How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Acne, Skincare, Hair Care and Other Uses
Tea tree oil or melaleuca oil is one of the most volatile essential oils for beginners and is widely popular for its use in skincare products.
Distilled from the leaves of the plant native to Australia, known as Melaleuca alternifolia, tea tree oil has powerful antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Read on to find out how to use tea tree oil and recipes for skincare, haircare, home, and general health using tea tree essential oil.
5 Methods of Using Tea Tree Essential Oil
Before we discuss tea tree recipes for hair care, skincare, health, and home, let’s understand some easy and common ways to use tea tree oil for its benefits.
Using Tea Tree Oil in Diffuser
Put 3–4 drops of tea tree essential oil in a diffuser of your choices, such as nebulizers, ultrasound, or those using fan, heat or evaporation. Diffusing tea tree oil helps to cleanse and purify the air in the room.
Using Tea Tree Oil in a Spray
Add a few drops of tea tree oil to a water-based solution in a spray bottle, and then dispense into the air to deodorize the room and make it smell nice. Before each use, shake the bottle well.
Inhalation
Add a few drops of tea tree oil onto a tissue or a cotton ball and then allow it to evaporate in the air. In case you prefer a milder intensity dose, keep the tissue or ball closer to you. You may sniff the cotton ball or tissue if you want an intense dose. Use it while meditating or working at your desk.
Steam Inhalation
Add a few drops of tea tree essential oil to a bowl of hot and steaming water. Cover head and the bowl of water with a towel, and then breathe in the steam deeply. When using this method, it is important to keep the eyes closed.
However, this method should not be used in the case of children younger than 7 years old. Those older than the age of 7 can wear swimming goggles to protect their eyes from the steam.
Steam inhalation of tea tree oil vapors helps to alleviate nasal and chest congestion and other symptoms of flu or cold.
Topical Use
You should apply tea tree oil on the skin only after diluting in a natural carrier oil at a maximum concentration of 3–5%. This method helps in minimizing acne marks and reducing warts on the face. Massaging with tea tree oil helps to alleviate respiratory tract infections, soothes muscle pain, and treats athlete’s foot.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Acne Treatment
Tea tree is one of the best natural home remedies for acne treatment. Tea tree oil not only acts on the acne but also heals the skin. We have listed a few of the ways to use tea tree oil for acne treatment.
Only Tea Tree Oil:
Mix ingredients well. Soak a cotton pad in the blend and gently rub the cotton pad on the affected area in a circular motion.
Wait for 20 to 30 min once it dries apply a moisturizer, no need to wash this off. Apply twice a day.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Tea Tree Oil:
Mix these 2 ingredients in a bottle and shake it well to blend them together.
Clean face and soak a clean cotton ball or a cotton ear bud in this blend and gently apply it to the acne-affected areas.
Let the mixture rest on your skin for 5 to 10 minutes and then wash it with cold water and a mild face wash. Repeat this method once daily till your skin is clean and then apply it once every 3 to 4 days.
Baking Soda and Tea Tree Oil:
Mix baking soda in water to make a smooth paste, then add tea tree oil and mix thoroughly. Apply this paste on the affected area and scrub very gently. Wait for 3 to 4 minutes and then wash it off.
Follow this process twice or thrice a week.
Lemon And Tea Tree Oil:
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 4 to 5 drops of tea tree oil
Apply this mixture on the affected area. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes then wash off with lukewarm water first and then with cool water. Repeat this process two times in a week
Aloe Vera And Tea Tree Oil:
- 2 tsp Aloe vera
- 3 drops Tea tree oil
Apply this mixture on the acne-affected area using a cotton swab. Wait for a few minutes to dry and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Finally, apply a good moisturizer.
Apply every day to get relief from acne.
Lavender and Tea Tree Oil:
Mix oils in a bottle and shake it well to blend them together.
Clean face and use clean fingertips to gently massage this oil blend on the affected areas.
Leave the blend to rest on your face overnight. It is best that you try this remedy at night, as the oil needs to rest on your skin as long as possible. Apply every night till the acne is healed.
Witch Hazel and Tea Tree Oil:
- 5 to 6 drops tea tree oil
- 30 to 42 drops of witch hazel oil
Put these oils in a bottle and shake well to blend them together.
Clean your face. Soak a clean cotton ball in this blend and gently apply it on the acne-affected areas. Let it rest on the face.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Skin Care
Tea tree essential oil is known to relieve many types of skin conditions like inflammation, acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Here are some tea tree oil skincare recipes you can try at home.
Acne Moisturiser:
In a small bowl mix 12 drops of tea tree essential oil, ½ tsp coconut oil and 2 tbsp of aloe vera gel. Dab a small amount of the blend directly onto your acne spots before bedtime and rinse it in the morning with warm water.
Eczema Cream:
Melt ½ cup each of coconut oil and raw shea butter using a double-boiler. Once they’re combined, add 1 tablespoon of honey and continue to stir until everything is mixed well. Add 8 drops of tea tree oil and 30 drops of lavender oil and blend again.
Cool the blend slightly in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Next, use a mixer to mix the ingredients every 10 minutes. Continue till the blend gets frothy and starts looking like a lotion.
Keep the blend in a tight-lidded container at room temperature. Apply this cream once or twice a day on the eczema-affected area and keep it away from eyes.
Acne Face Mask:
To make a face mask for removing acne scars, add 3 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp of olive oil or almond oil, 8–10 drops each of tea tree and frankincense essential oils and 6–8 drops of helichrysum essential oil in a jar and mix well.
Apply the blend mask once daily for about 8 days. Leave it on the skin for 10–15 minutes, then wash face thoroughly with water. If there’s any discomfort, stop using this mask or try applying it every alternate day for 8–10 days.
Razor Bump Remover:
Tea tree essential oil is a natural astringent and anti-bacterial agent can be used to get rid of razor bumps, redness, and skin irritation caused by shaving with a poor quality razor that might have a dull blade.
Simply dilute 6–8 drops of the oil with a little water and apply a small amount of it to the razor burns. This will help the redness and the stinging disappear.
Natural Scabies Cream:
Scabies is an itchy skin condition, the symptoms of which include bumps on the wrist, waist, elbows, and other areas of the skin, sometimes even under the fingernails.
Make antiseptic scabies cream by adding an ounce each of ground turmeric, lemon juice, coconut oil, 2 ounces of neem oil and 10 drops of tea tree oil in a bowl. Whip the ingredients together into a cream. Apply the cream on the scabies-affected area 2–3 times a day. Leave it on for 15–20 minutes, and then wash it off gently.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Hair Care
Tea tree oil has many health benefits for scalp and hair. It can remove dandruff and soothe a dry scalp while improving hair growth. Listed below are recipes for hair care using tea tree essential oil.
Oily Hair Shampoo:
Combine one tablespoon of green clay or French green clay (a kind of bio-mineral clay) and 6 teaspoons of cool green tea. Add a tablespoon of honey and 2 tablespoons each of liquid castile soap and apple cider vinegar and mix well. Once the mixture gets a bit thick, add 10–12 drops of tea tree oil and 4 ounces of purified water. Blend all the ingredients until the mixture becomes smooth, then store it in a glass container.
Store this shampoo in a refrigerator for 3 weeks. Apply it to get oil-free hair so that you don’t need to wash your hair too often.
Itchy Scalp Shampoo:
Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of raw honey, then add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 4 ounces of aloe vera gel and mix well. Add 3 tablespoons of purified water and 1 teaspoon castile soap, and continue to blend. Finally, add 10 drops each of tea tree and rosemary oils and mix it all well.
Transfer this homemade shampoo to a glass dispenser bottle and shake it before use. Apply it onto wet hair and massage it onto the itchy scalp gently.
Homemade Hair Conditioner:
To make hair conditioner, mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a cup of filtered water, and 10 drops of tea tree essential oil. Shake the bottle well before use. Spray this homemade conditioner onto hair and leave it on for 5 minutes before rinsing it. The result is soft and healthy hair!
Dandruff Remedies:
As an effective treatment for dandruff, add 5–6 drops of tea tree essential oil to a dollop of shampoo and then use it to wash your hair. Once you’re done, make sure to dry your hair completely.
Alternatively, try adding a few drops of tea tree oil to a teaspoon of carrier oil like coconut oil, and then slowly massage it into scalp and hair for 10 minutes. Next, wrap your head with a warm damp towel for 20 minutes before rinsing out the oil with a conditioner and a shampoo. You can also leave the oil in hair overnight. Do this not more than thrice a week.
One more way to use tea tree oil to treat dandruff and lice is to mix 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon honey and 5–6 drops of tea tree oil. Apply the blend on the scalp before shampoo or add a few drops in shampoo.
In a 4-week study conducted in 2002, the group of subjects who used a shampoo containing 5% tea tree oil showed a 41% improvement in their dandruff treatment and reduction in dandruff severity and itchiness.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Health Benefits
Tea tree oil health benefits include scabies treatment, congestion relief, sore throat relief, wound healing, and athlete’s foot treatment. A few common tea-tree essential oil health recipes are listed below.
Sore Throat Reliever:
One of the best ways to use tea tree oil for a sore throat is to use it as a gargle solution. Simply warm up a glass of water and mix 2–3 drops of tea tree oil. Gargle for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then spit it out. Do not swallow the oil under any circumstances.
Alternatively, use the steam inhalation method. Add 5–6 drops of tea tree essential oil to boiling water in a large bowl or a basin. Cover head and the bowl of water with a towel, and then breathe in the steam deeply. Steam inhalation is not only going to provide relief from sore throat better but also clear up any sinus congestion. Follow either of the 2 recipes twice a day until all symptoms of a sore throat are gone.
Haemorrhoid Cream:
To make hemorrhoid cream, melt 2 ounces of shea butter in a double boiler or in a jar placed in a pan filled with water and then add in 2 ounces of coconut oil and mix well. Next, add 1-ounce aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon each of witch hazel and apple cider vinegar, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and 5 drops each of tea tree and turmeric essential oils, and blend again. Transfer this cream to a tight-lidded glass jar and rub it onto the affected area twice every day.
Natural Deodorant:
The antibacterial properties of tea tree essential oil help fight bacteria that are responsible for underarm odor related to perspiration. Melt 3 tablespoons each of shea butter and coconut oil using a double-boiler or a heat-safe jar in a pan filled with boiling water. Once melted, remove the jar from the heat and add ¼ cup each of cornstarch and baking soda with 20–30 drops of tea tree oil.
Blend all the ingredients well so that it gets the consistency of a lotion, and transfer the mixture to a jar or a small container. Let it sit overnight or for several hours before you use it. Apply this deodorant lotion directly on your underarms.
Alternatively, you can follow the same recipe, only excluding the shea butter. Once the 3 tablespoons of coconut oil are melted in the same way, remove from heat, and stir in 3 tablespoons each of cornstarch and baking soda with 10–20 drops of tea tree essential oil. Apply it in the same way as the first deodorant recipe.
Immunity Booster:
Blend together 10 drops of each of tea tree and geranium oils, 6 drops of myrrh oil, 8 drops each of lemon oil and thyme oil and 5 drops of elemi essential oil. Dilute this blend by adding 120 ml of carrier oil of your choice. Massage with the blend slowly to give the immunity system a boost.
Sore Muscle Soother:
Add a cup of Epsom salt and ¼ cup dead Sea salt to a clean bowl and mix well. Add ¼ cup baking soda with 10 drops of tea tree oil and give it a good stir. Transfer the mixture to a clean jar. Add this salt blend to a warm bath, using ½ to ¼ cup of the blend per bath depending on the bathtub size. Make sure the salts are dissolved completely in the water so that you don’t slip and fall. Relax and get relief from sore muscles and muscle pain.
Athletes Foot and Toenail Fungus
In order to get relief from athlete’s foot or toenail fungus, add 10–12 drops of tea tree oil in a bucket of warm water. Soak as long as the water is warm and repeat the process every day or until the fungus is gone.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil in Home
At home, use tea tree essential oil in recipes for yoga mat cleaner, gym equipment cleaner, insect repellent, carpet cleaner, and all-purpose household cleaner.
Insect Repellent:
To make a mosquito repellent spray, pour 20 drops each of the essential oils of tea tree, lavender, citronella, geranium, and lemongrass in a spray bottle filled with distilled water. Add to this mixture a tablespoon of vodka, and give the bottle a good shake. Spray this mixture over your arms, neck, legs, and hands to keep mosquitoes away.
Alternatively, mix a few drops of tea tree oil with water in a spray bottle, and then use it to spray evenly over your body.
Bathroom Cleaner:
Combine ¾ cup baking soda with ½ cup liquid castile soap into a thick paste in a medium-sized bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1/8 cup sea salt to this mixture and blend well. Next, pour 20 drops of tea tree oil and 12 drops each of lemon and orange oils and blend again. Use a sponge or a damp cloth to wipe bathroom surfaces clean with this mixture. For surfaces that are tough to clean, apply the mixture on these surfaces and let it sit for up to 20 minutes, then wipe them clean and rinse.
Air Freshener:
Make the house smell amazing by mixing 3 drops of tea tree oil, 2 drops of lemon essential oil, and a cup of distilled water in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle before each use. Spray the essential oil blend evenly through the air in every room and freshen it up.
Mold Fighter:
Add a teaspoon of tea tree oil to a cup of water in a spray bottle and shake well to combine. Spray the blend on the dishwasher, the toilet bowl, the laundry machine, or the shower curtains with this mixture to prevent mold from occurring. You can also use the mixture to treat areas already infested with mold and mildew. Leave it on for several minutes and then wipe it off. Or diffuse tea tree oil around your home using a diffuser to kill mold and other harmful bacteria.
All-Purpose Cleaner
Add a few drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle and fill the rest of the spray bottle with water. Use the blend as an all-purpose cleaner. Spray over surfaces to clean or add a few drops in a washing machine to scent your clothes.
Is Tea Tree Essential Oil Safe?
Always follow the safety and dilution guide while using essential oils. When used topically or in aromatherapy, tea tree oil is usually considered safe. But do NOT ingest tea tree essential oil.
Possible tea tree oil side effects include rashes, stomachache, nausea, and diarrhea. Keep this oil away from your eyes and inner nose.
Originally published at https://zemvelocare.com on June 23, 2019.
