tea tree oil itself is a very potent oil and should never be used raw or directly onto the skin surface for risk of irritation. Experts recommend mixing or diluting tea tree oil with other oils such as jojoba or grapeseed oil or another water-based liquid.
Now tea tree oil can actually be used on other parts of the body other than the face. It can be used to help heal minor cuts and scrapes and it can also be used on the scalp to treat dandruff. There is always room in my skin care routine for multi-tasking and multi-beneficial products!
When / How should you use Tea Tree Oil?
The Body Shop’s 15% concentration pre diluted tea tree oil works best on blemishes such as whiteheads, blackheads and acne caused by fungal bacteria such as atopic dermatitis. The tea tree oil’s antibacterial and antimicrobial properties help target any acne causing bacteria left on the skin surface. The formula is great for deep penetration of the pores to help unclog them and reduce overproduction of sebum. This oil is often used as a targeted treatment that treats active acne as well as helping to prevent future breakouts. The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil is formulated with steam distilled tea tree oil in which the leaves are distilled within 12 hours of initial harvest to maintain its efficacy and potency. The facial oil is also formulated with lemon tree oil, a compound that heals damaged skin and acne scarring through the promotion of skin cell regeneration; tamanu oil, an anti-inflammatory that helps target redness and discoloration of the skin due to acne; and vitamin E, used to keep your skin nourished and moisturized.
When / How does Tea Tree Oil work?
Clean and natural skin care has been trending for a while now and the purifying tea tree oil is a great product to introduce into your natural skin routine to help treat any acne skin conditions. But be warned. It is an ingredient that takes a little longer to see results with. You won’t get any overnight miracles. Instead, you will see a steady improvement of your acne overtime. Tea tree oil works just as well as salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide, only it works a little slower and has less of the harsh side effects you would normally get with the chemical-based actives. Tea tree oil also has a bit of a funky smell. Like most natural ingredients, tea tree oil products will have an herbal or medicinal scent to it. But if you’re unbothered by the smell, the purifying facial oil will definitely work its magic on your unwanted acne foes.
Consumers are becoming more and more curious about the benefits of natural and plant-based skin care ingredients. Are they more sustainable? Are they just as compatible in terms of efficacy and potency to their chemically created counterparts? Either way, it's an ingredient that has proven to give great results!
Tea Tree Oil
(0.33 FL OZ)
