Ailment: Blepharitis (red eyelid margins)
Remedy: Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil, melaleuca alternifolia essential oil, properties, traditional healing uses, recipes, warnings.
Comment posted by Camille of Indio, CA, USA on 25 January 2013 at 16:13 919
Hello Rosi,
To answer your question about make up, when I first began the TTO treatments last fall, I did not use any makeup except for lipstick for 2 weeks. I discarded all of my old make up and cleaned all of my make up brushes with tea tree shampoo. Today I continue to get thicker, healthier and fuller hair. But I am having problems with my eyes. I use the TTO and macadamia nut oil 50/50 solution on my eyes twice a week. After a few weeks of this treatment my eyes will feel great. When I stop the eye scrub treatments about 2 weeks later the symptoms return. It is a big commitment to use the TTO/macadamia nut eye scrubs but I am going to have to make this a part of my routine. Everything else is fine now. No more red flaky skin on my face. It looks terrific. The only problem is with my eyes.
Comment posted by Camille of Indio, CA, USA on 22 December 2012 at 14:50 866
YES
Hi Rosi - My symptoms had completely gone away. I have a lot of new hair growing all over my head - especially along my hairline. My face has been very clear - no more redness, flaky dry skin or blackheads. I continue to use the tea tree shampoo, face wash and body wash. My eyes have not been dry and irritated. As a result, about 6 weeks ago I stopped the shampoo eyelash wash and the weekly 50/50 tea tree oil mixed with macadamia nut oil.
Well - a few days ago my eyes started to get dry again and felt like sand was in them! So I have started back with the tea tree shampoo eyelash wash twice a day and twice a week I do the 50/50 tea tree oil and macadamia nut oil.
I had hoped to be cured for good but it looks like for me, I will have to continue with the maintenance.
All-in-all I am happy with the tea tree regimen because it does work.
Comment posted by Donna of SoCal, CA, USA on 15 November 2012 at 16:15 820
YES
For 1.5 weeks, I have been using a rosacea lotion. To save money I also use a solution I made of oils and tea tree oil on my scalp and on a cotton pad I rub all over my body. I use the lotion on my face, neck and chest albeit, I had so much itching in my scalp that for the first week I used a dropper to apply the lotion on my scalp. I also use a q-tip to put it in my ear canal and now it is the first time in 10 years for no chronic inner ear itching. I use eyelash cream on my eyes after using my fingers to spread some of the rosacea lotion on my eye lashes (not recommended by the company but I have not gotten it in my eyes and the crawling sensations on my eyes dramatically subsided after two days). For five days now, I apply cream on top of the lotion in the mornings and retnoid on top of the lotion at night. My skin looks worse but the crawling is going away. I was told that healing brings a lot to the surface. I hope to get oral antibiotics beginning on Tuesday (I hope, hope) to get some of the newly forming pimples to subside. I am getting a fast die off. I am also taking mega doses of Olive Leaf Capsules.
Comment posted by Camille of Indio, CA, USA on 7 October 2012 at 8:20 759
YES
I have been suffering for about 15 years with dry eyes, growing red patches on my face, itchiness on my face, eyes, nose, scalp, body and ears, and about 3 years ago I started to lose my hair at my hairline - especially on one side. I have seen eye doctors and dermatologists all to no avail. I have been given laser treatments, topical steroids and countless eye drops - nothing worked. I finally researched my symptoms on Google and learned that my symptoms are all because of Demodex mites. I found an article by 2 physicians who have been successfully treating patients with the following routine.
I have been using tea tree shampoo - Jason Brand - to wash my eyelashes, nostrils and eyebrows twice a day. I have been washing my face with tea tree facial soap -The Body Shop Brand - twice a day, I have been showering with Tea Tree Body Wash - The Body Shop Brand- and twice a week I have used a Q Tip to swab my eyelashes using 50% Macadamia Nut Oil -Now Brands- and 50% Tea Tree Oil -Now Brands. I shampoo and condition my hair once day with Paul Mitchell Tea Tree and Peppermint shampoo/conditioner. I shampoo my hair first. Leave the suds on your hair. Wash your eyelashes and face. Then rinse the shampoo out. Apply the conditioner and get it on your scalp and hair. Leave it on while you shower. Rinse the conditioner out last. My hair was so thin and so frizzy before I started this routine. Now my hair is silky, shiny and I only see a few strands of hair in the drain. Before I started this treatment I lost so much hair. Every time I washed it the drain was filled with my hair. It was devastating before. Before, every time I brushed my hair the brush was filled with hair. Now I get one or 2 hairs in my hairbrush. What a huge difference. Note: Wash your hairbrush in hot water, a few drops of tea tree oil and soap once a week! Also I am now washing my sheets and towels DAILY in hot water.
The tea tree regimen I have been doing has made a huge difference. I am starting my 4th week of using the tea tree products. It takes dedication and discipline. At first the 50/50 mixture of tea tree oil and macadamia nut oil was very strong when I used it on my eyelashes. You get used to it and you get better at applying it to your eyelashes over time. You need to rub the Q tip on your eyebrows first so there isn't too much liquid on the Q tip. If my eyes get irritated I gently dab them with a tissue. I rub the Q tip on my upper and lower lashes, one eye at a time. I wait 10 minutes and do it again. I wait 10 minutes and do it a 3rd time. In addition, I use an Oil of Olay battery powered face brush with tea tree facial wash twice a week on the red patches on my face. When I first started this treatment my face and eyes were immediately better. A few days later my face really broke out! I kept up the routine. Each few days I would look better and then worse. Now entering my 4th week I no longer feel the mites in my eyes. My lashes are growing back in. My eyebrows are growing back in. My hair line is starting to grow back in. The red patches are nearly gone and the texture of my skin is no longer flaky, crusty, and bumpy. It is smooth. Also my eyes now tear. I have had such dry eyes for so long I am not used to tearing eyes. My vision is so much better now too.
I am no longer loosing tons of hair every day. My eyes are not as dry and my lashes are growing back in. I no longer have crusty eyes in the morning. I have no itchiness at all now. My skin everywhere is smooth - no more bumps. The redness is nearly all gone. Before I started this treatment I had huge bags and puffiness under my eyes. My right eye was really bad. Now the bags are very small and the same size. They are getting smaller and less puffy every day. I really see and feel a huge difference since using the tea tree oil products.
Since I have suffered with this condition for so long I would imagine it will take 2 months for all of the redness to completely go away. I plan on using tea tree oil soaps and shampoos for life.
I first read the other posts on this site 4 weeks ago and these posts made me research and find a cure for my suffering. Good luck.
Comment posted by hankm9 of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 3 July 2012 at 20:50 687
YES
I just began TTO lid scrubs after being diagnosed with a phenomal amount of mites found after an eyelash test. I have been suffering from horrible dry eye symptoms and improper diagnosis for 18 months.
I have changed all my products to TTO, shampoo, face wash, body wash, exfoliate you name it I'm doused in TTO, I have noticed my symptoms have gotten worse as its been about 3 weeks.
Hopefully I will see an improvement after continuing this treatment.
PS: is there any information or success stories with any other products? I.e seabuckthorn oil?
Question posted by LLB of Seattle, WA, USA on 12 December 2011 at 6:41 541
What are the reasons/benefits for using different dilution oils? When/why should you use Castor vs Macadamia oil for example?
Remedy (new) posted by David of Perth, WA, Australia on 8 May 2010 at 13:30 165
YES
Daily application of a tea tree oil cream. Add TTO to shampoo (and conditioner if you use one). The treatment lasts a minimum of 6 weeks, and may take 8 weeks or longer. You have to go through several cycles of eggs hatching to get rid of them all. Wash your face every night before bed. Use a mild soap, and make sure to include your nose, eyebrows and eyelashes. Gently wash and scrub your eyelash roots. Daily or every second day, wash your hair with a tea tree oil shampoo. After washing and drying, apply a mild oil (1 part TTO, 4 parts macadamia, olive or coconut oil) to all affected areas, including eyelashes. Once per week, use a strong oil with a blend of 1 part TTO and 1 part another oil. Use a cotton bud to apply the oil around the eyelashes.
I made up a skin oil using TTO, castor oil and coconut oil to use on the eyelashes and the edge of the eyelids before bed every night. I put some on the rest of my face too. Noticeable improvement after a week. However, TTO is harsh and burns if it gets into the eyes. You have to be careful to use very little, and just apply it to the lashes and edge of the lids.
NOTE:
Tea tree oil is very effective at killing skin mites. Mites usually die in the skin as part of their natural cycle, but after using TTO they die in great numbers. Blepharitis, Rosacea etc break out and seem worse during this initial stage. Continue the treatment without a break for six weeks to kill the mites, and to allow their eggs to hatch and kill those mites too.