Tea Tree Oil and Acne
Provided by: Greg Podsakoff
Tea Tree Oil is one of the most popular herbal extracts used to treat and eliminate acne, and for good reason... it has helped thousands of acne sufferers.
Tea tree oil is extracted and concentrated by steaming the leaves of a melaleuca tree and then collecting the oil the leaves give off into a concentrate.
Out of over 100 species, the Melaleuca alternifolia the one prized for its oil. This tea tree plant is native to Australia. It has been used for centuries by the Aborigines of Australia to fight infections, gum disease, viral and fungi infections, as well as bacteria.
Historically, tea tree oil has been used as a "cure all" by many of the aboriginal tribes in Australia, as well as by millions of people around the world. Before antibiotics were discovered, tea tree oil was a very commonly prescribed remedy, and used to treat everything from open wounds, to sore throats, to viral infections. Once penicillin was discovered however, tea tree oil's popularity faded quickly.
However, tea tree oil has seen a large revival over the past 20 years, in part because it is has proven to be more effective in killing certain bacteria than popular antibiotics (including penicillin). Studies have been done with Staph bacterial infections on the skin, and found that tea tree oil was more effective in killing the infection than methicillin and vancomycin.
One study in particular was conducted to compare the acne bacteria fighting properties of a tree oil in comparison with benzoyl peroxide cream. The tea tree oil was comparable in effectiveness to the benzoyl peroxide, but without the side effects of dry skin and redness*. This is remarkable news for Acne sufferers, because now there is an herbal remedy that has actually been proven to treat acne.
All it takes is a drop of Melaleuca Alternifolia tea tree oil 2-3 times a day on the acne inflammation, and it will start working to kill the bacteria.
So, for those of you who like what benzoyl peroxide does to acne but don't like the side effects, tea tree oil may be the right alternative for you*.
This article has been provided by the editor of http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com
Resources:
Chan, C.H., et al. "Activity of tea tree oil on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus," Journal of Hospital Infection 39(3):244-245, 1998.
Concha, J.M., et al. "Antifungal activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil against various pathogenic organisms," Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association 88(10):489-492, 1998.
Gustafson, J.E., et al. "Effects of tea tree oil on Escherichia coli," Letters In Applied Microbiology 26(3):194-198, 1998.
Inouye, S, et al. "Antisporulating and respiration-inhibitory effects of essential oils on filamentous fungi," Mycoses 41(9-10):403-410, 1998
I.B. Bassett et al. A comparative Study of Tea Tree Oil versus Bezoyl Peroxide in the Treatment of Acne. Med J Aust 153:455-8, 1990.
For more factual acne treatments information, visit: http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com
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