I would use this to spot treat and kill bacteria, but definitely not if you plan to go out in public within the next 12-24 hours. I mixed the tea tree oil with 98% organic aloe vera and spot treated, which worked fine. But when I put it all over my face, everything...EVERYTHING was severely red for a while, and it caused quite a few dry spots. This stuff is strong...it works as well as benzol peroxide, don't underestimate it's strength just because it's natural.

Okay, i have had acne since i was 19, I'm 23 now and also i have reaaally oily skin. I've tried proactiv, neutrogena, oxy10, clearasil, avon, cetaphil, differin, duac, clindamycin, etc etc. After a lot of trial and error, I found a regimen that works for me; it consists of washing my face with a natural aloe vera soap and apply 1 drop of tea tree oil on wet hands and massage gently on entire face, then rinse thoroughly and pat dry. It'll sting a little at first but fades fast. Afterwards NO moisturizer! and i know you're gonna think omg this girl is crazy but believe it or not, regardless of what beauty or skin care experts say, really oily skin produces its own moisture so you don't need to add more! This I discovered recently, it's been about a week and my skin fought back the first 3 days but after that, it's clearing up! So be patient :) Oh, at night i wash again with aloe vera soap, use a witch hazel toner with a cotton ball and then apply diluted tea tree oil on the acne spots with a cotton swab. Works wonders overnight! Try it and most importantly, give it time. My acne has gone from moderate to light, so it's definitely worth it :)

I've read a lot of reviews about tea tree oil and I've noticed people have been applying it wrong. You should never use tea tree oil by itself on your skin. It even says on the bottle. The reason why is it is an essential oil and it needs a carrier oil along with it so it doesn't irritate the skin. Personally, I use honey and pure aloe vera gel with the oil. Also, I would recommend buying the oil at an organic store like Whole Food and etc because some drug stores that sell tea tree oils have other chemicals mixed with it and ultimately diluting the tea tree oils effects. I've been using it for about a week now and my acne and acne scars have been getting better. I'm so glad I've chose this than any cleanser.

if you have sensitive skin do not use it

I've had moderate acne since I was 12 yrs old. Now as a 34 yr old I have learned to control it but after having had a baby recently I've been getting some flare ups. I also have an 11 yr old daughter that is suffering immensely with acne on her face, back and chest. I tried Proactive for a while when I was in college and it was worthless, actually made my skin worst. I bought it for my daughter thinking that after a couple of yrs the product could have improved. I was so disappointed. The product actually burned my daughter's skin and made her acne worst. Someone recommended on a blog a mask for acne that included Tea Tree Oil, brown sugar and honey. I had Tea Tree Oil that I had used on my pimples before and of course the brown sugar and honey I already had in my pantry. So I prepared the mask and I fell in love with the smell. The strong smell of the oil blends with the honey and smells yummy! So I tried the mask on my daughter and on the second day I could already see the acne drying out, the redness and dark spots fading and her skin looks very healthy. I use it every day and my face has never felt and looked this good. I used it both as a mask and a scrub. I also apply the oil directly on my daughter's back and chest which are less sensitive than her face and the acne is fading considerably. No OTC can prevent acne, look into your diet, genes, stress and the products you use on your body to find the culprit or culprits. I am coaching my daughter into eating less processed sugars, ei., sodas, candies, milk chocolate, etc., washing her face, chest and back at least twice a day, eating healthy especially lots of fruits and veggies and drinking lots of water which helps the body eliminate impurities. Tea Tree Oil helps control acne but maybe strong on its own and may dry the skin so mixing it with other products might help make it more tolerable.

I use this as a spot treatment when I'm battling a raging pimple and sometimes when I'm steaming my face. I add a few drops to a pot of water and boil it on the stove and hold my face above the pot so the steam hits my face. It's refreshing and really helps.

It does burn your skin when applying all-over, like a spot treatment. ONLY SPOT TREAT WITH THIS PRODUCT!

PLEASE READ BELOW

Bottom line, my friend had very severe acne. She tried this product and it worked really well for her, she suggested that I should try it out, so I did.

I went to the drug store and got a tiny bottle for over $10.00. So I thought, "This product better work."

I opened it at home and my first thought, "THIS SMELLS HORRIBLE." The smell is awful, it's like worse than vinegar. But I was so desperate to get rid of my acne. I've tried

Spectro Jel

Spectro Dry Skin Jel

Spectro Lotion

Neostrata washes

Garnier Toner

Balea Scrub

Spectro Moisturizer

Proactiv (WORST DECISION)

A very expensive product I cant remember what it's called.

Clinique

Home remedies

TON MORE

So I looked past the awful smell hoping this would really work.

As soon as I put it on, my face burned. It burned for like an hour. And then when I woke up in the morning, there was literally flakes on my skin that I could PEEL OFF.

I started to moisturize my skin and this product just did not work. No hope.

I wouldn't recommend this. I guess it works for some people, but definitely not for me. If you have sensitive skin, don't use this.

many of these reviews will be positive because I read them before I bought this product to. But take my advice, DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. Save your money, and time. It's not very effective. And I wouldn't want anyone to go through this awful smell and awful product. Ew.

I'm an 18 year old girl and have been suffering from acne since I was 12. After a breakthrough on roaccutane when i was 14/15, i've seen over the last few years a gradual increase in my acne, though nothing like before i went on accutane. Previously I had tried 6 different prescribed doctors products, clearasil, pro-activ, clean and clear, 10% benzoyl peroxide (left me with a rash and perioral dermatitis)... you name it, I tried it and it failed.

Anyway, the bottom line about tea tree oil is that I usually use it on weeping spots because of the antiseptic qualities it has. I can honestly tell you that someone who has experienced severe acne that with persistent spots, tea tree oil is not the one. It may work for those with light spots- but then, does that really count as acne?

Personally I'm a believer in what goes in, shows on the outside. Before anyone can expect miracle results, you need to start taking care of your diet! (Currently i'm on multivitamins, iron, cod liver oil and cranberry tablets.)

I use it full strength as a spot treatment twice a day and it's AWESOME! It's not a miracle (in my experience anything that claims to be is a gimmick) but after 2 or 3 days (sometimes less) a new zit will be pretty much gone. If it's a cyst it might take a little longer and some zapzyt gel, but I always see improvement by the next day. And combined with lemon juice it's helping get rid of previous marks too.

The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is the smell can be overwhelming and it doesn't really prevent acne.