tea tree oil is great!
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free skin care · Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:24 pm

to all of you who've recommended i use tea tree oil for my acne (rosebud especially), sorry i didn't listen sooner! i was walking around south street in philadelphia (i'm a student at temple) and was looking around this new-agey store. when i saw that they had skincare stuff, it was like some magnetic force dragged me to the shelf! Laughing

so anyway, they had some tea tree oil products. the one i bought is a blemish touch stick about the size of a lipgloss tube and you roll it on wherever the blemish is. the brand is "Desert Essence" and it was like 6 bucks. also, the scent is nice because it's calming and reminds me of the store!

it says to apply 5 to 6 times daily, which seemed like a lot at the time, but the application is so easy and since i'm constantly thinking about my face, there's no problem in remembering.

anyway, i was getting this pimple on my chin and i just knew it was going to be one of those pre-monstrous zits i get at least once a week. well now, it's the third day that i've been applying the oil. the pimple has not increased in size at all -- it's actually slightly decreased! only very slightly, but even a little decrease in size is enough for me! also, there is only minimal pressure. for me, these pimples are usually really painful and i try alleviate the pain by just getting all gunk out (aka popping) but now, that's just completely unecessary!

i've also been using it on a smaller pimple on my cheek. that one has zero pressure and is just slightly red. i'm not sure if it's doing much for my post-pimples that are still elevated. they might be just healing on their own, i can't really tell.

i've been putting it on my blackheads like 2 or 3 times in the day and those areas are getting sort of flaky. anyone have an explanation for that?

so yeah, tea tree oil is my new best friend!! do they make products like a tea tree lotion? astringent? masks? uh oh.. there goes my college tuition. Cool

free skin care · Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:44 pm

Glad to hear the tea tree worked for you Very Happy

I think The Body Shop do a big Tea Tree skincare line.

Although Witch Hazel used as a toner works wonders for oily/acne skin and is great for large pores, blemishes.

Also Jojoba Oil or Grapeseed oil makes a good moisturiser

The areas where you are applying the tea tree will be becoming dry and flaky as Tea tree has astringent properties and will dry the area and draw any impurities out.

free skin care · Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:51 pm

that was quite the speedy reply! just a couple questions:

can i use the tea tree all over my face as a means of prevention? or just to keep them at bay? will that just make my whole face flaky? should i just limit usage to whenever i'm getting a blemish and use it as a spot treatment?

how long does it usually take for a pimple being treated to go away?

as for the witch hazel, i don't have oily skin, rather dry, but i AM acne prone. do you think using witch hazel will be too drying?

as for the jojoba and grapeseed.. which one do you like better?
i was thinking about getting paula's choice 2% BHA lotion as a facial moisturizer to keep my pores clean, but perhaps i should just use it for the rest of my body. will the grapeseed or jojoba oil clog my pores at all? will they do a good job of keeping them clean?

thanks again!

free skin care · Mon Jan 30, 2006 4:08 pm

Hi All
I have used Tea Tree Oil and a cotton ball and applied directly to my blemishes. Am I doing something wrong, because my skin becomes white all around the area that I applied the "Oil" and stays white for hours? The tea tree oil I am using I bought at Long's/ Rite Aid whatever over the counter and it is pure.
Help? I want the "miracle" jamie360 got
Thanks

Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:23 pm

bergquis wrote:

Hi All
I have used Tea Tree Oil and a cotton ball and applied directly to my blemishes. Am I doing something wrong, because my skin becomes white all around the area that I applied the "Oil" and stays white for hours? The tea tree oil I am using I bought at Long's/ Rite Aid whatever over the counter and it is pure.
Help? I want the "miracle" jamie360 got
Thanks

Are you applying it undiluted? I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but essential oils are usually not meant to be applied to skin "neat" as they can irritate...

free skin care · Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:21 pm

Hi Jamie,

I too, love the Desert Essence blemish stick! D.E. also sells cleansing pads like Oxyclean pads (I think that's the brand I'm thinking of). Those work well to keep blemishes at bay, although they can be drying. They also sell lotion but I've not tried it.

I took Rosebud's advice and now use jojoba oil at night and I love it. It won't clog your pores and you only need a couple drops for your whole face. (Thank you Rosebud) Very Happy

Bergquis, try the blemish stick, it works. I tried using pure tea tree on my face and I didn't have as much success. I don't know why your face gets white. That sounds unusual. Maybe it's too drying. Although the RiteAid brand says it's pure, it may not be as good a quality as a brand you might find in a health food store.

Cloe

free skin care · Tue Jan 31, 2006 1:56 am

Tea tree is one of the very few oils you can apply neat on your skin. I usually apply with my finger, just one drop on my index and quickly sweep over spots. I would not use this all over my face as the scent is strong and makes my eyes sting and makes me slightly nauseus + it's too drying for overal use, and definitley too drying too use every day. I would say it is for spot treatment only. I too started using this because of Rosebuds tips:)

FANTASTIC STUFF!!!! Very Happy

Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:05 am

Mabsy wrote:

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but essential oils are usually not meant to be applied to skin "neat" as they can irritate...

Ruth wrote:

Tea tree is one of the very few oils you can apply neat on your skin.

There you go, I stand corrected! Laughing

free skin care · Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:03 am

Both Ruth and Mabsy are right here.
Tea Tree is better used neat on an outbreak area, but if the skin is clear and you just want to use it for prevenative purposes then it is better to dilute down so it does not burn the skin.

Try adding a few drops of Tea Tree to your daily moisturiser or Jojoba Oil/Grapeseed Oil.

Also Tee Tree Oil is fantastic for treating cold sores and fungal infections.
Bathing feet in a bowl of hot water with a little milk and tea tree is good for fighting any bacteria.
Tea Tree works better than Canasten for treating Vaginal Trush as well, just add to a bath or duche everyday for up to a week and it will clear a lot quicker than by using pessaries.

At the moment I am using Grapeseed Oil during the day and Jojoba at night. There really is not much difference except that Grapeseed is a little heavier I find.
Don't worry they should not clog your pores.
Witch Hazel should be fine for you.

free skin care · Tue Jan 31, 2006 8:27 am

Love all the words of advice and suggestons. I will try the Tea Tree blemish stick. I looked it up on Body Shop and cheap $6.00. Does anyone know where to get it (store). I hate to order $6.00 product off the internet.
Thanks

free skin care · Tue Jan 31, 2006 9:28 pm

Bergquis,

If you have a Trader Joes near you, they sell it. Or, any kind of health food store should carry it. If your local health food store doesn't carry it, many times they can special order it for you. Smile

free skin care · Tue Jan 31, 2006 9:44 pm

Hi, everyone! Smile

I'm new here, but I have a tea tree oil rec that I read about elsewhere. Try mixing Apple Cider Vinegar, water, and a bit of tea tree oil together to make a toner. It works wonderfully for me. You could also add ylang ylang oil or lemon essential oil as well. Smile

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2006 8:36 am

Thanks for the advice, I will give it a try. And YES cloe I do have a trader joes. Shop there all the time, just never looked for the blemish stick. I DO appreciate the feedback and I will be making a trip to TJ's today.

free skin care · Wed Feb 01, 2006 3:31 pm

I'm getting married tomorrow. Got this nasty nerve breakouts (three of them) on my right cheek. I've been doing aspirin mask a couple of times this week and will do one last mask tonight.

They're pretty much dry (thank goodness!!) but they are still red. I applied pevonia propolis concentrate at night to help with the redness. Any suggestion what to do on the day if it's still red??

Thanks heaps!

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