Almost all kinds of essential oils are distilled decoction of plants. Those oils are massively used either as skincare or for cleaning or for any other purpose. These oils are also used to get relief from bug bites. However, if you want to switch to a more helpful remedy, you can choose tea tree oil for bug bites.
Is Tea Tree Oil an Essential Oil?
Tea tree oil is an essential oil. It goes by the scientific name of “Melaleuca alternifolia”. The tea tree oil is extracted by steaming the tea tree leaves found in Australia.
When tea tree oil is used topically, it is considered to be an antibacterial.
Effectiveness of Tea Tree Oil for Bug Bites
Using tea tree oil on insect bites offers instant relief from itchy skin. This essential oil contains poison neutralizing factors that help to reduce swelling on the skin.
Tea tree oil also possesses some anti-inflammatory agents (terpinene-4-ol) that help reduce redness on the skin as well as skin burn. However, make sure that that tea tree oil is diluted properly with coconut oil or other carrier agents before applying it to the skin.
[ Read: Essential Oils for Bug Bites ]
Benefits
An extensive study(1) suggests that tea tree oil contains effective anti-inflammatory as well as anti-microbial elements. It can be most effective for bug bites.
The following are the most important benefits of using tea tree oil for bug bites.
1. Safe
Tea tree is purely natural and therefore considered very safe for applying on skin. It is well suited for children as well. People with sensitive skin can also use this oil for treating bug bites or treating acne or itching
2. Effective
Tea tree oil is highly effective when used with a carrier agent (coconut oil or lavender oil). It offers instant relief from bug bites. However, it is recommended not to use this tea tree extract if you have eczema.
3. Easily Available
Tea tree oil is available in many by-products. It can be found in lotions and soaps. There are also compact sprays available as skincare.
[ Read: Home Remedies for Bug Bites ]
How to Apply
Tea tree oil is easy to be applied to the affected portion of the skin. However, you have to use the tea tree oil along with coconut oil.
Follow the Procedure
- The coconut oil acts as a carrier for tea tree oil, and you have to make sure that you use coconut oil and tea tree oil in the proportion of 20:1.
- Use a cotton swab and dab that into the oil.
- Following that, dribble the cotton ball on to the affected portion.
It should be noted that most of the time, swelling, redness, and prickling on the skin does not disappear instantly. In those cases, you have to apply the oil consecutively every 2 hours.
Since children have more tender and delicate skin, it is recommended to use Lavender oil instead of coconut oil. It would also be productive to use bentonite clay to make the concoction. After that, apply the clay on the affected portion and let it dry. Rinse it off when it is completely dried.
[ Read: Benefits of Witch Hazel for Bug Bites ]
Side Effects
Tea tree oil is well suited for most skin types; however, there are reports of several side effects too. Check out the following side effects that may arise if you use the same for treating bug bites_
- Burning
- Redness
- Dermatitis
- Scaling
- Stinging
- Dryness
It is also highly recommended not to swallow tea tree oil. It can lead to a lack of muscle control, or you can also lose your level of consciousness. As suggested by a report, using tea tree oil with lavender can also cause “gynaecomastia”(2) or swelling of breast tissues for boys.
Conclusion
There are other important benefits of tea tree oil as well. It is also used to medically treat halitosis or bad breath, infections of the respiratory tract, chickenpox, a ear ache, and also cold sores.
It can be concluded that tea tree oil can be used as an effective treatment against bug bites.
FAQs
1. Can tea tree oil also be used for mosquito bites?
Yes. Tea tree oil has antifungal substances that can help in lessening skin swelling. However, it may also make your skin dry. It can be used with coconut oil or lavender oil to get rid of that problem.
2. Can tea tree oil help in unclogging skin pores?
Yes. Tea tree oil can clear the sebaceous glands of the skin. Therefore, this oil can also be used as a disinfectant.
3. Can tea tree oil also repel insects?
Tea tree oil has antiseptic and anti-microbial properties. However, recent researchers have found out that it can also be used as a bug repellant. It is found highly effective against biting midgets, bush flies, and also mosquitoes.
4. Is tea tree oil good to get rid of pain from the biting of bush flies?
Yes, tea tree oil is also known for its anti-pain benefits. It can effectively prevent bacterial infections and also offers instant relief from pain.
5. What is the anti-itching substance available in tea tree oil?
The anti-itching component available in tea tree oil is “terpinene-4-ol.”
