Tea Tree Oil and Its Benefits to Counter Body Acne

As if face acne weren’t enough, some people get it all over their body and can’t seem to get rid of it. That’s because they make a terrible mistake: using regular body wash in the shower.

We’re here to tell you all about a widely used ingredient in daily skincare routines—one you might not have tried yet, maybe because you never thought it would actually work. But we swear by it, and science is on our side. We’re talking about tea tree oil and its unparalleled power in treating skin infections and promoting skin healing.

But before you apply anything different to your body, you need to understand the root cause of the issue. That will help you tremendously when choosing the right treatment. Here we go.

What causes body acne?

Breakouts can flare up on your chest, back, arms, shoulders, and even on your butt. Ouch.

The causes of body acne are the same as face acne: your glands are producing excessive oil, which get mixed up with dead skin cell debris, making it easier for acne-causing bacteria to develop.

Also, the upper body has many sebaceous glands, which contributes to acne in those areas rather than your legs or feet, for example.

Now, why do some people have it and others don’t? That’s a tricky question. Evidence points to hormones called androgens. They enlarge our oil glands, thus producing more oil and sebum. Hormonal changes, as well as heredity, play a significant role on how much acne a person has or will have.

Bid farewell to your body acne by using tea tree oil skincare

You know the importance of skincare when it comes to countering acne. But what about the ingredients you’re using?

Avoid using acne soaps that are harsh on your skin. Harsh chemicals and drying soaps can worsen inflammation and already sensitive skin. Try using tea tree oil-based products, instead.

Tea tree oil or Melaleuca oil has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine. The extract is made by steaming the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, the tea tree native to Australia. Tea tree oil contains several compounds that have been shown to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi, which makes it an excellent remedy for treating bacterial and fundal skin conditions, preventing infection and promoting healing.  When mixed in skincare products like body soaps and scrubs, tea tree oil works wonders to get rid of your body acne.

Ever heard of benzoyl peroxide, AKA the most common topical acne treatment available? Tea tree oil is just as effective, thanks to its proven antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities.

Several studies have confirmed the oil’s efficacy against pesky breakouts. One of them showed that tea tree oil was six times as effective in reducing the severity of acne as a placebo.

Here are a few tea tree oil-infused products that we love:

Body Scrubs

Tea tree oil-infused body scrubs not only work their germ-fighting magic, but also help to remove dead skin cells on your body, contributing to a smoother and detoxified complexion. When you’re getting rid of skin cells that are of no use, you’re decreasing buildup of dead skin cells and bacteria, and allowing your skin care products to penetrate deeper into your skin. Check out Munday's Peppermint & Tea Tree Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub.

Quick tip: avoid exfoliating your skin when you have any open wounds or infected pimples. This could spread the bacteria to other areas of your body and do the opposite of what you’re working towards.

Soaps

When you suffer from body acne, cleansing your skin is doubly important. Especially after sweating a lot, you’ll want to shower with the right soaps. They should be non-comedogenic (meaning they won’t clog your pores), fight acne, and shouldn’t be drying to the point of leaving your skin flaky.

It turns out tea tree oil is the perfect balance! It fights acne while soothing the skin, and it’s just what you should be looking for. 

Munday not only has all-natural soap bars infused with tea tree oil, but we also have a liquid castille body soap specifically designed to combat body acne without stripping your skin of its moisture. We also include activated charcoal in our castille body soap to absorb excess and draw out impurities from your skin!

Body Butters

Even soothing soaps can leave that slightly dry feeling on the skins. Don’t worry, even if you have acne-prone skin, you can still moisturize it after you’ve showered. In fact, you should. When you moisturize, you’re telling your oil glands that there’s no need to produce even more oil to compensate for your dry skin. Check out Munday's Emu Oil & Tea Tree Body Butter.