Tea Tree Oil: Natural Acne Treatment

                             Tea tree oil is an effective and natural acne remedy. It is well known to help with oily skin, and because    it’s a natural treatment it is not as harsh on skin as most chemical acne treatments. Tea tree oil not only has a long and proven track record as an astringent, but many have found numerous uses for it. While few studies have been done regarding its effectiveness, many companies are beginning to incorporate it into their products as consumers look for natural remedies.
                Tea tree oil is an essential oil taken from the meleuca alternifolia tree native to Australia. It has a long history of being used in herbal remedies curing everything from burns, blisters, cuts and is even utilized in aromatherapy to relieve stress. Tea tree oil is effective against bacteria, viruses, fungal infection, and because of this it is often used in make- up and various other topical treatments. It’s these properties that make it a natural and effective tool for fighting acne.
                While few studies have been done regarding its effectiveness on acne, many people find that 5% tea tree oil gel is actually comparable to 5% benzoyl peroxide. Tee tree oil takes longer to work initially, but people in studies have reported a large reduction in inflamed and non-inflamed acne comedones, or lesions. They also reported fewer side effects than those using benzoyl peroxide, such as, less itching, burning, dryness and stinging. Since tea tree oil is a natural remedy it’s not known to be as harsh in it’s side effects as some acne medications.
                You can easily find acne treatments with tee tree oil in them, or you could even make your own; however, undiluted tee tree oil may cause over drying, itching, redness and skin irritation when applied in such a heavy concentration. In the few studies that have been done the concentrations where typically five percent tee tree oil gel that was applied to acne.  It’s possible to make your own facial toner by combining other herbs or oils. Dried rose petals and chamomile are known to help dry sensitive skin, lavender or calendula work great for normal skin and rosemary or nettle have been reported to be effective for oily skin. Many of these natural remedies have proven to be useful in regulating the sebaceous glands and Tea tree oil itself is known to have an oil-dissolving and dispersing action, making it very effective in alleviating overly oily skin.
                    Tea tree has proven to be a powerful astringent and is already making its way into many commercial products, such as mouthwashes, topical creams, lotions, toothpaste, deodorant and even shampoos. Many acne companies are even starting to add the essential oil into their acne products because of its effectiveness in killing acne causing bacteria. It’s far easier on your skin than most acne treatments and actually works to treat oily skin by dissolving oil and helping to regulate the sebaceous glands. Whether you buy your own acne treatment with tee tree oil in it or you make it yourself, tee tree oil is an effective, natural remedy for treating acne.