Urban Cowgirl®

Tea Tree Oil in Cosmetics

What is Tea Tree Oil?
Why it’s a great companion with my Liquid Foundation Makeup!

“Some prairie girls owe their fresh, flawless complexion to Urban Cowgirl’s Tea Tree Oil Foundation, which battles breakouts, heals trouble spots, and glides on with a natural feel ($27). Whether you’re queen ofthe rodeo or of Rodeo Drive, this will help conceal your skin secrets when in the limelight.” NYCBeauty

Tea tree oil is a clear to very pale golden color essential oil with a fresh odor. It is taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. The oil has beneficial medical properties (including antiseptic and anti fungal, antibacterial action), and is also believed to have beneficial cosmetic properties. Tea tree oil is usually used diluted, as reactions are common with pure tea tree oil, and can cause irritation.

Why would I want it in my cosmetics?
Tea tree oil has been recognized as a potent antiseptic in Australia anecdotally for much longer than there has been scientific evidence. However, recent studies support a role for tea tree oil in skin care and treatment of various ailments. In the treatment of moderate acne, topical application of tea tree oil has shown an effect comparable to benzoyl peroxide, albeit with slower onset of action. In another study in 2007 strength gel was compared against a placebo, with statistically significant results.

What is the history behind tea tree oil?
Use of the oil itself, did not become common practice until researcher Arthur Penfold published the first repons of its antimicrobial activity in a series of papers in the 1920s and 1930s. In evaluating the antimicrobial activity of tea tree oil was rated 11 times more active than phenol.

Can it irritate my skin?
We at Urban Cowgirl love our liquid foundation but we always recommend you do an allergy patch test with any new cosmetics. Just put a dab on your neck or in the soft fleshy underarm area. Applying the product to the skin for 15 – 20 minutes and observing the skin for redness, swelling and itching. It is recommended that no more than 1% ofthe tea tree oil be present in cosmetics by the EU–UrbanCowgir|’s Foundation contains 1%

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tags: Australia Tea Tree Oil, Foundation Makeup, Organics, Skin Care, Tea Tree Oil Cosmetics

Posted May 10th, 2009 by UrbanCowgirl