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A comparative study of tea‐tree oil versus benzoylperoxide in the treatment of acne
Author(s) -
Bassett Ingrid B,
Barnetson Ross St C,
Pannowitz Debra L
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1990.tb126150.x
Subject(s) - tea tree oil , lotion , acne , benzoyl peroxide , medicine , melaleuca alternifolia , antimicrobial , essential oil , dermatology , antiseptic , insect repellent , tree (set theory) , melaleuca , eucalyptus oil , traditional medicine , clinical trial , food science , botany , chemistry , biology , organic chemistry , pathology , polymerization , mathematics , mathematical analysis , polymer
Tea‐tree oil (an essential oil of the Australian native tree Melaleuca alter‐ nifolia) 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.