Tea-Off: Blemish Control

Both myself and Sania have expressed much love for The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Blemish Stick (read about Sania's love here and mine here). After my 2nd rebuy, though, I was a bit tired - there isn't a whole lot of product for $9 and I wanted to try a similar alternative. I thought it might be best to experiment with pure tea tree oil (which you get a lot of it in a very small bottle at about the same price).

You have to be careful with tea tree oil since it is so concentrated and can dry out the skin easily. This is what I experienced when I used it to zap a zit that was taking it's sweet time to mature and die. I squeezed about a drop or two of JASON Cosmetics Tea Tree Oil (The Body Shop sells its own version as well) onto a cotton swab and dabbed it lightly over the zit 1-2 times a day. The oil definitely did dry up the zit, but also the surrounding skin - additionally, the skin on top of the zit looked scaly and parched. The Body Shop Blemish Stick not only dries, it actually speeds up the overall healing time without major dry-out. The zit I have right now is superficially dried up but seems to still be festering beneath the skin, and has somehow begun to scar even though I barely did anything (I scar very easily lately).

I definitely recommend The Body Shop Blemish Stick over pure tea tree oil - the extra ingredients in it seem to contribute to the healing process in a way pure tea tree oil does not. The blemish stick is also a little easier to use, although definitely not as hygienic. Will keep you posted if I find any comparable zit-zappers!