What is Tea Tree Oil? The Benefits for Black Hair

Tea Tree Oil is a popular oil used by people of all nationalities and backgrounds because of its many benefits. The oil is a product of the distillation of the Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant which can be found in Australia. Tea tree oil is often used to treat a variety of skin conditions, from athlete’s foot to acne. But what many don’t know is that tea tree oil has many benefits when it comes to caring for your hair and scalp. We will examine each of these benefits in this article. 

Seborrheic Dermatitis

Tea tree oil has both antifungal and antibacterial properties which make it helpful for treating seborrheic dermatitis. 

For anyone who isn’t familiar, seborrheic dermatitis is a fungal infection found on the scalp. It causes dryness, a persistent itch, and flakiness. It also clogs your hair follicles, which can lead to stunted hair growth. Tea tree oil works to kill off the scalp fungus and unclog pores, improving the scalp’s condition and enabling healthy hair to grow again in problem spots. 

Scalp Eczema 

Tea tree oil is known to treat eczema all over your body, but it’s also useful as a treatment for scalp eczema, a type of seborrheic dermatitis. 

Because tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-itch properties, it can help to improve eczema. 

Be advised that there is no cure for eczema, so the key is to manage symptoms, and tea tree oil stands up to the challenge. 

To treat scalp eczema with tea tree oil, add a few drops of tea tree essential oil to a carrier oil (like olive oil) and then apply the oil mix to any affected areas.

Head Lice

The thought that black people cannot get head lice is simply not true. While lice are found more commonly in non-black people, no one is immune to head lice. 

So, if you or your child ever came home with head lice, you could break out the tea tree oil. It can be used as an effective treatment to kill those lice. According to TheHealthy.com, tea tree oil is so effective for head lice that a 1% tea tree oil solution can kill 100 percent of lice in 30 minutes.

Be aware though that the Academy of Pediatrics hasn’t yet endorsed tea tree oil for the treatment of lice. So use caution when trying this treatment on children. 

Dandruff

Dealing with dandruff can be a headache without proper treatment. While many anti-dandruff products may help with dandruff, going the natural route with tea tree oil may be a better option, due to its antifungal and antimicrobial properties. 

To use tea tree oil for dandruff, you can simply add 5 to 10 drops of tea tree essential oil to your shampoo and shake it vigorously. Wash your hair as you normally would. 

Get Some Tea Tree Oil In Your Life

You can find tea tree oil at health food stores, large department stores, or you can order yours online. 

If you prefer to have yours delivered, check out Sun Essential Oils Tea Tree Oil on Amazon. 

If you are dealing with any of the ailments covered in this article, tea tree oil could be the treatment you’ve been looking for. Give it a try and reap the benefits!