The benefits of tea tree oil

What is tea tree oil?

Tea tree is an essential oil that is extracted from the leaves of the Melaleuca Alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. In its purest form, it is a potent pale yellow or clear oil with a fresh, herbaceous, and slightly medicinal aroma.  While still widely used today in many industries, tea tree has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries by Aboriginal Australians.

Tea tree oil benefits for skin

Tea tree oil is widely renowned in the skincare and haircare (to name a few!) industries thanks to its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic qualities. So, whether you’re battling a blemish, dealing with dandruff, or dry/oily skin, here’s why tea tree could be your skin saviour:

• Acne treatment – Tea tree oil is known to fight the bacteria that causes spots to form, as well as help to calm any irritation or inflammation that has already set in.
• Restore balance – For those with dry skin (not including those with conditions such as eczema and psoriasis), tea tree oil is said to calm the skin and relieve inflammation. For oilier skin types, tea tree oil can help to keep excess sebum at bay and reduce the chance of breakouts.
• Dandruff treatment – As tea tree oil is antifungal, it has been known to reduce the growth of the yeast that causes dandruff, as well as relieve dry, itchy, and inflamed scalps.
• Aids healing: Tea tree is often used to speed up the healing of minor cuts and scrapes and prevent infection.

How to use tea tree

Before trialling tea tree, it’s important to note that in its raw and undiluted form, it has a high potency that could irritate those with sensitive skin. Even if you do plan on diluting it, we still recommend conducting a patch test. Otherwise, another way to work tea tree oil into your regimen is by opting for products formulated with tea tree, these will contain lower concentrations of tea tree and therefore lower the risk of irritation.

Skincare

• Look for toners, face wipes, face washes, and moisturisers containing tea tree oil as they could help fight bacteria and heal blemishes.
• If you want to use pure tea tree oil, you can create your own toner by mixing 3 drops of tea tree oil with roughly 60ml of witch hazel. You’ll want to swipe it across the face using a cotton pad to tone, brighten, and reduce spot-causing bacteria.

Haircare

• Opt for shampoos, conditioners, or hair treatments that contain tea tree as they could help to reduce the build-up of oil and flakes as well as prevent further dandruff-related inflammation.
• Add a couple of drops to your shampoo to help soothe and cleanse the scalp.
• Make a hair mask using 3 drops of tea tree oil and 12-15 drops of a carrier oil (we recommend coconut, jojoba, or almond) and massage this into the scalp to promote a healthy, flake-free scalp. Don’t forget to wash it out after!

Wound care

For small cuts and abrasions, you may want to add a couple of drops into your antiseptic cream as this has been associated with helping speed up the healing process.