Back to Main forum index
Back to Current forum index

AuthorTopic: tea tree oil
Jean
10-18-2002
08:53 AM		Scientific studies have been conducted on tea tree oil. The results have been said to be very conclusive...
Scott
10-18-2002
09:11 AM		In regards to what exactly, Jean??
Jean
10-18-2002
12:15 PM		in regards to ACNE naturally. Sorry.
Scott
10-18-2002
03:17 PM		[Confused]
Wai
10-20-2002
01:24 PM		What was the percentage of people in which the acne was eliminated?
What is the ingredient in tea tree oil that makes this happen?
What are its properties that it can do so? (ie lowering sebum production? lowering hormone levels?)
Jean
10-27-2002
05:28 AM		Acne and Tea Tree Oil
A study of 124 patients with varying degrees of acne were randomly treated with either a 5% solution of Tea Tree Oil or 5% benzoyl peroxide. Tea Tree Oil was shown to be as effective (on the mean) as 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with far fewer side effects (such as dryness, itching and redness).2

I.B. Bassett et al. A comparative Study of Tea Tree Oil versus Bezoyl Peroxide in the Treatment of Acne. Med J Aust 153:455-8, 1990.
Wai
10-28-2002
03:28 PM		So, again:

What is the ingredient in tea tree oil that makes this happen?
What are its properties that it can do so? (ie lowering sebum production? lowering hormone levels?)

or does it simply kill skin cells (and thus cause skin thinning, making it less likely that sebum gets trapped) just as benzoyl peroxide does?
Scott
10-31-2002
11:17 AM		I did a quick read of the study and it looks like tea-tree oil operates similarly to benzoyl peroxide. Tea-tree oil acts as an antimicrobial agent, or a topical antiseptic. So I guess this means, as Wai puts it, that it kills skin cells.
mengyao
01-10-2003
07:08 PM		indeed it does kill ur skin cells! ive used it before, and its soo strong, it can cause any cuts that are healing to re open and start bleeding! it doesnt work to "cure" acne. its just a strong smelling oil that acts roughly on ur skin.
anna
06-07-2003
04:13 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Wai:
What is the ingredient in tea tree oil that makes this happen?
I don't know what exactly in tea tree oil is supposed to help acne, but here is what I found out about the ingredients:

quote:
Properties: Anti-bacterial, Antibiotic, anti-fungal, Anti-microbial, Astringent, Antiseptic, Anti-viral, Alliterative, Analgesic, Bactericide, Disinfectant, Parasiticide, Vulnerary.

Active Phytochemicals: Alpha-pinene, Alpha-terpineol, Aromadenrene, Beta-pinene, Camphor, Caryophyllene, Limonene, Linalool, 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, Terpinenes, Terpinolene.
quote:
CHEMISTRY

Most of the hydrocarbons emitted by plants (predominantly trees) are terpenes. Nearly all the terpenes found in essential oils have carbon skeletons make up of isoprene units joined in a regular head-to-tail fashion. Table 1 lists some of the more common terpenes found in essential oils. The oil of melaleuca is a colorless or pale yellow oil, containing 50-60% terpenes (p-cymene, terpinenes and pinene) and 6-8% cineole. The Australian standard for oil of melaleuca requires that cineole be under 15% and terpinen-4-ol by over 30%. terpinen-4-ol is the main antimicrobial ingredient of melaleuca oil. In practice, as oil of 15% cineole and 39% terpine-4-ol is an inferior oil, with a superior oil having 2.5% and 40-47%, respectively.
quote:
1-terpinen-4-oi (typically 30-40%).
1,8-cineol (maximum 1,8-cineol content of 15%)
gamma-terpinene
p-cymene
other terpenes
RRM
06-10-2003
03:24 PM		Thank you Anna! [Smile]

quote:
Properties: Anti-bacterial, Antibiotic, anti-fungal, Anti-microbial, Astringent, Antiseptic, Anti-viral, Alliterative, Analgesic, Bactericide, Disinfectant, Parasiticide, Vulnerary.
These exactly are the properties of toxins / mutagens.

quote:
Active Phytochemicals: Alpha-pinene, Alpha-terpineol, Aromadenrene, Beta-pinene, Camphor, Caryophyllene, Limonene, Linalool, 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, Terpinenes, Terpinolene
Mono terpenes such as Alpha-pinene and Beta-pinene have been shown to chronically reduce lung functioning. (Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, Vol. 23, No. 2, pages 114-120, 20 references, 1997)
Beta pinene is known to have toxic properties.
Alpha-Pirene has a relative low toxicity and a weak tumour-promoting effect. (Toxicity profile. BIBRA Toxicology International 1992, page 9)

Alpha-terpineol is quite toxic. (Journal of Stored Products Research 31 (2). 1995. page 131-138)
Camphor is toxic (Therapie; VOL 40; Jan-Feb 1985, P25-30; REF 46), and ingesting over 10 gram of camphor may even be lethal.

Etc. etc.

RRM