There are many benefits and uses to tea tree oil. It can drastically improve the condition of your skin, hair and nails. Tea tree oil has anti-fungal properties, so it can help with toenail fungus. It can eliminate skin irritations and help to relieve the inflammation in the body that causes acne.
Let’s take a look at some of the awesome things that tea tree oil can help with: 
1. Fight Acne and Skin Conditions
Many people with acne see an improvement in their condition due to tea tree oil’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Tea tree oil also has the potential to work as a natural remedy for other inflammatory conditions, including psoriasis and eczema.
There is some research to back up the efficacy of tea tree oil. In a 2017 Australian pilot study comparing tea tree oil gel to a face wash without tea tree oil in the treatment of mild to moderate facial acne, participants using the tea tree experienced significantly fewer facial acne lesions compared to those using the face wash.
2. Improve A Dry Scalp
There is research that suggests that tea tree oil will help to improve the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis. This is a common skin condition that causes scaly patches on scalp as well as dandruff.
In 2002, a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology investigated the efficacy of five percent tea tree oil shampoo and a placebo in people who were suffering from dandruff. After the four-week treatment period, the participants using the tea tree oil showed a 41 percent improvement in the severity of dandruff. However, there was only an 11 percent improvement in the placebo group.
3. Tea Tree Oil and Soothing Skin Irritations
While there is only limited research on tea tree oil’s ability to soothe skin irritations. There is some evidence in a pilot study that demonstrated patient wounds had begun to reduce in size and heal while using tea tree oil. There have been some case studies that show tea tree oil’s ability to treat chronic wounds.
Tea tree oil has been used to soothe sunburns, sores and insect bites. However, if you are going to use it for this purpose, make sure that you test out a small patch of skin first to rule out a sensitivity to topical application.
4. Fights Bacterial, Fungal and Viral Infections
Due to the antibacterial, anti fungal and antiviral properties, tea tree oil can in theory be used to fight a number of infections from MRSA to athlete’s foot. While researchers are still evaluating these benefits, they have been shown in some human studies and anecdotal reports.
Lab studies have demonstrated that tea tree oil is capable of inhibiting the growth of the bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa, escherichia coli, Hemophilus influenza, streptococcus pyogenes and streptococcus pneumonia. These bacteria have been known to cause serious infections which include urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, bloodstream infections, strep throat, pneumonia, sinus infections and impetigo.
Due to the anti fungal properties, people have used tea tree oil to fight or prevent infections such as athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, and candida.
There is a study that shows tea tree oil is effective in the treatment of athlete’s food. It is a randomized placebo-controlled, blinded study which was conducted in Australia. It tested the efficacy of tea tree oil in treating athlete’s foot. The patients in the treatment group received either 25 percent tea tree oil solution, 5o percent solution, or the placebo. The instructions they were given were to apply the solution twice a day to the affected area. This study lasted four weeks. Researchers reported a clinical response in sixty-eight percent of the 50% solution users. There was a seventy-two percent response in the 25% solution users and a thirty in percent improvement in the placebo group.
Other studies demonstrate that tea tree oil has a unique ability to fight recurrent herpes virus, which causes cold sores and influenza. I personally have used tea tree oil to clear up cold sores. It is a home remedy that I often turn to when I experience one. The antiviral activity of tea tree oil is attributed to terpinen-4-ol. This is one of the oil’s main active components.
Additionally, tea tree oil can help you eliminate those warts! A 2008 case study discovered that when tea tree oil was topically applied to warts daily, the wart completely disappeared after 12 days of treatment.
5. May Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance
The essential oils, tea tree oil and oregano oil, are being used because they too serve as powerful antibacterial agents. However, the benefit of using essential oils is that they don’t come with a list of side effects. The Open Microbiology Journal’s research indicates that some essential oils, such as tea tree oil, have a positive synergistic effect when they are combined with conventional antibiotics.
Researchers are hoping that this means essential oils might assist in preventing antibiotic resistance from developing. This would be extremely helpful in modern medicine because antibiotic resistance can lead to treatment failure, an increase in healthcare costs and the spread of infection control problems.
6. Relieves Respiratory Tract Infections
In early history, the leaves of the malaleuca plant were crushed and inhaled as a method of treating coughs and colds. Traditionally, the leaves are soaked to make an infusion that is used to treat sore throats too.
Due to its antimicrobial activity, it has the ability to fight bacteria that may lead to respiratory tract infections, and antiviral activity that is helpful for fighting or even preventing congestion, coughs and the common cold. Therefore, tea tree oil is one of the top essential oils that are used for cough and respiratory issues.
7. Helps Treat Head Lice
The insecticidal properties of tea tree oil can assist with eliminating head lice. These small parasitic insects feed on human blood and make the scalp very itchy. Italian studies have shown the effectiveness of tea tree oil in destroying lice and their eggs. Researchers discovered that the tea tree oil alone was more effective against head lice. This resulted in 100 percent mortality after thirty minutes of exposure. However, a higher concentration of tea tree oil was able to induce the failure of fifty percent of the eggs to hatch. When the researchers combined the tea tree oil with nerolidol with a 1:2 ration, the two substances caused the death of all the head lice within half an hour and the lice eggs were destroyed within 5 days of treatment.
9. Tea Tree Oil Improves Bad Breath
No one enjoys having bad breath. Bad breath is due to a bacterial overgrowth in your mouth, especially the back of your tongue, throat and tonsils. The antimicrobial properties of tea tree oil help with bad breath as well. It kills these bacteria and works as a natural remedy for bad breath.
As you can see, there are tons of wonderful benefits that come from using tea tree oil. It is one of the most commonly used home remedies in my house. Tea tree oil is the essential oil that I turn to first because I have found it to be extremely effective.