Does tea tree oil help my skin?

What are its benefits for the skin?

Tea tree oil is effective in promoting healthy skin by soothing and healing a wide range of skin issues. Use tea tree oil with a few precautions:

You should not apply tea tree oil directly to skin. It’s important to dilute the oil with a carrier oil, such as olive oil, coconut oil, or almond oil.

For every 1 to 2 drops of tea tree oil, add 12 drops of a carrier oil.

Also, be careful when using tea tree oil around the eye area. Exposure can cause redness and irritation.

Before you use tea tree oil, do a patch test to make sure your skin doesn’t react to the tea tree oil.

Dry skin and eczema

Tea tree oil can help soothe dry skin by reducing itching and irritation. Also, it’s been shown to be more effective than zinc oxide and clobetasone butyrate creams in treating eczema.

How to use: Mix a few drops of tea tree oil into a small amount of moisturizer or carrier oil. Apply this mixture to the affected areas immediately after getting out of the shower and at least once more each day. Check out these products on Amazon.

Oily skin

The antiseptic properties of tea tree oil may contribute to its ability to combat oily skin. A small 2016 study found that participants who used a sunscreen containing tea tree oil for 30 days showed improvements in oiliness.

How to use: Mix a few drops of tea tree oil into your toner, moisturizer, or sunscreen. You can add two drops of tea tree oil to bentonite clay to make a mask. Or check out these tea tree oil products from Amazon.

Itchy skin

The anti-inflammatory properties of tea tree oil make it useful in relieving the discomfort of itchy skin. It soothes the skin and can also help heal infections that cause itchy skin.

A small 2012 study found that tea tree oil was effective in reducing itchy eyelids. An ointment containing 5-percent tea tree oil was massaged onto the eyelids of the participants. Sixteen of the 24 participants eliminated their itching completely. The other eight people showed some improvements.

How to use: Mix a few drops of tea tree oil into a moisturizer or carrier oil and apply it to your skin a few times per day.

Inflammation

The anti-inflammatory effect of tea tree oil helps to soothe and relieve painful and irritated skin. It may also help to reduce redness and swelling.

Research supports that tree oil reduces inflamed skin due to skin sensitivity to nickel. This study used pure tea tree oil on the skin but it’s usually advised that you dilute tea tree oil with a carrier oil before applying it to the skin.

How to use: Add 1 drop of tea tree oil to a carrier oil or moisturizer and apply it to the affected area a few times per day.

Infections, cuts, and wound-healing

The antibacterial properties of tea tree oil make it an effective wound healer.

According to a 2013 study, tea tree oil helps to heal wounds caused by bacteria. Nine of the 10 people who used tea tree oil in addition to conventional treatment showed a decrease in healing time compared to conventional treatment alone.

How to use: Add 1 drop of tea tree oil with a wound ointment cream and apply as directed throughout the day.