Aromatherapy has been used for centuries. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional centre of the brain. Essential oils, like tea tree oil, appear on the ingredient lists of many skin care products. However, did you know this group of ingredients can cause irritation!
What exactly are essential oils?
Essential oils are the volatile essences of plants that create unique, wafting fragrances. They can be extracted from any plant’s flowers, bark, stem, leaves, roots, and sometimes its fruits.
Why we don’t use essential oils in Phi Cosmeceutical
To understand why essential oils can be risky for skin, it helps to understand what they are and are not. Essential oils are highly concentrated chemical components that contain a plant’s essence or smell. They also require a high amount of plant material for processing, so they usually have much higher active ingredient concentrations than we’re used to.
Citrus oils, including lemon, orange and bergamot, are particularly dangerous, as they can be phototoxic, meaning they react to UV light and can cause skin to burn and blister. Clove, lemongrass, oregano, peppermint and jasmine oils are also known to cause irritation.
Overall, they’re not good for skin, because most of those compounds can also significantly irritate and damage skin. Some common reactions to essential oils include contact dermatitis, dryness, redness, and itchiness.
What about Tea Tree Oil?
Tea tree oil is the oil derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree, native to New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. In its most natural form, tea tree oil is an essential oil so strong that it may be irritating to skin, so it's often diluted either with water or a carrier oil like coconut, grapeseed, or jojoba oils. Tea tree oil is often used to treat skin problems like acne, bacterial or fungal infections, and insect bites.
Most people can use topical products containing tea tree oil without problems, but some people may develop contact dermatitis (an allergic skin rash) or skin irritation on the parts of the body where the product was used. Avoid putting Tea tree oil on psoriasis and eczema. Tea tree oil should never be ingested.
