When looking to improve your health and wellness, you may be considering adding an essential oil into your routine. Essential oils can be used for all sorts of everyday issues or as part of a daily wellness routine. Lavender and chamomile essential oils promote calm and sleep. If you have a cold, either peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil can help clear out mucous and fight off the virus. Tea tree oil is a lesser-known essential oil, but it is receiving attention for its power to soothe and relieve a variety of skin conditions, especially.

What is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is made from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, an evergreen shrub native to Australia. Despite its name, this tree is not used to make tea. Instead, the leaves are steamed to make tea tree essential oil, also known as melaleuca oil.

Its variety of active compounds, called terpenoids, give tea tree oil anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. It is toxic if ingested and should never be swallowed. When using topically, be sure to dilute the essential oil with either a carrier oil (coconut oil, jojoba oil, or other scentless natural oils) or with water. Be sure to test a small amount of the diluted essential oil on your skin to see how your skin reacts to it. Tea tree is a strong essential oil and more people have allergic reactions to it than to other essential oils.

Tea Tree Oil for Hair

One of the most common uses of tea tree oil is as an ingredient in shampoo. It is becoming a popular part of clarifying shampoos designed to cut through product and oil build up. Too much product or oil buildup can lead to hair loss or dandruff. Tea tree oil helps clean this buildup out and restore your scalp’s health.

For those with dandruff, tea tree oil is a useful way to soothe and treat your flaky scalp. Dandruff is usually caused by a buildup of oil on the scalp or a buildup of yeast. Tea tree oil’s anti-fungal and antibacterial properties help relieve both of these. Simultaneously, its antimicrobial properties keep dandruff from developing in the first place. A review of studies showed that people who used dandruff shampoo with tea tree oil in it saw a 41 percent improvement in dandruff symptoms.

You can purchase a shampoo that already has tea tree oil as an ingredient, or you can add a few drops of the oil to your current shampoo in the shower.

Using Tea Tree Oil to Treat Acne

Using an acne treatment with tea tree oil may help fight off acne. As with tea tree oil in shampoo, tea tree oil cuts through oil, helping cleanse thoroughly and unclog pores. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which help soothe skin and help it heal. Researchers believe that tea tree oil’s primary compound, terpinene-4-ol, is what makes tea tree oil effective against acne. Studies show that using an acne treatment with tea tree oil is more effective than one with benzoyl peroxide for those with mild to moderate acne.

Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot is a contagious fungal infection that starts on the feet but can spread to hands and nails. Studies show that while tea tree oil is not as effective as an antifungal cream, it does reduce some of the symptoms, such as itchiness and redness. Its antifungal properties make a perfect natural option for treating this condition. It also may improve the effectiveness of conventional treatments.

Nail Fungus

Many people develop nail fungi in their lifetimes. These are usually neither contagious nor serious, but they are ugly and can attract attention. Tea tree oil has anti-fungal properties which keep nail fungus from growing and spreading. In fact, some people find the tea tree oil can clear up the fungus.

Mouthwash

Some research shows that tea tree oil is effective against gingivitis, bad breath, and other minor oral health problems. Simply add one drop of tea tree oil to warm water, swish for 30 seconds, and spit. Be sure not to ingest the mixture.

Other Skin Conditions

While not always backed by extensive research, tea tree oil shows promise for addressing a variety of skin conditions. Some of its most documented success is in dealing with lice and mite infestations. Tea tree oil is lethal to lice and mites, which means you can opt to use tea tree oil for treating lice, rather than the typical harsh shampoos. However, tea tree oil is not as effective as conventional treatments. Similarly, you can use tea tree oil to treat conditions, blepharitis and scabies, inflammations of the eyelid and skin from a mite infestation.

Some research shows tea tree oil works to aid healing in minor cuts and scrapes and as a natural hand sanitizer.

Tea tree oil is a powerful essential oil with many abilities to fight infection, infestation, and fungus. It’s primary uses are for skin, allowing you to achieve healthy, happy skin. Add it to your medicine cabinet as a natural alternative to many skin creams and treatments.

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-tea-tree-oil/art-20364246

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tea-tree-oil

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tea-tree-oil

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1360273/

https://www.verywellhealth.com/benefits-of-tea-tree-oil-89521

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10295805/#sec8-antioxidants-12-01264