Acne sufferers may benefit from using essential oils such as tea tree. The University of Maryland Medical Center reviewed a study which found that tee tree oil worked as well as benzoyl peroxide, a common acne treatment, but had fewer side effects. Tea tree oil comes from steam-distilling the leaves of a small tree native to Australia. It is one of the most commonly used essential oils, and aromatherapists often use tea tree oil to fight infections and other conditions.
Clean Skin
A necessary part of keeping your skin free of acne is to keep your face clean. Patricia Davis, a clinical aromatherapist and author of "Aromatherapy: An A-Z" advises her patients with acne to use tea tree oil in a facial wash. Davis says it helps keep your skin clean.
Reduce Inflammation
In addition to working as a cleanser, tea tree essential oil also possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Essential tea tree oil can help soothe your inflamed skinned so that an outbreak is less noticeable, according to The University of Maryland Medical Center.
Antibacterial
Tea tree oil possesses powerful antimicrobial actions. Medline Plus, a scientific research review service from the National Institutes of Health, finds that research supports tea tree oil as an antibacterial agent. Acne eruptions are the result of bacterial infection, and essential tea tree oil easily penetrates your skin so it can attack the bacteria that cause the infection and inflammation.
References
- "Aromatherapy: An A-Z"; Patricia Davis; 2000
- Medline Plus: Tea Tree Oil
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Acne
- "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils"; Julie Lawless; 1995
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