The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Rosacea
Posted by McFly (Tennessee) on 06/05/2024
★★★★★
My face has always been a little pinkish and I never thought anything about it until it got really red this year. Even my chin was getting red and hot. I started reading about rosacea and found out about the link to demodex. I used to use olive oil or coconut oil as a moisturizer but stopped using that and started using only raw chunks of frozen aloe every night along with tea tree oil dabbed on my cheeks, chin and nose. it has really helped so much. I had no idea about the mites until this year, wow!! Its amazing the things we still learn about this world even at 49. If you have rosacea, maybe try what I did...stop the lotions or oils on your skin and start using aloe and tea tree oil only. If you have to use an oil for super dry skin, try castor oil...i love using just a little dab here and there if I need too. I use the tea tree oil now multiple times every day. I also wash my face with diluted ACV and water daily and even shave my face in order to really exfoliate it and now my skin is looking better than it has in years. cheers
How to Apply Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Dorothy Myles (Colchester) on 08/12/2016
Tea tree oil has been very good for thick toenails in a very short time. Can I use it neat on the nails? The bottle says it needs a carrier oil but not what for. Your website suggests just to paint it on, from the bottle??
Tea Tree Oil Feedback
Posted by Shellie (Grass Valley, Ca) on 03/21/2016
I would love more information. I tried it for a few weeks then switched to apple cider vinegar. TTO seemed better. Maybe I quit too soon. Help!!
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Lisa (San Francisco Ca) on 03/22/2016 11 posts
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
My dog had a terrible reaction from tea tree oil. I used 50-50 tea tree mixed with castor oil and applied it to my dog's paws to help them heal, and my dog almost immediately turned red all over his body and developed a fever of 104.2. I washed the stuff off of him immediately, but it really gave me a scare. It took an hour for me to get his fever back down and he was really suffering. So, I would say, you might not want to use this stuff on your pets!
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Raffia (Texas, US) on 06/09/2014
Pennyroyal also is toxic, at least to some cats. I used an herbal flea powder that contained Pennyroyal and my cat started foaming at the mouth. Then I read that some cats have a bad reaction to it.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 04/27/2014
Just wondering: on the Tea Tree Oil I have it says it has: terpinen-4-ol. Is that any "relation" to terpentine or pine oil?
Tea Tree Oil Feedback
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 11/03/2013
Adrienne, have you tried diluting it a lot? Also, there are multiple remedies to try if even diluting it doesn't help.
Tea Tree Oil Feedback
Posted by Adrienne (Malaysia) on 11/03/2013
Tea tree oils stings like mad. Causes me itchiness and redness. I will never use it again. Stop using on your little kids or if u have sensitive skin.... Now I dunno what to do.
How to Apply Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Ashley (Albuquerque) on 09/03/2013
How to apply tea tree oil: I take a q tip and dip it in the oil then apply directly on the area needed. Always use a new or clean q tip befor dipping in the oil to prevent contaminating the tea tree oil with any germs. You can wet the q tip with water first if you have sensitive skin.
Warts
Posted by Kimberly From Florida (Pensacola, Fl) on 07/17/2013
★★★★★
Tea tree oil WILL get rid of warts. I did have luck using a drop on a bandaid and placing over wart at night. Gone in a week!
Jock Itch
Posted by Keisha (Baguio, Philippines) on 10/27/2012
may I ask where you bought tea tree oil here in the philippines?
General Feedback
Posted by Rjkp (Brigham City, Utah) on 05/05/2012
FYI.. The scientific name of tea tree oil is melaleuca alternifoia. Hope this is helpful.
Tea Tree Oil Feedback
Posted by Jade.elephant (Montclair, Va) on 03/27/2012
Tea tree oil also kills nail fungus and probably kills plantar warts on the bottom of feet. I was using it on toenails and it would run under my foot when I applied it. The plantar wart went away along with the nail fungus. Use the oil regularly on the nails until they grow out. You will see the nails gradually thin as the fungus dies and once it grows out, it's perfect.
Rosacea
Posted by Cami (Lw, Fl) on 11/10/2011
Hello. I would like to know how long you used the tea tree oil for??? Did you dilute it, or just apply it 100% natural??? I believe I have demodex mites, and I really want to get rid of them. Thank you!
Cellulitis
Posted by Kelly (Catawissa, Mo) on 09/10/2011
★★★★★
If you are all suffering w/ spider bites or bites of some type causing such serious cellulitis, why not dust your house w/ diamateous earth to kill the spider and or bugs. This stuff works FANTASTIC, is cheap, and above all safe!
Tea Tree Oil Warnings
Posted by Diamond (Salisbury, Usa) on 08/31/2011
I found out recently there are two different types of tea tree oil, may be different brands. Beware that wal-mart is putting their own brand of tea tree oil out and I cannot tell the difference from the real ones by the labels but after opened; I dilute it with water and use for gargling also as a mouth wash but wal-marts feels/tastes differently and seems stronger.
Jock Itch
Posted by Steve (Roanoke, Virginia, Usa) on 07/19/2011
★★★★★
Just wanted to add to this thread, I too had a troublesome spot "down there" about the size of a quarter that simply would not go away. After applying slightly diluted (olive oil) TTO the itching stopped. Three days later a very thin layer of skin peeled away from the spot itself (the surrounding skin was unaffected) revealing fresh new skin underneath. The itch has not returned. Thank you Earth Clinic!
Cellulitis
Posted by Ginger (Manistique, Michigan, Usa) on 07/17/2011
We have had several cases of cellulitis in our household over the last year, presumably from
spider bites. The first one was on my teenager's wrist. I took her to the doctor and she was given an antibiotic. Although it went away, I would have preferred she not be on antibiotics.
Next case was on my husband's cheek near his nose. We first noticed it at 4 pm on a Friday and didn't want to go the emergency room, so I looked to EC. The bite was so angry looking so I hit it with a 3-fold process of polysporin, tea tree oil, and a little sprinkle of turmeric on a bandaid. We kept it bandaged with the mixture at night; during the day, I just applied the mixture and kept it open to the air. By Monday, it was gone, but his face was a bit burned from the turmeric. Next time, I knew not to apply the turmeric as it was too strong.
This past week, both teenagers had cellulitis, again possibly from bites, so this time I only used the polysporin and tea tree oil. Having ointment on at all times, covering with bandaid whenever possible.
Cellulitis was entirely cleared up in four days in all cases.
Cellulitis
Posted by Carly (Seattle, Wa - Usa) on 05/19/2011
Hi Deesone... That cellulitis is some scary stuff. Absoulutely keep taking whatever the doctor prescribes, but also look into vitamin C mega dosing.
Look up "Linus Pauling / vitamin C" on a search engine. I would take 4-6 grams of C a day if I were in your shoes. (Cutting back if you get diaharea so as to not wash the antibiotics out of your system too fast).
Just a thought. Good luck to you.
Cellulitis
Posted by Deesone808 (Las Vegas, Nevada) on 05/19/2011
I've been battling cellulitis on my leg and arm (both on my left side) for a month now... Hospitalized twice for IV treatment, even home IV for a week. My cellulitis has cleared after my last week of antibiotics, except for my dark patches on my arm. With the suggestion of my aunt, she said to apply TTO to help scarring... I did apply it to my infections & to my astonishment, my cellulitis was back! I had only applied it to both my left and right (bc of where my PICC line), but not to my leg. Seriously, I can't be going thru this again. My leg is fine, but my arms exploded w/ the infection again... Ugh! I called my ID dr n he put my oral antibiotics again... I'm freaking out. I have my follow up w/ my dr next weds. In the mean time I'll be taking my oral ab n benadryl my dr ordered. I need some advice, can anyone HELP me... Can anyone please tell me why this is happening again?I need some answers...
Dermatitis
Posted by Taylor (Nashville, Tennessee) on 04/18/2011
★★★★★
I was recently diagnosed with perioral dermatitis by a dermatologist. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and was just around my mouth area next to my chin. My doctor gave me 1 month antibiotics, which has been tearing my stomach up. I had been on the antobiotics for about 10 days when I became angry that I hadnt seen any results, in fact, it looked worse.
A co-worker suggested I try tea tree oil as her daughter suffered from POD too. Four days later, my POD is about 85% gone!!!! No new bumps have formed since using the tea tree oil.
Since tea tree oil is VERY potent, it is recommended to dilute the oil. I diluted it with water by moistening a cotton pad with water, squeezing out the excess, placing about 2-3 drops of oil on the pad, and then adding a few more drops of water. I then pressed the pad on my affected areas 2-3 times a day. It started drying up immediately!
I even used a drop of straight tea tree oil on a huge pimple that I got (due to the stress of the POD), and the bump completely vanished within 12 hours!
I am now convinced that some of the best remedies are all natural!
Skin Tags
Posted by Nicole (Brussels, Belgium) on 01/01/2011
So I recently bought tea trea oil the other day, and was applying it directly to my spots. It was working great, and you could already see the positive effects. However, one night I didn't have a mirror, so I applied it with a cotton swab all over my chin area. The next morning I woke up it was stained a reddish brownish color, and the whole area is horribly dry. I realize now that I should've diluted it, but when will the stain go away?
Skin Tags
Posted by Gsabrae (Springfield, Mo) on 12/07/2010
★★★★★
I read the review for skin tags and Tea Tree oil, I bougt 100% Tea Tree oil. My intention was to apply the oil to a skin tag that had developed underneath my right eye. I applied the oil 3 times a day for 7 days. Day 1, I see the skin tage is shrinking! Day 2, it is even smaller, Day 3, the tag is itching, growing smaller darkening, Day 4, same thing even more! Day 5, I was absent mindly scratching and itch on my face the skin tag fell off! I was awed, rush to a mirror and it was gone! Tree Tea oil, pure for me does take away skin tags. This tag had been on my face for two years and no matter what I used, it was still there. I. Then began to use it on skin tags that were developing (3) and they are almost gone.
So I began to use it on dark spots on my nose from wearing glasses for 40 years and they are diminishing also! I am absolutely blown away! It gets better... I have adult acne, and yes, you guessed it! They are going away also! Some of the pimples have been on my face for almost a year! Is Tea Tree oil a component of the fountain of youth? I do not know, what I DO know is that skin problems that I have spent hundreds of dollars in during my lifetime disappear and leave me looking less aged, with almost flawless skin and I love it! Pure Tea Tree oil is volatile, do not apply it to your face without adequate ventalation. Do not apply it and go to bed, it will irritate your eyes and nose, apply it at least 20 minutes prior to bedtime. This stuff work amazingly well.
Sweaty Hands
Posted by Sarah (Shizuoka, Japan) on 06/25/2010
★★★★★
I had a cut on my hand that I was putting tea tree oil on. I noticed however after 2-3 days that the really bad sweating on my hands had stopped!
I added 6 or so drops of tea tree oil to around 3T of olive oil and covered my hands in it before I went to sleep. The tea tree oil meant it was absorbed quickly, but you may want to alter the timing if you are concerned about the oil getting onto your sheets.
I did this for 2 nights then stopped and it was almost 2 weeks before I noticed the sweating was becoming a problem again. It didn't completely stop my palms from sweating but now I don't have to be nervous when I go to shake hands etc.
*the season has also just changed (spring>summer) so I don't know whether that also had some effect.
Tea Tree Oil Feedback
Posted by Lucky (Somewhere, United States) on 04/01/2010
It is great for dandruff. Put a teaspoon in a bottle of 100ml of shampoo and after a few weeks your dandruff will be gone. Didn't see the warnings on here about not using it on cats and dogs, so I even put a dropperful in my dogs shampoo and her coat looked great. She had no side effects but read some comments stating that their pets did. Works great on humans tho.
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Lucky (Somewhere, United States) on 04/01/2010
I put a few drops of tea tree oil in my dogs shampoo and her fur looked great. She had no reactions at all.
Herpes
Posted by Gary D (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) on 02/26/2010
With tea tree oil it depends what concentration you use. For Herpes it is best if you swab it on using a cotton bud and at 50 - 100% pure and when the sores are there.
NOTE* It is going to sting like crazy so have a fan ready and sit in front of it so it dries quickly.
If you swab it 4 times a day for 3 days, I have seen where herpes has not returned. if you do not sit in front of a fan, be prepared to run around for 30 sec or so until the stinging goes away, but the result is worth it.. I did see older men put a couple of drops in the bath to stop heat and rashes. So it seems like it is good for lesions.
Dermatitis
Posted by Pik (Singapore) on 02/17/2010
★★★★★
I was diagnosed with Rosacea and given Rosex Gel which didn't work. Then another doc said I had perioral dermatitis which would take months to clear and gave me minocyclin (potentially for 3 months!) Alarmed by this prospect, I googled and came across this site and read about how Tea Tree Oil has helped some people with Perioral Dermatitis. Lo and behold! A few days into the treatment and my red pimply spots stopped spreading and began drying out. It looked bad because the skin of the affected areas was very dry and flaking off in large pieces by a week later, I was cured!! Now what is left is slight hyperpigmentation (scarring due to the pimples?) but barely noticeable. Thank you to all who posted this fantastic cure.
Jock Itch
Posted by Mikem (Vancouver, Washington) on 12/11/2009
★★★★★
My gf and me use full strength tea tree oil and i have used it on my jock itch that i have had for the last 15yrs and nothing has worked and believe you me i have tried everything on the shelf and this is the only stuff that works, i apply about 2 drops on both sides twice and day and it's allmost gone for real. We also use it to just strengthen our immune system and rub it on our necks and face because it is absorbs quick into the bloodstream. I used it on this boil i had behind my ear and within a week of applying it 3 times a day it's gone and it was about 2 inches in diameter. I have used it on skin tags and had a few get dark and fall off so it does work very well.We love this stuff
Skin Tags
Posted by Barbara (Concord, California) on 10/23/2009
★★★★★
I had a skin tag right at the corner of my mouth. Not only was it ugly, it hurt and was impossible to ignore. I couldn't get my health care provider to pony up to pay to remove it (it is apparently considered a cosmetic procedure, even if it was causing me physical pain, that's a WHOLE OTHER topic) - after finding this website, I decided to be brave. I applied undiluted Tea Tree oil to the tag, and within 2 days the tag had turned to a blister, and after 2 weeks, the tag was COMPLETELY GONE. I am completely sold on this stuff, its a miracle. Note: I think straight tea tree oil was a bit harsh, because it made the area really sore. However, there is no scar or anything left of the tag.
Insect Bites
Posted by Lisa (Coto De Caza, Ca) on 10/12/2009
★★★★★
My daughter woke up one morning with a few bug bits (most likely spider bites) that itched and were swollen. We put a little tea tree oil on it and the itching stopped very quickly. The next day the bites were completely gone. A few days later I had a bug bite that itched like crazy, so I tried the tea tree oil on it and it worked great.
Skin Tags
Posted by Carolyn (Hobbs, Nm, Usa) on 10/01/2009
What is a skin tag? Is it like a big brown flat mole? Thanks, Carolyn
Skin Tags
Posted by Sunny (San Francisco, Ca) on 09/30/2009
★★★★★
I had an uncomfortable skin tag on my neck. It was irritated. A skin doctor wasn't worried about it being cancerous (my mom has had melonoma). So I decided to use my cure-all Tea tree oil. I put a dab on in the morning undiluted. It, over a week or so, became red and crusty. I kept applying the tea tree. Sometimes two times a day. The crusty part would fall off and new fresh skin would be under. I kept it up and eventually one time the crusty scab fell off and there was nothing underneath it. Voila! It has never been back.
Cellulitis
Posted by Dana (Atlanta, Ga) on 08/08/2009
★★★★★
My 9 year old son experienced cellulitis for the second time in less than a year as the result of a bug bite (spiders we think). At any rate, unable to get the prescription for an antibiotic filled until the morning, I went to this website. I placed a few drops of tea tree oil onto a cotton swab. I applied it to his very swollen and inflammed leg, along with a water soaked cotton ball (so the tea tree would not burn). I then applied an ice pack and gave him an over the counter anti-flammatory. By morning, the inflammation was gone, he was able to move his leg with less diffulty and the redness also subsided.
The Tea Tree worked awesome. Because of the severity of his cellulitis I still gave him the antibiotic, but cut the treatment time in half. Going forward, on any bites I will immediately treat with tea tree oil.
Thanks Earth Clinic
Skin Tags
Posted by Shoshieko (Union City, GA) on 06/13/2009
Your skin was turning red because you were using a high concentration of tea tree oil. Dilute it by putting a couple of drops in olive oil. Five to 10% is the amount of tea tree oil needed.
Tea Tree Oil Feedback
Posted by Khulthum (Chicago, IL) on 03/30/2009
★★★★★
Tea Tree Oil to Prevent Burns
My girlfriends and I, along with all our children, meet weekly in the evenings, at our community center. One evening, when tea was being served, one of the young children ran by and knocked the entire pot of tea all over one of the older girl's legs. She is 12 years old. The sight of that steaming tea all over that poor girl's legs was like a nightmare. It looked like her legs were going to be ruined.
She was rushed to the restroom, by her mother [my friend], and placed in the shower. My friend kept running cold water on her legs to relieve the pain. But she wouldn't stop wailing and her mother didn't know what to do.
I knew that tea tree oil was good for burns, and since I had some in my bag, I offered to apply some to her legs. I had to assure my friend, and especially her daughter, that it would definately be of some help. They did not even know what tea tree oil was, so they were hesitant. But clearly ANYTHING that could help would be welcome, because the girl was screaming uncontrolably at this point.
We took her out of the shower and dried her legs as best we could. Then, I put some oil in the palm of my hand, rubbed my hands together, and rubbed the oil on her legs. For a brief moment, everything was okay. But then she started screaming like you wouldn't believe, saying it was hurting her even more.
Admittedly, I was a little surprised myself, because I had not experienced a reaction like that before [neither from myself, nor from any of my children]. My friend was alarmed, and asked me if that was normal. I told her I had never seen that type of reaction, but that I thought it was because her legs were wet and her pores were open.
I asked her daughter to be patient and wait, and that it would soon get better. She tried her best to wait in out, but she was unable to bear the pain. At this point she was jumping up and down begging us to take it off of her.
I felt really bad because she was clearly in a lot of pain because of ME, but I didn't really know what to do because I thought that water would only push the oil deeper into her her skin. After briefly discussing it, my friend decided to try washing it off, because doing something was better than doing nothing.
After washing her legs off with soap, like a much welcome blessing from God, she stopped crying. 23 loooooooonng minutes, and she finally stopped crying! She said it still hurt a little, but that it felt much better.
My friend took her daughter home, and the next morning she called me to let me know that there was not a single mark on her daughter's legs. It was as if nothing had happened!
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Eunice (Gold Coast, Australia) on 03/10/2009
Sounds to me like the symptoms are from the tick bite.
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Laurel (Detroit, Mi) on 02/18/2009
I used a tea tree oil/ aloe mixture to treat a skin infection on my dog. she had absolutely no effect by the mixture except a shiny coat and flake free skin.
Tea Tree Oil Feedback
Posted by Kathleen (Brisbane, Australia) on 01/03/2009
★★★★★
Living in Australia, tea tree is readily available at supermarkets etc, and is great for taking away the itch from flea, mosquito, midgee bites (and lots more). It works by 1. taking away the itch - anaesthetic; 2. healing the infected area (antiseptic), and repels the other bugs hat might come near you.
I dip a cotton bud into the oil (100%, or even the dilluted version) and rub it onto the bite, sometimes I reapply it, and before you know it - its gone!
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Judith (Chicago, IL) on 12/02/2008
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Tea Tree Oil is a known toxin for cats. Do NOT use tea tree ever on cats. I have heard this many times including once from an essential oil expert. Essential oils in general can be very dangerous to use on cats. Please check out this link to a company that sells tea tree oil products and even warns on the site that it is toxic to cats.
http://www.tea-tree-oil-use.com/pets.htm
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Linda (West Newfield, Maine) on 10/29/2008
What you say is interesting; a teaspoon is a LOT...I've had success with just a few drops of tea tree around the spot where the tick's head is burrowed and within a few days it has dropped off.
Toxic to Cats and Dogs
Posted by Jen (Maple Falls, WA) on 10/28/2008
Thanks to Craig from MD about the warning of tea tree oil being toxic to animals. I used it on my dog, and he reacted the same way Craig's did; and though I treated him for shock and hypothermia, I did not know about the charcoal. It really works to stop the toxic reaction!
