Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree oil is an antibacterial antiseptic that is a popular natural agent for curing all three types of infectious organisms: fungus, bacteria, and virus.  Here are just a few things that Tea Tree oil treats:
acne, abscess, oily skin, blisters, sun burns, athlete's foot, warts, herpes, insect bites, rashes, dandruff and other minor wounds and irritations

Couple tea tree oil with pure Aloe Vera gel/ juice and you have a seriously powerful combination.

In my skin care regimen, I use a benzoyl peroxide based cleanser but I always follow up with pure tea tree oil (or a little recipe of 1/4 cup aloe vera, and 5 drops each of geranium and lavender oil each and 15 drops of tea tree oil).  Whether hormonal or stress related, I go through periods when I have break outs and at first I panic, thinking I need to purchase the next best big thing off the pharmacy store shelves, but then I remember to keep it simple and go with what works - tea tree oil (and its compadre aloe).  I have not gotten into the habit of using my concoctions daily instead as a preventative measure.  It usually takes about a week or so for the infected skin to turn over (a very stressful week which requires a lot of patience because I want the effects to be immediately complete, lol!), but once my skin gets the nourishment that it needs, it looks and feels great.  I just have to not fall off the wagon of this cleansing and treatment routine.  Once I get back on the wagon I may be able cut the benzoyl peroxide cleanser from the regimen.  I'm in no rush, but I'm on a 'less is more' kick.

Tea tree oil is also included in my hair oil and shea butter cream recipes.  I big chopped in early May, and cut about an inch again a couple of weeks ago.  When I first cut off all those inches back in May it was about getting my hair healthy again because of all the heat and styling damage.  I didn't care about length then, but that is the focus of this next phase, as I work to really treat my scalp/ skin in the hopes of getting back the hair length that I sported growing up.

Is all of this vain?  Maybe, but as someone who grew up battling acne and the scars it constantly left behind, having clear smooth skin is something that I never thought I could achieve without having to take very expensive medication.  Let's call it one of my biggest wishes for myself.  And as for my hair - I've always had a lot of hair, lol (my poor momma), and once I hit high school was always cutting it.  Now I want to go back to that length, and just continue forward on that 'less is more' kick that I mentioned previously.  Overall, my goal is to achieve a simpler way of life in as many aspects as possible, and incorporating tea tree oil into my beauty regimen has been tremendous!

Homemade Acne treatment with Essential Oils

I have chronicled some of the plights I was having with my skin since I broke out a little over a month ago.  The acne came back as well as the blemishes, and I was at a loss and trying not to get extra upset.

Well, I did some research and also realized that I needed to replace my fresh aloe more often.  Another things that I am doing is incorporating more essential oils into my skin care routine.  Sure, of course I've been doing the oil cleansing method, but I looked into other oils and found a recipe that I have only tried once, but I am liking already.

This recipe calls for 1/4 cup aloe gel (I used fresh aloe from the leaf), 10 drops each of geranium, tea tree and lavender oil.

I cleansed my face and used a mild exfoliate before steaming my pores with a hot wash cloth and applying the mixture to my face.  Moments later my skin felt significantly cleansed and refreshed.   My pores looked nourished and the texture of my skin looked and felt stronger.  Since aloe had done such a great job with my skin in previous months, I will continue with this method in place of the oil cleansing method (which includes castor and extra virgin olive oil) and see what happens.  With that method, the results were to be witnessed the next morning, but with this aloe/essential oil mixture, I saw and felt results right away.  We'll see if this helps with the blemishes that have begun to reappear.  Stay tuned!

Here's a quick overview of these essential oils, from a sampler guide that I got from Whole Foods.

Geranium, Rose (Pelargonium graveolens)

• excellent for all skin types, especially oily and acne prone
•   anti-fungaland antiviral
• blends well with rose, lavender, neroli, patchouli

Lavender, Spike (Lavandula latifolia)

• anti-infectious properties
• specific for acne, oily skin, and burns

 Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

• antibacterial with excellent anti-fungal and antiviral properties
• use directly on burns, abrasions, abscesses, acne, or wherever there is a sing of infection