by muzgut22 » 24 Mar 2013, 18:15
I realize this is a very old post but I have been experimenting with tea tree oil in my baths and so far it's been ok so I thought I would update. I would be very careful about putting pure tea tree oil on skin as it is very concentrated. Instead I recommend putting it in your bath considering its antiseptic qualities. This is a good substitute for witch hazel or just something to add to plain bath water. I bought a little bottle of pure tea tree oil at whole foods and the instructions say that for a bath one can add 8 drops of oil into a cold cup of water and then slowly mix as bath fills. I was careful the first time and only added 4 drops. The smell is pretty strong but it smells like pine tree/cypress trees so I didn't mind. It mixes surprisingly well in water, I couldn't see any oil bubbles. In my case it didn't burn or sting and the smell was very nice. I'm not sure if it will really do anything except keep the area clean but that's good enough for me. I have high hopes as I have noticed faster healing in my hands (I am really bad about picking my nails and cuticles so I often have little wounds around my cuticles). I've been doing the tea tree thing for a few days and I've noticed my hands are looking better. If you are still in an acute phase or having burning sensation I would not recommend this though as I can see how it might burn. You can always try adding one drop at a time