Many acne sufferers are familiar with
benzoyl peroxide. Some love it; others hate it. This active
ingredient works extremely well against mild to moderate acne. I
have used it in the past and it accelerates acne healing by killing
the acne causing bacteria. Lots of over the counter and prescription
medicine have benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient. However, it
seems to irritate skin in a very unpleasant way. In the past, I have
used this as a spot treatment. It feels burning when I apply it on
the skin and leaves me very itchy. A few years ago, I got another
prescription topical medicine for acne treatment with benzoyl
peroxide as an ingredient. It it very effective but burned my skin.
So I can't use it because of its horrible side affects. I'm sure
lots of you are familiar with my experience.
According to some researchers, tea tree
oil works similarly to benzoyl peroxide but without the harsh effect
on skin. So of course I want to try it. I went to my local Target
and got a bottle of pure tea tree oil. I was very excited to find a
natural alternative to benzoyl peroxide and tried it out on my acne
immediately.
The smell? Tea tree oil has a very
strong smell that other people can definitely pick up if you use it
during the day. It's not really unpleasant to me, but just very
strong. I actually don't mind it at all. It's hard to describe the
smell. Some people actually like it. So, it really depends on your
personal preference.
Did it irritate my skin? Surprisingly,
no. My skin is extremely sensitive and very easy to irritate.
However, the pure tea tree oil did not really irritate it. But most
people recommend diluting it with olive oil to get your skin use to
it. I was too impatient to do that!
How well did it work against acne?
That is the most important question. It does work similarly to
benzoyl peroxide because it dries out the acne and kill the bacteria.
But not as fast. I did see improvements with this treatment. My
pimple shrunk in size. It is a natural treatment for acne so don't
expect it to work as fast as benzoyl peroxide.
In conclusion, I really like pure tea
tree oil. It is a natural treatment for acne which is always better
than harsh chemicals or prescription drugs. The part that I really
like was that it didn't irritate my skin at all. I am very happy
about that! I think you should definitely give it a try because it's
inexpensive and readily available in many stores.
