One of the essential oils I make sure I am never without is Tea Tree Oil. These days, this oil is very common but I remember a time when it was quite hard to get hold of this oil whether as an oil or in skincare products and I had to request friends in Australia to get them for me.
Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil) is extracted from the Melaleuca tree which is found predominantly in Australia. This explains why many skincare brands that contains Tea Tree Oil are Australian based. Tea tree oil is known to have some medicinal properties when applied on the skin and it is also supposed to be anti-bacterial and a disinfectant.
This is possibly why Tea Tree Oil is well known as an acne buster. I personally use tea tree oil in its oil form whenever I am plagued by acne or pimples. It dries them up quickly and does not leave a scar or mark. For me, this is quite possibly the best treatment for sporadic acne/pimples.
Apparently, tea tree oil also has anti-fungal properties and it can even be used on the skin for insect bites and various other skin problems (source). I’m told that dabbing some tea tree oil onto an insect or mosquito bite eases the itchiness which stops you from scratching at it. In most cases the insect or mosquito bite does not leave a scar or mark, but scratching it and breaking the surface of the skin does. So, the next time you get bitten by a mosquito reach for your tea tree oil and stop scratching!
Tea Tree Oil in 5ml or 10ml bottles (oil form) can be easily purchased in Malaysia these days. You can look in the local Pharmacies (Aiken, Garden of Eden, Thursday Plantation) or in The Body Shop.
The smell of tea tree oil is very distinctive, smelling slightly like camphor. Me, I like it and find it vaguely soothing but I know people who dislike the smell. When going on the skin, I find the oil leaves a slightly tingling and cooling feeling. If you have broken skin, it can smart so be warned.
Do you keep any Tea Tree Oil on your dresser?
Nikki says
August 12, 2008 at 2:42 pmYes I do!!! Body Shop Tea Tree oil! Never tried other brands! 🙂
nur says
June 21, 2011 at 3:42 pmhow long the Body Shop product to show the effectiveness from your experienced?
Natallie says
August 12, 2008 at 2:54 pmYes,I do..my loyal companion. What do you use to apply it on your face?merely finger or any special tip? 🙂
Monstro says
August 12, 2008 at 3:34 pmI love this for mosquito bites, but for acne, I don’t find it that effective. I think it’s because my acne can get quite huge and severe! :-b
ParisB says
August 12, 2008 at 3:45 pm@Nikki: The best is they last nearly forever!
@Natallie: I just use my fingers. No point wasting all that precious oil.
@monstro: I find it helps bring down the swelling on my bad acne but it doesn’t cure it completely. Reduces the pain though.
Tine says
August 12, 2008 at 5:36 pmAfter that skin trouble I had on my chin, it’s now permanently on my dresser (although it’s an ointment, not the actual oil). Great stuff I say 🙂
ParisB says
August 12, 2008 at 6:02 pm@Tine : Amen to that! The best part is that it works whether as an oil or in an ointment.
Ms. Blacklace says
August 13, 2008 at 12:11 amI use it along with aloe vera gel. Great stuff. I love it.
a.min says
August 13, 2008 at 12:30 pmreal great stuff!! cant leave it ever since the 1st !!
prettybeautiful says
August 13, 2008 at 2:40 pmi don’t have any tea three oil with me, actually, can we use this as daily application, not only on acne? oh, when i get mosquito bites, i find spraying it with spring water can actually help to ease the itch.
ParisB says
August 13, 2008 at 5:43 pmprettybeautiful : I won’t recommend using it daily as it can be a little harsh on the skin but if you have blemishes its pretty much a god send! Thanks for the tip about mosquito bites
wan says
February 1, 2009 at 10:08 amhey ! i’ve tried aiken tea tree oil spot cream and it’s really effective!
i can prove that once i use it on my acne,tomorow all gone! but it’s really hard on bigger acne one..my tip,apply this aiken t3 oil once the new acne exist! dont just let it worst..
my question= does this oil removes marks?
lenny says
November 13, 2009 at 4:55 pmyes…i use cleansing face aiken brands… my face better and no longer pimple…
Lisa says
July 23, 2015 at 12:36 amTea tree oil is great,works wonders.
My optometrist used it on my eye lids after getting a dust mite infection.
Did not change sheets etc. after coming home from a long vacation.
Had no idea this could happen,luckily all cleared up now.
Used on mosquito bites it stopped the itching immediately