How to Use Tea Tree Oil to Combat Acne – Glam Radar
Ahh, another skincare talk. I was asked about the use of tea tree oil a few times before so I thought I’d write a post to explain it a bit more.
It’s really not rocket science, though. Tea tree oil can kill bacteria so that’s why it’s commonly used to treat acne. However, it probably won’t be as much help if your acne problem stems from hormonal imbalance.
I’ve learned quite a lot about my skin and skincare products ever since I started blogging. When my skin is too moist or too dry, it will act up. I’ve tried lots of different skincare lines and I’ve come to a conclusion that the perfect skincare routine for me is the one that can keep my skin balanced. That is why I stopped usingbenzoyl peroxide in the first place. It might be more effective but it dries out my skin like crazy in the long run. Tea tree oil, on the other hand, doesn’t irritate or cause dryness to my skin. This is important because like I said, keeping my skin in its balanced state is my primary goal. When my skin is balanced it doesn’t generate too much oil and therefore breakouts will be less likely to occur.
Tea tree oil will not dry out your skin if used properly and can actually be effective for:
- preventing new pimples to emerge,
- treating mild-moderate acne especially the ones caused by bacteria.
So how do I use tea tree oil? I dilute it with my toner. After washing my face, I put a few drops of toner onto a cotton ball and then put one drop of tea tree oil on it. I then apply it gently onto my hairline, jaws and chin which are the parts of my face that occasionally break out. I continue with moisturizer afterwards. I do this once a day or every other day.
For spot treatment, I put tea tree oil on a cotton bud and apply it directly to the skin (without diluting it). It does sting a little but it goes away within minutes.
The results? I experience less breakout now than before I started using tea tree oil. It also helps with small spots. I notice that after a couple of days the swelling is lessened and the pimples will eventually dry out in about five days without leaving scars.
The downsides of tea tree oil:
- might be less effective than benzoyl peroxide, so I won’t necessarily recommend it to treat severe acne.
- The smell is rather strong.
- It could sting or irritate the skin if used full force.
I think consistency and patience are the key points if you plan to use tea tree oil for acne. It will not work over night. You still have to combine it with proper skincare regimen that suits your skin type.
Right now I use Desert Essence 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil but there are a lot of other brands out there. If you live in the US, you could try drugstore.com to look for tea tree oil (that’s where I bought mine through a friend). If you’re in Canada,Canada Drugstore Pharmacy has over the counter tea tree oil too. In Indonesia, you can find tea tree oil at drugstores such as Guardian or Century. You might want to buy a small bottle first to test out whether or not you’ll get allergic reaction to it.
That’s it! Hope that helps. 🙂
