Tea tree oil for hair

Tea tree oil is a natural hair healer. In the homeland of the plant, in Australia, tea essential oil is called "ambulance", and this name is justified. Ether has healing properties and has a beneficial effect on the health and beauty of hair.

The essential oil with medicinal properties is obtained from the leaves of an evergreen tropical plant. In the world it is known as the tea tree. However, this plant has nothing to do with tea. It belongs to another family - Myrtaceae, and its botanical name is Melaleuca.

Melaleuca leaves contain essential oils and biologically active substances. The indigenous people of Australia use them as a medicine with a pronounced antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and healing effect.

Tea tree oil is used by phytotherapists (in the form of inhalation), cosmetologists and trichologists to treat internal organs, skin and hair. In all three directions, the effect is provided by the unique composition of the ether.

To extract the useful oil, the leaves of the plant are subjected to steam distillation. It is an effective, economical and at the same time technological process that helps to extract all the beneficial substances and aromas from plant materials, keeping the cost of the final product affordable.

During distillation, superheated steam under pressure passes through a sieve with crushed tea tree leaves.It "collects" volatile components from the composition of raw materials, carrying away even hard-to-reach substances. At the same time, the steam temperature does not exceed the norm, after which the useful components begin to break down and lose their properties, as in hydrodistillation and other primitive methods of obtaining essential oil.

The enriched steam cools to form a mixture of water and essential oil. They are separated from each other using special equipment, and the healing elixir for hair and scalp is ready. It contains almost 100 useful components, which are divided into several groups.

• Monoterpenes - vegetable hydrocarbons. As part of tea oil, they are responsible for disinfecting, analgesic and warming effects. It is important to use oil diluted and in courses. With regular use, monoterpenes irritate the skin and mucous membranes.
• Terpineols - colorless substances with a delicate lilac aroma. They give the oil a recognizable woody flavor and are used as foaming agents, so the oil can be added to shampoo. As a cosmetic product, terpenes restore the smoothness of the hair by covering its scales and degreasing the scalp. Hair becomes less brittle and stays clean longer.
• Cineol - the antiseptic component of the ether. It helps to heal wounds in case of dermatitis, fights fungi and pathogenic bacteria.
• Pinen - a colorless substance with a delicate aroma of needles. As part of Tea Tree Oil for Hair, it helps to grow long and healthy curls due to its ability to speed up blood circulation. Nutrients and vitamins are better supplied to the hair follicles, provoking hair growth.

The benefits of melaleuca essential oil can hardly be overestimated. It is effective in three directions at once: prevention, hair treatment, cosmetic procedures. As a prophylactic agent, oil is used for the following problems.

• Greasy, greasy hair at the roots. The source of this problem is the malfunctioning of the sebaceous glands on the scalp. Terpineols help to solve it.
• Slow hair growth. Pinenes normalize blood circulation, hair gets more vitamins and oxygen.
• Dull curls that have lost their luster. Tea tree extract restores moisture to them, closes the scales, thereby giving them a natural shine.
• Excessive hair loss.

Cosmetic effect:

• hair becomes vibrant and shiny;
• the natural volume at the roots is restored;
• the number of split ends is reduced;
• the body of each hair becomes dense and smooth, the hairstyle looks thicker;
• curls acquire elasticity;
• the oil emphasizes the natural hair color, makes it brighter;
• the hair is easier to comb and style, since the exposed scales, which previously clung to the teeth on the comb, are "sealed", and as a result, the styling looks neat;
• slows down the aging of the scalp, maintains the tone of the epidermis and a healthy hair structure;
• enhances the effect of vitamins for hair growth.

Medicine:

• Eliminates fungal infections. The oil fights against their pathogen. It is caused by yeasts - they disrupt the natural microflora of the scalp. There is an unpleasant itching, a desire to scratch the head, and, as a result, wounds and inflammation. Hair grow dull, fall out profusely. In advanced cases, bald patches are formed. Tea tree ester helps relieve symptoms (dryness, redness, dandruff, pink patches, painful hair, dryness, excessive fragility, hair loss) and the pathogen.
• Helps get rid of dandruff. This annoying problem is common for both men and women.However, contrary to the commercials, dandruff is not just white flakes of skin on clothing that spoil the look. This is a serious disease that manifests itself in the intense exfoliation of horny scales. Normally, the upper layer of the epidermis on the head is completely renewed once a month. Dandruff is a natural phenomenon during this period. But on a regular basis, it signals serious problems - fungus, psoriasis, seborrhea. It is possible to cure these diseases with tea tree oil. Its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties are not inferior to expensive pharmaceuticals.
• Destroys the cause of head lice - hair lice.
• Relieves itching and irritation.
• Prevents inflammation in dermatitis. Disinfects the skin as an antiseptic that penetrates deep into the epidermis.
• Accelerates the regeneration processes.
• Heals seborrheic dermatitis.

Tea tree ether is a safe cosmetic product, but even this substance has a number of contraindications.

People with allergies to the components of the drug and with individual intolerance should refrain from using the oil for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

It is not recommended to use the product during pregnancy and lactation without consulting a doctor. Its aroma is specific and in pregnant women it can cause nausea, dizziness, and suffocation. Treatment with tea oil is especially dangerous in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The oil gives a negative effect on the scalp if it is badly damaged. It is, first of all, a bactericidal agent, not a regenerative one. Although small wounds heal faster with its use, it does not build new skin. Even in a small concentration (up to 5%), the drug remains potent on wounds and can aggravate the condition of the epidermis.

Children under 6 years of age are also contraindications. After that, you can use the oil in the minimum concentration and as recommended by your doctor.

Taking care of your hair using tea tree oil must be handled wisely. A positive and long-term effect comes only from a quality product and proper use. To achieve the result, it is important to follow the simple rules of application.

• Purchase top quality oil.

It is not difficult to distinguish it from a fake.

1. Manufacturer country. The most valuable oil is from Australia - from the historical homeland of the plant. It is easy to recognize at a higher price relative to the means of other countries of production.
2. Aroma. This natural product has a characteristic woody scent with spicy notes. It is refreshing and versatile. Fakes have a recognizable and sharp smell of camphor oil. The aroma is perceptible even through the closed bottle cap.
3. Marking. The vial and box must contain the botanical name of the tea tree in Latin and the 100% natural essential oil.
4. Tara. Essential oils are not strictly oils. They are volatile and highly sensitive to light. Natural oil can be purchased only in small dark glass containers. The synthetic analogue will be packed in a transparent or plastic container.
5. Texture. At home, you can test the naturalness of tea tree oil by comparing it to any other vegetable oil. It is light, glides a little on the skin, but does not feel greasy, like, for example, olive.
6. Colour. Real tea tree oil is light, yellowish in color.
7. Manufacturer. In search of a clean product, you should look at suppliers in eco-stores.Among organic products, counterfeits are less common, as they undergo strict controls.

• Consult a specialist. This does not apply to preventive measures and treatments for normal hair and skin. Consultation is mandatory only before the treatment of serious diseases - seborrhea, infections, baldness. They may be the result of another problem in the body, then complex therapy will be required, where oil is only an additional component.
• Check the drug for an allergic reaction. This is done in the usual way - at the bend of the elbow or wrist. It is enough to apply a small drop of tea tree ether diluted to 5% with base oil and wait a few hours. If there is no itching or redness, you can apply it on the hair and scalp.
• Use only diluted oil. In the store, ethers are sold in 100% concentration. You need to dilute them to 5-10% yourself, using base oils suitable for the type of skin and hair. Pure tea tree oil can cause severe burns.
• Observe the proportions. Ether dries out the skin. It is important to add it in moderation, according to the selected recipe for your skin type. An increase in the oil fraction in a cosmetic or medicinal composition for hair will not speed up the result, but it can aggravate the situation.
• Evaluate the result after each application. If, after using the oil, discomfort appears, the appearance of the hair has worsened, you need to interrupt the course and find an alternative to the tea tree. You can't get used to oil. If it didn’t come right away, it won’t be better.
• Store the product correctly and check its quality regularly. Ether loves cool, dark places. If stored improperly, the oil can oxidize or turn rancid. Such a product will no longer be beneficial, and the risk of getting a burn will increase.
• Do not use oil with an expired date.

There are a variety of ways to treat and restore hair with tea tree oil. It is possible to add oil to ready-made cosmetics: shampoo, mask, balm. Regardless of the purpose, the proportions of the substances are the same: 1-2 drops for every 100 grams of the product. The components must be thoroughly mixed and the time of use of the product must be increased to 10-15 minutes for the oil to take effect. For this method, preparations from natural ingredients are preferred. After several applications, the result is already noticeable: the problem of oily roots and weak hair disappears. The combination of an essential oil with chemical constituents can be unpredictable.

When using oil wraps, tea tree ester is diluted with a base (transport) oil suitable for the hair type. For oily hair at the roots, jojoba oil is suitable as a base. For normal and dry curls, you can choose olive, castor, coconut oil as a base.

It is possible to use oil as the main component of home masks. If the hair is normal and needs to be maintained in this condition, masks with olive oil, banana, yolk are suitable. Mixed hair (oily roots and dry ends) looks healthier after clay-based masks with the addition of moisturizing ingredients (egg, honey). For dry hair, a product based on kefir and transport oils is suitable. To accelerate hair growth, masks are needed to increase blood flow to the hair follicles (with mustard, pepper) and the addition of tea tree oil.

Masks are applied no more than once a week for a long time. You can keep them on your hair from 15 minutes to 8 hours. The more aggressive ingredients are used (for example, mustard), the less you need to keep the composition on the hair.With soft ingredients (for example, a banana), you can leave the mask overnight. The result is well-groomed, shiny, healthy curls.

Aroma combing is a simple and effective procedure, which only needs a comb and 3-5 drops of diluted tea tree oil. They need to be applied to the teeth of the comb and within 5-10 minutes, gently comb curl by curl, massage the scalp in circular motions. For a visible result, it is enough to carry out aroma combing 2 times a week.

A healthy hair tonic consists of plain water and two drops of oil per liter of liquid. You can also add it to chamomile or nettle herbal tea. After rinsing with this composition, the hair becomes manageable and shiny. They are easier to comb and style.

Reviews on the use of tea tree oil for hair are mostly positive, both from the female half of the population and from the male, because everyone has annoying hair problems.

Masks with the addition of ether have proven to be the most effective. After them, the hair becomes soft, silky and shiny. They stay fresh and clean longer, and there is volume at the roots. Also among the advantages of the product is a bright and fresh aroma that remains on the hair. It is unobtrusive, pleasant and has the ability to relieve drowsiness.

It is also a disadvantage for those who do not like the persistent aromas of cosmetics.

For the benefits and uses of tea tree oil for hair, see the video below.