Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is known primarily for its ability to treat a wide range of maladies. I first learned about this oil as a way to handle athlete’s foot, and I know people rub it into their skin to treat itchiness, acne, and even sinusitis.
Tea tree oil is also good for your hair, and I will talk to you in a moment about those particular benefits.
What Is Tea Tree Oil?
The oil comes from the tea tree plant that grows naturally in Australia. It is used for all sorts of home remedies there. As a natural oil, it tends to be very safe and very effective, and the risk of side effects is low.
The biggest problem people might have from using this oil is that they experience an allergic reaction, but that is quite rare.
If you are concerned about a tea tree allergy, you can put just a drop on your skin and see if there is any reaction. Pay attention to any redness, change in skin color or indications that your skin is burning or itching.
Tea tree oil can be made into a nourishing hair spray, which is what I want to share with you here in this article. Keep reading to find out why you may want to use it and how you can make the spray by yourself.
Benefits of Tea Tree Oil for Hair
There are plenty of great reasons to use tea tree oil, and many of its benefits are specifically for hair health. Here are some natural benefits of using tea tree oil in your hair.
Nourishment
Tea tree oil is excellent for hair and scalp health. It stimulates the growth of healthy, luxurious hair because of how helpful it is for your scalp and hair follicles.
The moisturizing effects of tea tree oil are tremendous, as it uses its hydrating power to deal with dry scalps and hair. Water is a great hydrator, but it dries out too quickly in heat.
Tea tree oil is more long lasting, and it will stay and hydrate your hair for a long time, giving your hair the nourishment it needs to grow well and feel soft.
Soothing Power
The hydrating capabilities of tea tree oil also help with itchy skin. You can use this oil to soothe your skin anywhere, but it is particularly helpful for dry, itchy scalps.
Scalp folliculitis and scalp eczema are just two of the conditions it treats, and it is a natural remedy for a number of health problems that can affect your scalp.
If you find yourself always scratching your head because the skin there feels irritated, try using some tea tree oil. By eliminating itchiness in the scalp, this oil is also beneficial for your hair and its natural, unhindered growth.
Lice Remover
Are you in a battle with head lice? Use tea tree oil to scare them off. Many essential oils are used to keep pests at bay efficiently, because their sensory organs may not like the smells of certain oils.
For head lice, the natural oil they hate is tea tree oil, so you can nourish your hair and get rid of the troublesome lice at the same time. Tea tree oil doesn’t just repel them; it can actually kill head lice in certain stages of their development.
Dandruff Treatment
You can also use this oil to handle dandruff. Tea tree oil is damaging to the fungus that causes dandruff, and as dandruff dries out the scalp and causes irritation, tea tree oil hydrates and nourishes.
You may always be scratching at dandruff on your head because of how uncomfortable it is, but applying some tea tree oil can lessen the irritation.
How Tea Tree Oil Works
Tea tree oil works somewhat slowly for some uses. Don’t expect instant results if you are using it for acne treatment, for example.
Tea tree oil will work in about 12 weeks when utilized for that purpose.
That can be disappointing, but when you keep in mind that this is a relatively safe natural remedy that is very effective at hydrating, healing, and soothing, it might give you some more patience.
For most problems, though, tea tree oil works quickly. It can hydrate your skin and hair very fast and provide soothing comfort for itchiness almost immediately.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Hair
You can use the essential oil version of tea tree oil in your hair and enjoy many of its benefits without ever having to turn it into a spray.
Just put a few drops of this oil into your hand and mix that with the normal amount of shampoo you use on your hair. The tea tree oil will combine nicely and work together with the shampoo to hydrate, nourish and benefit your hair.
How to Make Tea Tree Oil Spray
Let me share with you a homemade version of tea tree oil spray for hair. This is pretty simple to make and works well as a daily spray you can put into your hair to give your hair nutritional benefits, hydration, and other advantages unique to tea tree oil.
You can take an empty spray bottle and put just a few ounces of water in it. Then, add two drops of tea tree oil to that and close the lid tightly. Shake the bottle around and spray it a few times. This will clean the bottle out and prepare it for a proper tea tree oil mixture.
Then, add two cups of water to the spray bottle and two teaspoons of tea tree oil. Close the lid and mix it all together. If you want to use a smaller spray bottle that doesn’t hold that much liquid, then you can always decrease the amounts I listed while keeping the ratio the same.
Does Tea Tree Oil Irritate the Scalp?
Tea tree oil is actually very soothing to the scalp. It is great for dealing with irritation and itchiness, helping with dryness and making your scalp feel so much better.
If you do experience any irritation when you apply tea tree oil to your scalp, then you should stop using it. Irritation could be indicated by itchiness or burning, and this may tell you that you have an allergic reaction.
Can You Leave Tea Tree Oil on the Hair?
Since tea tree oil takes time to fully hydrate your hair, I would recommend leaving it in. The oil should not cause any problems if you leave it there and don’t bother to wash it out. The longer you leave tea tree oil in, the more it has time to do its work and sooth, hydrate, and nourish your scalp and hair.
Does Tea Tree Oil Affect Hair Color?
Tea tree oil should not affect your hair color in any way, if you have natural hair color. If you use a hair coloring product, however, then tea tree oil could make the color fade. That’s because this oil is an astringent, and you want to be careful about how much you use on colored hair.
If you have any concerns, you may want to wait until you change your hair back to a natural color to try using tea tree oil.
Does Tea Tree Oil Make Your Hair Thicker?
While this oil does not directly make hair thicker, it can nourish both the scalp and hair follicles. This could easily result in thicker and more luxurious hair.
If you want healthy hair, then you need to make sure it stays hydrated and ensure that your scalp is treated well. Tea tree oil works on both areas and produces some great results, often giving you thicker, fuller hair over time.
I’m Jennifer a beauty and wellness expert. I believe in promoting a sustainable and healthy lifestyle from within. Helping people feel good is my passion; whether it’s teaching yoga or offering skincare advice.