Tea Tree Oil For Acne – How To Use Tea Tree Oil For Acne And Marks
Tea Tree Oil Benefits For Acne
Tea tree oil is one of the several popular essential oils that are used widely in skin and hair care treatments. It is obtained through steam distillation of the leaves of an herb called Melaleuca Alternifolia. Tea tree oil also has the natural capacity to open up clogged pores on the surface of the skin, and thereby cleanse the dirt particles, oil and dead skin cells accumulated in them. This significantly reduces the chances of the appearance of acne in the first place. Tea tree oil has natural antimicrobial properties that help kill the bacteria “propionibacterium acnes” that dwells in the skin and causes acne. Simply dabbing the pimple on its first appearance with a drop of tea tree oil is an effective way of preventing further swelling, inflammation and spread of the eruption. If the pimple has already become pus-filled, the oil should be applied twice or thrice a day in order to kill the germs that might be breeding in the site. Research has shown that in comparison to benzoyl peroxide, the chemical substance most commonly used in commercial acne treatment products, tea tree oil has fewer repercussions, though the latter takes more time to bear results. While benzoyl peroxide often causes irritation, itching, burning and stinging on the site of application, tea tree oil has a gentle soothing effect on the skin. It works slowly but effectively on the skin to destroy all germs and make acne disappear without a scar or mark. Even in cases where the pimple has turned into a minor lesion, regular application of tea tree oil has proven useful in rejuvenating the skin cells and making the acne disappear without any kind of disfigurement.
However, since the skin cells are already damaged and in a delicate state in such cases, it is recommended that a very dilute tea tree oil gel be used on the skin to treat such acne. A mild concentration of 5%, made simply by mixing five parts of the oil in 95 parts of water, is suitable for application on painful and infected pimples. This gets rid of the acne without causing redness, excessive drying or blistering. Applying tea tree oil regularly on acne scars is also known to tone up the skin and make it look smoother. You should, of course, take care to ensure that the concentration of the oil is never too high, as this may lead to adverse effects on the skin instead of soothing and tightening it.
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