Tea Tree Oil: How Can It Be Used To Treat Skin Blemishes?

Tea tree oil is extracted from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree. According to the I.N.C.I. classification, it is called "Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil".

Tea tree, also called melaleuca alternifolia, is a shrub native to New Caledonia and Madagascar, but the main producer today is Australia.

Tea tree essential oil is extracted by hydrodistillation of the leaves, i.e. by steam distillation. The principle consists in heating a mixture of water and leaves in order to evaporate the volatile molecules and to collect them following a condensation. This method makes it possible to obtain two extracts, namely the hydrolat and the essential oil. Tea tree essential oil is a clear colorless to pale yellow liquid. It has a powerful, herbaceous and fresh smell. It contains mainly monoterpenols (about 45% terpinen-4-ol) and monoterpenes (gamma-terpinene, alpha terpinene, limonene). These compounds are at the origin of its purifying and cleansing properties.

This essential oil has many benefits. In particular, it reduces the symptoms caused by an inflammatory phenomenon, fights against bacteria and treats infections. It is for this reason that it has gained a certain reputation in aromatherapy.

Rich in monoterpene alcohols and carbons, this essential oil is known for its broad spectrum action in the fight against bacteria and the treatment of infections. Indeed, it has demonstrated excellent bactericidal properties (killing bacteria) as well as bacteriostatic (inhibiting bacterial growth). Thus, it makes it possible to limit the proliferation of microorganisms in acne like Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.

What is its antibacterial function? Studies have shown that the properties of tea tree oil act by depleting components of the bacterial cell membrane. More precisely, the hydrocarbon structure and the lipophilicity (attraction to fatty substances) of the terpenes present in this essential oil lead to the lysis and thus the loss of functional integrity of bacterial membranes. This destruction of the membrane causes a leakage of potassium ions, thus inhibiting cellular respiration. The compound 1,8-cineole present in this essential oil plays an important role in this phenomenon. It causes a permeabilization of the bacterial membrane, thus facilitating the entry of the more active bactericidal molecules of the essential oil such as terpinen-4-ol.

One study found that a gel containing 5% tea tree essential oil was as effective in reducing pimples as a lotion containing 5% benzoyl peroxide, a common acne medication. Using tea tree essential oil also resulted in fewer side effects than benzoyl peroxide.