I just have a question and I wasnt sure where to put it. Ive been using tea tree oil lately for my acne but it seems to have made it worse? It clears up the ones I put it on but its causing more, larger and deeper giant red acne over my face. Has anyone else experienced this? usually I will have superficially annoying mid sized acne and the occasional deep one, but so many deep ones are popping up! They are very red and are sensitive to the touch. I have an oily skin type and am only using the oil with a cetaphil face wash.
First off, are you using it as a spot treatment on existing pimples or are you putting it all over your face?Personally, I use tea tree as a spot treatment for my cystic acne (apply with Q-Tip) and it works well to reduce the size, severity and duration of the pimples.
Could you be sensitive to tea tree oil? For example, my boyfriend has used undiluted tea tree oil on his face, and it resulted in lots of redness and a rash.
Could tea tree be causing a bit of a "detox" effect on your skin? Maybe it is pulling out some stuff that was stuck in there?
Maybe you can consider using the tea tree with a carrier oil such as jojoba.
Remember that you NEED to dilute essential oils like tea tree oil. Or else it can cause burns and your skin will become inflamed and very irritated. I'd suggest starting off with a diluted solution of 3 parts filtered water to 1 part tea tree oil, dip a qtip into it, and dab onto your problem spots.
And contrary to popular belief, using oil on your skin is actually beneficial (if it's the right type of oil for your skin). I have oily, acne prone skin and I've been doing oil cleansing for years. It's been better than any facial cleanser that you get from Target or wherever. Oil dissolves oil, while water repels oil. So oil cleansing is great for dissolving sebum and washing off impurities.
I also follow the 10 step korean skincare regimen. You must keep your skin moisturized! Or else if your skin is dehydrated underneath, then your skin will just produce more oil because it needs the moisture.
You should read more here about Korean skincare. It's super nourishing and great for sensitive skin like ours. Good luck!