Skincare Saturday: Tea Tree Oil

Illustrations by Kirsten Lam @kirstyz.korner

I’ve always wanted to try aromatherapy.

Imagine this: laying down on your bed and having your room filled with your favorite scent. Wouldn’t that be so relaxing? This from the works of essential oils. There are numerous essential oils ranging from floral to fruity scents. Essential oils are great for this purpose, but very few oils serve more than this one purpose - such as tea tree oil. 

This oil comes from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia that has natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, meaning that it is fantastic for getting rid of bacteria and acne. There are many at-home remedies that suggest to use tea tree oil as a topical applicator (never ingested!) such as applying it on acne, on your scalp to reduce the amount of dandruff in your hair, on nails to eliminate fungus. Tea tree oil also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce redness on your skin, whether it is from acne or a skin condition like rosacea. This will definitely help calm your skin down and even out your skin tone. 

For tea tree oil to be effective, usually concentrations of 2.5-10% is recommended, but this can be difficult to find since most products have about less than 1%. When searching for products with tea tree oil, try to check if the product has tea tree oil within that concentration range, making sure you get your money’s worth. If you decide to use tea tree oil (on its own) on your skin, make sure to dilute it and mix it in with your other skincare products. Using it alone could cause irritation, so never use it alone!

Here is how you can use tea tree oil on your skin:

1. Fantastic for controlling oil production

Tea tree oil is great for people with oily skin because this can help reduce oiliness and shrink pores, blocking oil from coming out. It unblocks the sebaceous glands in your pores which produces your skin’s natural oil, clearing the pores from overproduction of oil and causing acne.

Product recommendation: Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Cleanser

2. Can reduce redness on your skin

As mentioned earlier, tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties which help calm inflammation in your skin. This can help even out your skin tone by reducing the amount of redness on your skin.

Product recommendation: MediHeal Tea Tree Care Solution (Sheet Mask)

3. Help clear acne 

Tea tree oil has antiseptic, or antibacterial properties that help slow down or stop the growth of bacteria growing on your skin. By eliminating the bacteria, acne won’t produce on your skin, leaving you with healthy, clear skin.

Product recommendation: Some by Mi AHA/BHA toner & serum

4. Heal wounds and soothe skin

Because tea tree oil has antibacterial properties, this can help speed up the healing process on wounded skin. That means the acne scars that take weeks to heal on its own could heal within a few days by using this oil. Also, tea tree oil can be good for soothing dry, irritated skin by reducing the irritation and itchiness.

Product recommendation: Benton Tea Tree Cleansing Water