Tea Tree Oil: Origins, Popular Uses & Benefits for Skin

Tea tree oil is perhaps the best essential oil for oily skin, acne-prone skin, dark spots, and overnight pimple reduction. Tea tree oil (also called melaleuca oil) is distilled from the leaves of the Australian plant Melaleuca Alternifolia. 

Origin of the Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia)

Although the plant Melaleuca alternifolia is commonly known as the tea tree, it's important to specify that is not the plant that produces leaves used to make black, green and oolong teas. Notably, Tea tree oil has been used by Aborigines for many centuries for its many beneficial properties. These native Australians used to crush tea tree leaves to extract the oil, which is then inhaled to treat coughs and colds or applied directly to the skin for topical uses.

What are the benefits of tea tree oil for skin

Although tea tree oil shows up in a number of topical applications, its acknowledged antimicrobial properties make it a natural fit for use in soap. For example, an October 2018 study published in the Swiss journal Molecules, showed that whether used on its own or in combination with other known remedies, tea tree oil shows good promise for use against such challenging bacteria as multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). So one of the biggest potential tea tree oil soap benefits includes taking out bacteria that resist other antimicrobial agents whether you're applying it to your hands or using it as a household cleaning agent.

Can Tea Tree Oil help alleviate ACNE?

There's a growing body of evidence that tea tree oil is an extremely useful, natural treatment for acne. Consider an August 2017 study published in the Australasian Journal of Dermatology: The scientists found that use of topical tea tree oil gel products “significantly improved mild to moderate acne” with only minor, well-tolerated side effects that soon resolved on their own.

Other uses of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil can be used to treat conditions and symptoms that affect skin, nails, and hair. It can also be used as a deodorant, insect repellent, or mouthwash. When used topically, tea tree oil can treat certain skin conditions or improve the overall appearance of your skin. (healthline.com)

It is known to soothe topical allergic reactions and to treat rashes, burns, dandruff, acne, Athlete's Foot, and head lice among other ailments. (newdirectionsaromatics.com)

Tea Tree Oil benefits in Soaps

At Olivella we have developed multiple products containing Tea Tree Oil, the first one was our Classic Body Oil with 100% Ultra Purified Virgin Olive Oil.

Last year we started to work on a new project, a gentle Liquid Soap made only with 100% Ultra Purified Virgin Olive Oil and Natural Essential Oils for oily skin.

A gentle product that doesn't strip your skin off its natural oils but helps you get rid of Cutibacterium acnes ( Gram-positivebacterium (rod) linked to the skin condition of acne ). Acne vulgaris is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease caused by increased sebum production, abnormal desquamation of the follicular epithelium, inflammation caused by the formation of free fatty acids by C. acnes, and by genetic factors.