Get to know tea tree oil, your skin’s new BFF
From the seemingly never-ending array of natural beauty treatments available to us, there are a few that rise above the rest: Witch hazel, lavender essential oil, avocado oil… to name just a few… And yes, the little potion you see here before you is most definitely on that list, tea tree oil. You’ve likely seen a bottle of this camphor-scented liquid, maybe there’s even one hiding out in your own beauty cabinet… but do you really know all it can do? Read on to for all the benefits of tea tree oil and for a simple, hair healthy DIY.
What is it? Distilled from the leaves of the tea tree, or Melaleuca alternifolia, a tree endemic to Australia (though other species are present in Tunisia, Egypt, Vietman, and Malaysia), tea tree oil has long been used to treat a variety of skin conditions and bodily infections. Traditionally used by the indigenous Bundajaling people of Eastern Australia, tea tree gained wider popularity in the early 1900’s. Tea tree oil is now commonly used to treat skin conditions ranging from eczema to acne to dandruff.
What are the benefits? The benefits of tea tree oil lie in its anti-properties: tea tree oil is anti-fungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and anti viral. Because it’s is so effective at killing germs and preventing infection, tea tree oil is an excellent oil to keep on hand in a home emergency kit. But after discovering all it can do, you’ll likely find yourself reaching for it in non-emergencies as well! In fact, tea tree oil has been found to be more effective than benzoyl peroxide at treating acne and blemishes. 
How do I use it? Tea tree oil should not be ingested (so please, don’t drink it. It’s not actual tea…) but it can be applied externally to treat and heal pretty much any and everything, from that stubborn zit that popped up last night to the dandruff you don’t like to talk about.
- Dab a little on a Q-tip and use to spot-treat acne and blemishes (be mindful that tea tree is drying)
- Dilute in warm water to treat athlete’s foot or simply use as a refreshing foot soak
- Dilute with water to make your own at-home cleaners
- Mix with a carrier oil, like coconut oil, and dab on areas of skin effected by psoriasis or eczema
- Massage tea tree oil onto the scalp or mix with your shampoo to refresh your scalp and ward off dandruff. Read on for our recipe…
DIY Tea Tree Scalp Oil
Ingredients:
10-15 drops tea tree oil
Carrier oil (jojoba, olive, avocado, almond…)
Resealable light-blocking bottle
Fill your glass bottle 3/4 of the way full with your carrier oil. Add the tea tree oil and mix.
To use: Warm a few drops of tea tree mixture between your palms. Massage oil into scalp. Leave on for an hour or two or up to overnight, then shampoo and condition as normal. Repeat regularly to stimulate the scalp, promote hair growth and keep scalp problems, like dandruff, away.
+ What’s your favorite way to use tea tree oil?
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I am going to make this DIY for me and my husband. Both of us suffer from dandruff time to time and while the tea tree oil shampoo at Trader Joe’s does help a lot, I think a deeper treatment would be more beneficial. Plus, I already have jojoba and coconut oil (which are also cheaply available at Trader Joe’s!).
It is also amazing at treating diaper rash for babies — diluted, of course. :)
Great info! Thanks for sharing!
I use it for it’s skin healing properties, of course. But I recently learned that ants hate the odor! Sugar ants are common here in summer after rainy days and I can’t always get the pest control guy out when I want. I treat the problem by adding tea tree oil to cotton balls and placing them in areas I want to keep ants away from. You can also fill a sprayer with water, add 10 drops of tea tree oil, shake and use to spray areas where the ants seem to be coming in. The scent drives them away!
I prefer to drop the essential oils on my handmade-bio-jewels so as to protect the latter from insects. Besides the scent Is awesome.
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I am a naturalist with a big interest in natural beauty. Tea tree oil is amazing. I use it on breakouts, scalp, anything bug related (bug spray, bug bites) but my most favourite thing I’ve done so far is create a dandruff minimizing hair rinse! At first I thought the smell was funky but now I find it super refreshing and I really love the smell!
1/4 tsp ceremonial matcha
1 drop organic peppermint essential oil
1 drop tea tree essential oil
2 cups warm spring water (if it’s boiling it will kill the matcha)
A splash of apple cider vinegar
And mix it in a bottle!
I pour this over my scalp in the shower and let it sit for as long as possible. Sometimes I just rinse it out and others i will finish with washing with arbonnes tea tree shampoo. It really helps dissolve dandruff! Naturally! I would love if you tried this for yourself and post about it on Instagram (@andyskye) and tag me so I can hear how it works for others!
I too have heard that tea tree oil is very good for the hair. Apart from Tea tree oil there are other essential oils that are good for the hair.
Personally, I feel top 3 tea tree oil uses are Fungus removal, Skin Tag/Wart removal and fighting Acne.
Please click the following link to read more about tea tree oil uses.
[http://ilovearomatherapy.blogspot.my/2016/07/tea-tree-oil-uses.html]
Before going down the rabbit hole of essential oils, the only oil that I used was tea tree oil. I used it for everything! Personal care products, cleaning, shampoo, bug bites, for my dogs dander, everything. Of all the essential oils that I use to this day, and I use a lot, tea tree is still my #1
Really True. I try my home and recovery from the dry and Flaky Scalp. Thanks Tea Tree oil….
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