As you can already guess from previous posts on my blog, skincare is something I like to educate myself on. I am always searching for new methods to up my skincare routine in order to give me the best results. However, I feel as though I have been doing this since the age of 16, and I still do not have it down to a t, keeping the faith though.

Today I'm going to talk about Tea Tree Oil, as the title already explains. I have been aware of tea tree oil for over a decade now; after some brief research, at the age of 13, I discovered that in order to heal my acne I needed tea tree oil based products. I guess not much has changed, I still love tea tree oil and I still manage to get spots. Anyway, let me talk more about the oil itself.

What is tea tree oil?

well, tea tree oil is an essential oil that comes from the Melaleuca Alternifolia plant (thank the lord for wikipedia) and this is native to Australia. It is widely used within cosmetics, health care and beauty with products containing small percentages of it for its properties. However, you might not know that if consumed orally then tea tree oil is actually toxic.

What makes tea tree oil good?

It is one of a few essential oils that can be applied directly onto the skin without causing a problem. Due to its strength, in cosmetics and skincare there is a low percentage used. What makes tea tree oil special is its ability to aid with dermatological concerns, be it dandruff, lice, other skin infections and my most favourite way to use tea tree oil, for acne. Tea tree is known as an anti-microbial, it also has disinfecting properties and can kill bacteria on the skin that would leave to acne inflammations etc. Whilst having the tough properties tea tree also soothes the skin which helps with sunburn and itchy acne. Tea tree will eliminate any of the unwanted bacteria on your skin which in turn heals your sports so your skin can return to its healthy condition, this process works regarding any of the skin infections that tea tree is used to treat. 

What can I use it for?

A couple ways have been mentioned above, however, there really are endless ways to incorporate tea tree oil into your hygiene routine. 

Cuts & Wounds - Applying tea tree oil onto a cut/wound will help to disinfect it, and promote quicker more efficient healing.

Acne- Aforementioned in the article, just apply directly onto the spot at night and wake up with a kinder, smaller pimple. 

Colds and Blocked Nose - You'll need a big bowl, boiling hot water and a towel. A face steam, but add a good few drops of tea tree oil into the boiling water and keep your head covered over the bowl for about 10 minutes, this should help ease your symptoms and fight away the cold. 

Deodorant- there are a lot of recipes for DIY deodorant using tea tree oil. Logically it makes sense, smelly sweat glands ( apocrine sweat glands) produce the bacteria so using tea tree which eliminate bacteria in turn gets rid of the smelliness. 

Bug Bites - Applying directly onto the area is going to sooth the itch but also fight against any infection that the bug could pass on. This is especially handy for mosquito bites. 

*there are a lot more uses for tea tree oil, these are a few I have found that work personally, I have not tried every possible way. who even has that kind of time... (me, so don't worry I'm going to figure out different uses, apparently people make mouthwash with tea tree oil, I'll give that a miss with it being toxic and all...)*

Where can I purchase it?

Anywhere and everywhere. Tea Tree oil has come into fashion so every place you go will have some kind of tea tree option for you to try. My personal favourite has got to be The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, it is a diluted commercial tea tree oil, but it works so well for blemishes so you wouldn't really notice. It also makes it friendlier for most skin types as sensitive or dry skin might find the 100% tea tree oil a bit too much. I am also trying out a facial serum that has tea tree oil and have picked up a new essential oil version of it, however, I'll keep you update as to how I feel about them. 

Please remember that I am not a dermatologist or a doctor of any form, my opinions and advice are based off what I have educated myself on, and what I have found that works for me. With that being said, I shall speak to you all in the next post.  

Take Care.

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