What is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil is also known as melaleuca oil. This is an essential oil that comes from the process of steaming the leaves of the Australian tea tree. This type of oil is effective in promoting healthy skin by soothing and healing a wide range of skin issues.  However, there is not enough evidence to support any of these claims due to the limited amount of research conducted on the topic. Tea tree oil is neither a patented product nor an approved drug in the United States. Although it is approved as complementary medicine for aromatherapy in Australia,  it can be poisonous if consumed by mouth, and unsafe to use on children.

What Are the Uses?

Tea tree oil is commonly used to treat many types of acne, combat athlete’s foot, hair lice, nail fungus, and some insect bites. It can help soothe dry skin by reducing itching and irritation. Also, it has been shown to be more effective than most creams in treating eczema.

Tea tree oil is a prevalent choice for treating acne due to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It’s main use is form effectively reduce redness, swelling, and inflammation. It may even help to prevent and minimize acne scars, leaving you with smoother, clearer, and healthier skin.

Hand Sanitizer

Studies confirm that hand sanitizers with tea tree oil are effective for hand disinfection. It is best used to kill bacteria without antibiotics. Using tree oil as a natural hand sanitizer may help kill a number of germs responsible for colds, the flu, and other illness. In fact, a study conducted to test several types of hand washes show that adding tea tree oil to the cleansers helped boost their effectiveness against E. coli.

Combat Nail Fungus

Although they aren’t dangerous, Fungal nail infections are quite common. Tea tree oil has been shown to help get rid of nail fungus when used alone or in combination with other natural remedies. They typically have fewer side effects than traditional medications. Some of the types of products to aid in nail fungus include foot soaks, foot creams, ointments, and sprays.

Reduce Dandruff Flakes

Adding tea tree oil to shampoo has been found to significantly reduce dandruff. This is thought to be related to its anti-fungal properties. Since this oil is slightly more acidic than your skin, it helps to clear the dandruff flakes and eliminate the crusty build-up on your scalp.

In one study, shampoos that contained tea tree oil were found to be effective in reducing the growth of Candida albicans (yeast) which often contributes to the formation of dandruff. To help reduce dandruff, simply add a few drops of tea tree oil to a dollop of shampoo when washing your hair.

Safety

Most people can use tea tree oil topically with no problems. However, tea tree oil can cause a few side effects. If any irritation occurs this would indicate that you should stop using the products. These side effects can include one or more of the following:

• Skin irritation on or around the area where the product was applied
• Allergic reaction or skin rashes (dermatitis)
• Itching
• Stinging
• Burning
• Scaling
• Redness
• Dryness