Tea Tree Oil Benefits & Uses

Tea Tree Oil For Skin: Popular Benefits & Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is a popular essential oil known for its medicinal properties and is widely used in aromatherapy as well as in personal care products for healthier skin and hair. This pale yellow oil is extracted from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia tree native to Queensland, Australia, through steam distillation method and has a camphoraceous scent.

Chemical composition of Tea tree essential oil contains 1,8-cineole, terpinen-4-ol, alpha-terpineol, and gamma-terpinene. Various researches support that tea tree essential oil exhibits broad spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. It has always been a cult favorite for its medicinal characteristics since time immemorial.

Along with its ability to fight off germs, steam distilled tea tree essential oil also possess strong antioxidant properties. It is reported to help with skin issues like acne vulgaris, seborrheic dermatitis, chronic gingivitis and also accelerates the wound healing process.

How tea tree oil benefits skin?

Here’s how tea tree oil benefits skin -

1. Helps with Acne - owing to its terpinen-4-ol content, tea tree oil helps in inhibiting growth of acne causing bacteria. It supports healing of active acne and soothes the inflammation caused by it.
2. Reduces appearance of blemishes - its antioxidant properties help even out blemishes and promote even skin tone.
3. Minimizes appearance of open pores - tea tree oil is known to have natural astringent properties and helps with minimizing the appearance of open pores to a great extent.
4. Helps unclogging the pores - known for its ability to deep cleanse the pores, tea tree essential oil helps unclogging the pores leaving behind smoother and clearer looking skin.
5. Soothes dry,itchy skin and scalp - its anti - inflammatory properties help soothe dry skin and calms the itchiness / irritation caused by it.
6. Hydrates and refreshes the skin - rose water is great to instantly refresh your skin and also enables the moisturiser to absorb well.
7. Anti - ageing properties - owing to its rich antioxidant content, rose water helps slow down the process of ageing of skin.
8. Helps reduce dandruff - tea tree essential oil helps cleanse the scalp and remove dead skin cells giving you relief from dandruff. It helps keep the scalp healthy and moisturized.

How to use Tea Tree Oil?

There’s an endless list of tea tree oil uses for face however as an essential oil, it is highly concentrated and is not advised to be used directly onto skin and scalp on its own. It is recommended to dilute the essential oil with an appropriate carrier oil within its recommended dermal limit to make it suitable for topical application. At JC, we suggest essential oil(s) should make 1% or less of the total concoction. For instance, if you are taking 100 ml of carrier oil then essential oil(s) should NOT be more than 1 ml of the total formulation. If you are using multiple essential oils then collectively they should NOT be more than 1 ml.

Here’s how you can use the tea tree essential oil in skin and hair care -

• For acne prone skin - dilute it with carrier oils like cold pressed hemp seed oil (for oily skin) or cold pressed argan oil (for dry skin) and use it as the last step of the skincare routine day (before sunscreen) and night.
• For itchy and dandruff prone scalp - dilute it with cold pressed neem carrier oil and use it for head massage once or twice a week followed by head bath.

If you have no skin or hair concerns and still wish to use tea tree oil for its myriad of benefits, you may dilute it with any carrier oil of your choice within the dermal limit for topical use.

How to choose the right tea tree oil?

As a consumer, one does come across a huge variety of tea tree essential oil available in the market and we understand it can get overwhelming to pick the right one. Here’s a checklist one can follow before buying one for yourself -

1. Check the method of extraction. Steam distilled tea tree oil is known to retain its nutrient profile post extraction
2. Look for certification - check if the label reads Certified Organic or Certified Natural
3. If it is certified, check if it is certified from a credible organization or not
4. Read the ingredients list and if it has only ‘Melaleuca alternifolia’ mentioned then its an undiluted pure oil
5. Check for country of origin (tea tree is native to Australia)

Juicy Chemistry’s Australian Tea Tree essential oil is Certified Organic by Ecocert ( France ) in accordance with COSMOS V3 standard.

JC’s range of products enriched with Tea Tree essential oil

• Hemp, Tea Tree & Neem Face Wash - suitable for oily skin type, it helps with active acne and even skin tone.
• Tea Tree, Neem and Rosemary Organic cold pressed soap - this multi - purpose soap bar can be used as a cleanser for acne prone skin, shampoo for dandruff prone scalp and even as a disinfectant hand wash.
• Frankincense & Hemp Facial Oil - This spot treatment facial oil helps heal acne and reduce appearance of blemishes.
• Neem Butter, Pumpkin & Ginger Hair Mask - this scalp repair formula effectively treats dandruff prone scalp and replenishes hair.
• Sacha Inchi, Lemon & Peppermint Organic Hair Oil - an oil formulated especially for itchy and dandruff prone scalp, it helps soothe flaky, irritated scalp.
• Baobab, Rosemary, Tea Tree Organic Shampoo - this organic shampoo helps ease the discomfort of an irritated and itchy scalp while controlling hair fall.
• Fenugreek, Brahmi, Plantain Shampoo Bar - our organic shampoo bar helps get rid of itchy scalp and reduce the intensity of dandruff.
• Grapefruit & Patchouli Deodorant Stick - this organic deodorant helps keep skin fresh and free from foul odor causing bacteria.
• Tea Tree & Peppermint Organic Dusting Powder - A calming and refreshing, natural body dusting powder to help keep skin dry, cool, and fight against itch causing bacteria.

While tea tree essential oil offers an array of benefits, we highly recommend patch tests and using it with caution especially if skin is sensitive. Take professional guidance if necessary.