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The Benefits of Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil, despite its name, doesn’t actually come from a tea tree. It comes from the distillation of the leaves of a native Australian plant. The leaves were sometimes used as a tea substitute, which explains how tea tree oil got its name. The Aboriginal people have traditionally used tea tree oil to heal burns and cuts by staving off infections, so it has thousands of year’s worth of proven effectiveness to back up its use.
What makes tea tree oil so effective is the fact that it’s an anti-fungal agent. Being an anti-fungal means that it can tackle problems like toenail fungus, ringworm, dandruff, and athlete’s foot, all of which are caused by the growth of fungus. As a matter of fact, tea tree oil wash is being tested for use in preventing MRSA, a staph infection that’s untreatable with antibiotics and incredibly difficult to get rid of. I found a lot of interesting uses for tea tree oil across the blogosphere, including as a mold blaster, a home remedy for sore throat and canker sores. It can even be used to keep fleas off your pets and rid them of ear mites. Pretty impressive for a little leaf extract!
Tea tree oil’s soothing properties are what make it so excellent for use in treating acne. It keeps irritated blemishes from getting irritated and turning into full-blown acne. It penetrates deeply, but when used in the proper concentrations, won’t dry out your skin, which makes it even more ideal for use on the delicate skin of your face. It’s also been known to help cuts and scrapes heal more quickly, which is why it’s so often used effectively as an antiseptic.
We love its effectiveness so much, that we created an entire line of products made using tea tree oil. If you are struggling with blemishes and acne, but are a little concerned about what’s in those harsh, chemical acne treatments that bleach your towels, tea tree might be a better option.
Got any home cures with tea tree oil that you could share with us? We’re always interested in collecting anecdotes and recipes to share with our customers!
Tags: Tea tree oil
Do you know if tea tree oil is good for rosecea? I have early onset of it. If not-are there any other products from the body shop that are good for it?? Thanks, Mary
Comment by mary meixell — April 17, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
Actually, our Aloe line of products is for sensitive skin, and in addition to calming skin, it also helps to minimize redness, as well as combat the sensitivity that can lead to reddened skin.
You can find the Aloe products by going to our main site and clicking “Shop By Line” in the top navigation bar.
Comment by admin — April 30, 2009 @ 4:47 pm