Abstract
Tea-tree oil (an essential oil of the Australian native tree Melaleuca alternifolia) has long been regarded as a useful topical antiseptic agent in Australia and has been shown to have a variety of antimicrobial activities; however, only anecdotal evidence exists for its efficacy in the treatment of various skin conditions. We have performed a single-blind, randomised clinical trial on 124 patients to evaluate the efficacy and skin tolerance of 5% tea-tree oil gel in the treatment of mild to moderate acne when compared with 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion. The results of this study showed that both 5% tea-tree oil and 5% benzoyl peroxide had a significant effect in ameliorating the patients' acne by reducing the number of inflamed and non-inflamed lesions (open and closed comedones), although the onset of action in the case of tea-tree oil was slower. Encouragingly, fewer side effects were experienced by patients treated with tea-tree oil.
Keywords
Tea tree oilLotionAcneBenzoyl peroxideMedicineMelaleuca alternifoliaAntimicrobialEssential oilDermatologyAntisepticInsect repellentTree (set theory)MelaleucaEucalyptus oilTraditional medicineClinical trialFood scienceBotanyInternal medicineChemistryBiology
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Publication Info
- Year
- 1990
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 153
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 455-458
- Citations
- 285
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
Ingrid B Bassett,
Ross St.C. Barnetson,
Debra L Pannowitz
(1990).
A comparative study of tea‐tree oil versus benzoylperoxide in the treatment of acne.
The Medical Journal of Australia
, 153
(8)
, 455-458.
https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1990.tb126150.x
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1990.tb126150.x