Anyone use tea tree oil for skin or acne treatment?

Kari

I'm just curious if any of you are tea tree oil users as I'm just starting to dip my toes into this remedy for skin & acne treatment. If you've used this, would you mind chiming in to share what you do & how it worked on your skin?

(Here's a little bit of background information in case you've never heard of using tea tree oil for acne or skin care.)

I have combination/oily skin that is prone to enlarged, blocked pores and breakouts, and occasionally patches of eczema as well. Yeah, fun stuff. The woman I saw at my facial last week recommended tea tree oil for my specific skin condition when I need to treat occasional breakouts, in addition to the medication I'm already taking. I picked up a bottle over the weekend and have started using it as a spot treatment where I can feel flare-ups occurring. However, I've read that tea tree oil can be kind of risky for folks with sensitive skin (that's me!) as it can cause dryness or rashes, or even occasionally allergic reactions.

So far I haven't experienced any adverse effects, but I'm wondering if maybe I should mix the tea tree oil with lotion instead of using it totally undiluted for the first few weeks just to make sure my skin doesn't freak out.

Anyway, I'd love to hear from you if you have any experience using tea tree oil, as I'm curious how it worked out.

13 years ago

General

21 replies

Latest reply was from Runcarla

Elly

Veteran

I'll throw my two cents in. Both my parents (who live nearby) and I have oily skin with minor adult acne. I fought with mild teen acne for a few years with the harsh benzoil peroxide and other acne marketed products and eventually gave up because even the gentler products just tore my skin up, with little to no effect on my breakouts. I just didn't treat with anything but a gentle cleanser for years. Both my parents had similar experiences with their adult breakouts.Then I went through a period where I was only having occasional adult acne, but I was having outbreaks of eczema every place that my skin got irritated or broken, and the eczema inflamed and left scars. That is when I started using tea tree oil. I found that I couldn't take it directly, but used products that contained it and the fewest other chemicals possible. I had some improvement with it, probably the best skin of my life, and eventually the eczema settled down. Recently I have had a huge flare up that keeps getting worse-- but it is hormonal acne and topical stuff doesn't do much for it. Both my parents have been very happy with the tea tree though and have had fewer breakouts and less oily skin and hair (tea tree shampoo) without the overdrying effects that most products have.

I would recommend mixing it with a lotion with few chemicals or another oil or diluting it with water to start.

13 years ago

san

Veteran

Kari I sympathize with your skin issues. I also have large porse and all that fun stuff that goes with it. I consider my skin to be very dry, the skincare specialist seem to think that it is odd to have dry skin and large pores. I have not used tea tree oil, but I have used olive oil on my face and loved the results.
I have met you in person and I saw a beautiful complexion. I wonder if we are to hard on ourselves when we look in the mirror. I have a 10x mirror which shows everything. Friends tell me to get rid of it but I want to see everything before someone else does.
I have recently visited the Clinque line of skin care. I had a flaky rash on my face for some unknow reason. The products helped me immediatly. Cliniques moisture surge and anti itch cream are wonderful.
Good luck beautiful.

13 years ago

rosee

Veteran

I have very sensitive oily skin (oily skin naturally, but can dry out and react with harsher products). I LOVE teatree oil. I use it straight on blemishes, but to start I would dilute it with lotion or another oil until you get used to it. It sometimes leaves a bit of a red mark but that goes away -- part of the healing process I'm assuming. I also put a few drops into my cleanser (always fresh, don't store it that way) when my skin is particularly problematic. I use a very gentle cleanser (either Nutribiotic sensitive skin, or Desert Essence thoroughly clean face wash, the second already has teatree, both are cheap).
I also like rosehip oil, it's full of vitamins and essential fatty acids (EFAs) that are good for your skin -- I spread it on at night and it sinks in fairly quickly. It doesn't clog pores at all. I think you could mix rosehip with teatree oil, but I don't know how that would smell. I've mixed teatree with lavender before -- it's not too bad a smell and actually blends quite well (lavender is also good for acne, but "phototoxic" meaning that it makes you more sensitive to the sun).
You're right that some people react to teatree oil; one can react to anything really. But don't worry so much about that and see if it works for you.

13 years ago

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Kari, I'm going to run the risk of sounding like a schill for the company I'm about to mention, but I swear to god I'm not being paid. Evan Healy makes a line of truly natural skin care products that have honestly revolutionized my former pimply complexion. As others have eluded to, chemical-free skin care can make a huge difference for those with sensitive skin, and that's what this line accomplishes. It's not just "green" in the way so many cosmetic lines are, this one really truly is.
I interupt this relentless adulation to get back to the point. She has two products specifically designed to alleviate clogged pours, both of which rely on tea tree oil as a key component. There's a tea tree gel cleanser that lathers up beautifully and cleanses genly but effectively (bonus, it smells good, and not like pure tea tree oil), and a tea tree roll-on blemish stick that you can use for spot treatment of pimples or other areas. In both cases, the tea tree oil is used in conjunction with other things. Undiluted essential oils are *extremely* strong and are indeed too muhch to applied directly to most skin types.
Obviously you may not want to dash out and check out these products, but the moral of the story is that diluting the oil with something, preferrably chemical free, would probably work best.
If you truly are curious, check out Whole Foods! There are sample kits you can buy to check out her three lines. Or you can read up on things online: http://www.evanhealy.com

13 years ago

rute

Veteran

Me!
My skin is mixte, with only a few breakouts, nothing serious. I tried a washing foam of trea oil and a serum to apply only in the breakouts. I don't use it everyday, just when I have the problem but I think it's amazing!

13 years ago

Megan

Active Member

Calendula is much kinder to skin- I found tea tree oil very aggrevating.

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

I do not myself use tea tree oil since I have dry and sensitive skin. That said, my grandmother uses it religiously and she has the best skin I've ever seen on an 85 year old woman! She uses it straight.

13 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Rae posted this link to a cleansing method that she uses the other day:

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

I was very intrigued by this. If you think it might be hormone related acne, or you're having other hormonal issues I would strongly recommend looking into herbs to help balance it.

13 years ago

Vani

Veteran

Kari, I have some on my face right now. And I have to say my face is less oilier than usual. I've been going through my first period since the miscarriage and it comes and goes in starts and stops. Consequently my face is really breaking out, especially the cheek area and also very irritated, sensitive and red. I've been mixing two drops of tea tree oil with my gel moisturizer and it keeps the affected areas quite calm throughout the day.

Also, my favourite face wash is a DIY version of Dr. Hauschka's famous cleanser - Almond butter with tea tree oil. Better than any face wash I have ever used and my face never looked better. The oil in the almond butter acts as a carrier oil for the pure tea tree essential oil.

I even add a few drops to my shampoo or conditioner.

Remember to never use 100% essential oil on your skin directly as it is quite potent. Most places like The Body Shop sell pre-diluted tea tree oil so you should be ok in such cases.

I hope it works out for you!

ETA: Jojoba oil is an inexpensive and very effective carrier oil you could look into should you want to.

13 years ago

tarzy

Veteran

I don't know much about it - thanks for the link. Please let us know if it works for you!

I struggled with cystic acne for years - still do occassionally. Plus, now I'm in my 50's, and my skin is getting dryer - but I still break out. Fun!

I recently bought some very expensive super dooper moisturizer - which made me break out. I'm back to an oil-free moisturizer, and I'm playing around with the usual suspects (Benzoyl Peroxide at night, Salicylic acid in the morning) trying to find a good combo that doesn't dry me out too much. It's so hard to know what to do!

13 years ago

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Kari, I have not used tea tree oil for that purpose but do use it as a midgie (insect) repellent in the summer as I have a slight sensitivity to DEET which is used in most insect repellents. I also rub a small amount in the girls hairlines before nursery as the dreaded head lice are supposed to hate the stuff. I have heard amazing things about this brand
http://www.abcbeautyshop.co.uk.....4QodKWy-qQ
Please let us know how it goes.

13 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Thank you for chiming in with your suggestions and experiences. Elly, my skin really sounds similar to yours - primarily my acne problems are hormonal, and for the most part the bad flare-ups are controlled with medication, but I still have issues with large pores that are prone to being blocked & need to be exfoliated, but I also have to be careful not to over-dry and trigger an eczema outbreak. I had a facial for the first time a week ago, and learned that I am actually too rough on my skin in terms of over-exfoliating - and I also didn't know that exfoliating with a washcloth could cause skin damage. So I'm looking out for some gentler remedies.

San, you are very kind. Thank you for the compliment! I can achieve the look of decent skin with makeup *most* days... but my concern is how my skin is going to look 10, 20, or 30 years from now. I'd like to find a skin care regimen that works now but isn't going to cause damage or scarring on my face down the road.

Michelle, thank you for the suggestion - I will certainly give the Evan Healy line a look! I'm really glad that you found products that worked wonders on your skin.

For now, what I have been doing is using un-diluted tea tree oil as a spot treatment only when I can feel a deep-down flare up starting, and it seems to work *very* quickly. (By morning I haven't been able to feel any trace of a pimple starting.) I've also mixed some tea tree oil in with either aloe vera gel or Cetaphil lotion to put on my face at night. I also have a couple new products by Aveda that I picked up after my facial - a botanical liquid exfoliant and a clay masque to use once a month - so I'll give this new routine a few weeks before I decide how it's working.

Khris, I've been really intrigued by the oil cleansing method for the past few years, but haven't had the gumption to try it yet. I've been a bit nervous about how my skin would react, particularly as I've had a couple of friends who also have somewhat oily skin who tried the OCM and did *not* have good results at all. I still think about trying it someday, though.
(I kind of feel the same way about the "no poo" hair care trend - it sounds like a great idea for women with curly or wavy hair, and I've known women with dry hair who had wonderful results using this method, but I've yet to find someone I know in real life with straight, short hair like me who had a good experience with this treatment.)

13 years ago

CheskaLedesma

Member

I have been using dermalmd acne serum for a little over a month and have had noticeable results. I have not had any new breakouts since starting it. My husband and girlfriends have even noticed that my skin is much clearer than it used to be. I have had acne for the past 15 years and so many products would dry out my skin and I would become super flaky and red while the products did nothing to help my acne. dermalmd acne serum has helped to clear up my skin, prevent any new breakouts, and has not been drying or irritating to my skin.

8 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I have used it in the past but for breakouts (only once in a while) I prefer Orange Oil. I love the orange scent and it seems to work for me just as well if not better than the tea tree oil. Vitamin C is great for your skin and is often used in skin serums. I also take vitamin c and use a serum sometimes. For minor breakout, I simply dab a small bit of the orange oil on it and within a day it typically is gone.

I also like and use jojoba oil on my skin - contrary to what it seems, this oil does not seem to cause any clogged pores for me. It is very similar to your skin's natural sebum. I use it sparingly and only at night, but I really like the way it feels.

8 years ago

DipaAllard

Member

Natural honey is the best home remedy, even i had tired i would never
forget to put honey on my face for 30 minites. After that I useddermalmd acne cream, then i rinse without using any soap. I applied toner to
close my pores so now i am happy with the result.

7 years ago

gregory78

Member

I hve a oily n acne prone skin. First on apply, there is burning sensation on face and aftrwards no prob. Aftr washing feels refrsh and relaxed bt der is significant change of blemish or acne .

U can opt dermalmd trmt fr daily routine clean up pack. Dry skin ppl can also go fr it.

7 years ago

Joana

Active Member

I use a tea tree oil as a spot treatment. I have tried putting several drops of it in my skin care and hair care products, as I have mixed/oily sensitive skin prone to eczemas and pore enlargement, and seborrheic dermatitis prone scalp. I find it best used for spot treatment, but not on eczema spots. Those need hydrating. And be careful about long term use, it is not recommended to use any essential oil long term, you might want to switch to another similar properties oil from time to time.
As for my face and hair care I find that mild washing products and intense hydrating help me most. But I do not have acne.

7 years ago

ClaraT

Veteran

Chiming in after Joana to say that spot use is probably best. Tea tree oil is a known skin irritant (see the Material Safety Data Sheet at https://www.aromantic.co.uk/te.....-msds.aspx). Since the dose makes the poison (so to speak), the cautions for high exposure do not necessarily apply to low-dose exposure. And the Environmental Working Group also has a lot of information at http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/.....-dont-know. They conclude, "EWG does not suggest avoiding all products containing tea tree oil, but it is wise to respect this potent compound and use it with caution." Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it is better/safer (uranium, tobacco, and asbestos come to mind--not that tea tree oil is like these things, just that they, too, are natural).
Since Tea Tree oil has known anti-bacterial effects, it can help clear blemishes caused by bacteria. Good luck with your skin! I haven't used tea tree oil, but I find that the fewer products I use, the happier my skin is.

7 years ago

Anonymous

I have a niece who has really bad acne, and is only 13 years old. Could anyone recommend products that a person her age can use?

7 years ago