5 Steps to Maximizing Tea Tree Oil Acne Treatment

by Adrienne Nicole on May 3, 2012

Why try a Tea Tree Oil Acne Cure?

Tea Tree Oil contains a number of compounds that act as anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and even anti-septic agents. One of these components  Terpinen-4-ol is comprised of approximately 98 compounds which contribute to it’s strong, natural antimicrobial properties.  Acne is associated with a bacteria that lives in skin named Propionibacterium acnes.  Tea tree oil acne treatment may be effective in killing this skin bacteria

Does Tea Tree Oil Help Acne?

Some recent, but small studies have supported tea tree oil’s efficacy in treating acne. Using preparations that are 5% tea tree oil has been shown to achieve the same results as preperations that are 5% of benzoyl peroxide.  Whats useful about this is that if tea tree is effective for you, this natural acne treatment causes minimal side effects at least in comparison with benzoyl peroxide usage.

Will Tea Tree Acne Treatment be Effective for You?

If your acne is minor or occasional this method is certainly worth trying.  However it is certainly no replacement for a visit to a good dermatologist if you have cystic acne  or even if it is persistent or scarring!  If the relatively low dilutions discussed below don’t work for you, don’t try to compensate by making the treatment stronger and stronger.  Visit a doctor.

For the latest medical opinion on tea tree oil and acne click here.

Tea Tree Oil Acne Scars Treatment

Unfortunately there is no evidence that Tea Tree Oil products treat acne scars, though there are certainly a lot of people selling them who want you to think that. This article on treating acne scars will give you an idea of how difficult treatment can be.  The best way to prevent acne scarring is to not get acne in the first place. Regular cleansing with Tea Tree oil will certainly help in this regard.

5 Steps to Maximizing the Effects of Tea Tree Oil against Acne

Suppose you wish to make your own solution of a tea tree oil based acne cure, here are some steps you might want to follow:

  1. The first thing you should do is to determine what skin type you have. Do you have a normal skin type or an oily one? Is your facial skin sensitive or relatively tolerant? By answering these questions, you would be able to determine what oil concentration level to follow.
  2. Once you know your specific skin type then it is time to create your oil mixture. For people with normal to oily skin, the best mixture is 9 parts water with 1 part tea tree oil. For individuals with a more sensitive skin, it is best to use 9 parts aloe gel with 1 part oil form tea tree. It is important to remember that oil from tea tree is highly potent and could plausibly be toxic hence it is not to be used in full strength directly on the skin. Tea tree oil should always be diluted in order to reduce the compound’s potency.
  3. Start experimenting with your mixture. Suppose it does not give you an adverse reaction after one week of usage, you can then increase the oil content of your mixture. On the other hand, once you experience itching, redness, or even dryness, you should take these signs as caused by high tea oil content in your mixture therefore you should taper down its concentration.
  4. Before applying the mixture, make sure to wash you first with a gentle facial wash. Afterwards, you can then apply the mixture using a clean cotton ball. Apply an oil-free moisturizer upon process completion.
  5. In addition to your daily tea tree oil cleaning regimen, try a facial mask by mixing in two drops of the oil into a clay powder. Use this mask at least twice a week to prevent acne break-out.

Please let us know your experience good or bad with tea tree oil acne treatment in a comment below.

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