Does The Tea Tree Oil A Natural Acne Treatments?
July 22nd, 2009
Tea tree oil is a natural acne product that can be used topically to effectively treat facial acne. The tree that is used to produce this oil is native to Australia, and it is know by the scientific name Melaleuca alternifolia, which literally translate as narrow-leaved tree.
Its name comes from the fact that the leaves were originally used by Australian aboriginals to make tea. Aboriginals also used the leaves to treat infection in burns, cuts and other types of injuries. The fact that these leaves contain natural anti-microbial agents is what caused modern society to revisit history, by taking a second look at this long lost medicine.
Today, just as in the past, tea tree oil is used to fight infection, only instead of using it for life threatening infections; modern humans use it to fight acne. Interest in this oil from was sparked by a single single-blind study, which was done by the Department of Dermatology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia. This study, which compared the effectiveness of tea tree oil to benzoyl peroxide, produced very interesting results. It was found that both the group which was exposed to benzoyl peroxide and the group that was treated with the oil showed significant reduction in inflamed and non-inflamed acne lesions, although the benzoyl peroxide group showed more improvement. Interestingly enough, it was found that while the tea tree oil took longer to take effect, it also produced fewer side effects than benzoyl peroxide.
One thing to keep in mind before using this oil is that it should be diluted before being applied to the skin. Typically, the reduction is done by 5 parts oil to 95 parts water, which produces a mixture of 5% oil. If you would prefer to buy pre-mixed tea tree oil, this is also possible. Most pharmacies and drug stores carry at least a small selection of the oil, although, if you would like to find a bigger selection to choose from many health food stores also carry pre-mixed creams, gels, and lotions.
Because some people should not use tea tree oil, it is advised to research the side effects, as well as any precautions before using this product. Further information concerning possible side effects and precautions can be found at Medicine Net or WebMd.
Andrew writes articles about the best acne treatment as well as the best natural acne treatments.
Source: EzineArticles.com
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