If you are looking for a natural topical product for acne, you might want to research tea tree oil. The Australian punk tree produces a compound called terpinen-4-ol that is known to be an effective antiseptic.The essential oil is extracted by steam from the leaves and twigs.It has been used for hundreds of years for it’s healing benefits and the germicidal and anti-bacterial properties of this plant are well documented.

Propionibacterium acnes is a very common bacteria that lives on the skin.Sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands found in the hair follicles. It is sebum that keeps skin and hair soft. Problems occur when the sebaceous gland produces too much sebum. Pores in the skin get plugged up and Propionibacterium acnes start to infect the walls of hair follicles. It is thought that applying topical antibiotics such as tea tree oil will reduce acne by killing off P.acnes.

If you use a product that contains alpha hydroxy lotion, it might help stop dead skin cells from plugging follicles openings. This could be applied in the mornings and a tea tree oil product could be used in the evenings just before bedtime.This tactic attempts to treat two of the main factors attributed to acne.

Many people will say they can’t stand the smell of tea tree oil. It reminds me of turpentine. It is quite strong. Not all tea tree products smell bad, some smell like camphor antiseptics or cleansers. Remember to use a clean pillow case every night. Old tea tree oil on a pillow won’t help your acne problem.

Pure tea tree oil is very potent stuff. It should not be applied full strength for keeping acne under control.It can cause severe skin irritation if used improperly.I use a small disposable 3 oz paper cup of water to add one teaspoon of pure tea tree oil. This gives it a diluted strength of amount 5%.I use this as my daily acne wash.The problem you can run into is using it too much. If your acne is under control don’t use it everyday. The P.acne can become resistant to treatment and that makes it very difficult to treat.

Tea tree oil can be very toxic to pets, especially cats. Keep it away from pets and children. Pregnant women should probably not use tree oil.If you think tea tree oil is something you would like to try, mention it to your dermatologist first.. If you use the wrong treatment, you could make the acne problem worse. Many doctors are combating acne with new techniques that deal more with reducing sebum production than reducing bacteria.If P.acne become resistant to anti-bacterial treatments such as tea tree oil or benzoyl peroxide, they can be extremely difficult to eliminate.