Last April I wrote about using glycerine and tea tree oil to help clear up my contact dermatitis. I am a fan of multi-use products, so I wanted to see what other ailments this glycerine and tea tree oil could remedy. Since I first tried this, I have been trying out this mixture to help with other skin irritations.
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My glycerine and tea tree oil recipe
I decided to mix up a 1 fluid ounce batch of glycerin and tea tree oil so it would last me a while. This recipe can be scaled to make any size batch. Also, the ratio of glycerine to tea tree oil can be adjusted.
I prefer to use a ratio of 1 teaspoon glycerine to 2-3 drops tea tree oil for myself. This comes out to about 2-3% dilution. If I was using this on children I would use 1 teaspoon glycerine to 1 drop tea tree oil for a 1% dilution. I reference Mommypotamus’s essential oil dilution guidelines to decide how many drop of essentail oil to use in my recipes. Note that glycerine is water based and therefore NOT the same as a carrier oil. However, from my experience, the thickness of the glycerine or some other property of glycerine helps to keep the essential oil distributed throughout.
Ingredients
- 1 fluid ounce glycerine
- 15 drops tea tree oil
Recipe
I poured 1 ounce of vegetable glycerine into a clear glass jar, added 15 drops of organic tea tree oil, and stirred with a toothpick. That’s it!
To apply, I dip a clean fingertip in the mixture and apply the area of my skin that I am trying to treat. When I’m not using the solution, I secure the cover on the jar and store out of direct sunlight.
How I use glycerine and tea tree oil
For my skin, the combination of glycerine with a small amount of tea tree oil is great for healing and soothing a wide variety of ailments and irritations. Here are my 5 favorite ways to use glycerine and tea tree oil.
- To soothe skin and clear up rashes caused by eczema or contact dermatitis.
- To soothe dry, cracked skin around my nose due to allergies, colds, and the flu.
- To stop itching of bug bites.
- To ease itching and clean small cuts and scrapes. (When you’re like me and your skin is sensitive to everything, something as minor as a paper cut will swell and itch.)
- To soothe general dry skin. My cheeks and elbows get very dry in the winter, and applying a little glycerine and tea tree oil mixture once a week or so helps to smooth and hydrate my skin.
Just last week I had the opportunity to try this on eczema again. The cold, dry air and wind triggered an eczema outbreak in my face again. This time I was prepared with my tea tree oil and glycerine. I applied it the day the outbreak occurred, before it has a chance to get really bad. Then I applied 2-4 times daily for the next 5-6 days. After that, my skin was completely clear again. I love this remedy- for me it works better than anything else, and so quickly!
Where I purchase ingredients
I purchase my glycerine and tea tree oil on Amazon. I have had good luck with Now Organic Essential Oils Tea Tree Oil, which for me is most easily available on Amazon. Now Essential Oils are also available at other online shops and in some local natural food stores. I choose to use organic oil to reduce the risk of allergens contaminating the oil and causing me a reaction.
Glycerine is available at most pharmacies, natural food stores, or stores with a pharmacy (drug store, grocery store). It is typically behind the counter of the pharmacy, but can be purchased without ID or a prescription. I am not sure why it is hidden back there, but that’s where I recommend looking if you don’t want to order online. I chose to purchase on Amazon because I wanted to ensure that my glycerine was from vegetable sources. Not all glycerine is vegetarian. So if that matters to you, ensure you purchase vegetable glycerine.
Cost
If I didn’t already have the ingredients in hand, this would have cost about $14 to get started (but would leave ingredients left over for other recipes).
- 1 oz of Now Organic Tea Tree Oil is about $8.25
- 4 oz of vegetable glycerine is $5.20
The cost to mix up this remedy depends on how much you need, how large an affected area being treated. A 1 fluid ounce batch (6 teaspoons glycerine plus 15 drops tea tree oil) only cost me about $1.51 and looks like it’ll last me a year or more of regular use.
[($5.20/4oz) x(1 oz)=$1.30 for the glycerine, ($8.25/1 oz)x(1 oz/600 drops)x(15 drops)=$0.21 for the tea tree oil]
Have you found other uses for glycerine and tea tree oil? Please share in the comments below!