Editor's Pick: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Review

Looking for skin care products that can help keep breakouts and blemishes at bay and purify your complexion? From the Tea Tree Oil Squeaky Clean Scrub to the Tea Tree Targeted Gel we review a roundup of our must-try products from The Body Shop’s collection of blemish-fighting tea tree oil skin care products. See the details—and full product reviews—below.

When it comes to keeping blemish-prone skin under control, we turn to purifying skin care products and at-home solutions such as facial masks, targeted gels, and exfoliators, to get the job done. That being said, one of our go-to ingredients for combatting our skin woes and purifying our complexions is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of melaleuca alternifolia— a plant native to Australia— and can be found in many topical over-the-counter formulas worldwide. Ahead, we test and review four blemish-fighting products from The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil collection.

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE OIL REVIEW

Recommended For: Blemish-prone skin types.

Enriched with the brand’s Community Trade tea tree oil, The Body Shop’s Tea Tree oil was made with blemish-prone skin types in mind. Use the concentrated elixir as a targeted gel, massage a few drops into your cuticles between manicure appointments, or add some drops to a relaxing and aromatic DIY bath soak.

Why We Love It: Tea tree oil is a staple in my skin care arsenal. I use it as a targeted gel, in relaxing bubble baths, in DIY mask recipes—heck, sometimes I even douse my yoga mat with the calming concentrate. So, when The Body Shop sent us a complimentary sample of their Tea Tree Oil to try and review, I was more than happy to put it to the test and see for myself if it lived up to its hype. Coincidentally, that morning I had noticed that a blemish was starting to form along my hairline—perfect timing! So, I applied the oil to a cotton swab and dabbed the Tea Tree Oil directly onto my newfound blemish. By the end of the day, I noticed that the blemish did not get any worse (phew!) and actually started to go down a bit. I continued to use the oil morning and night on the affected area and after a few days it was gone!

How To Use It: To use The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil as a targeted gel, apply a small amount of the elixir to a cotton swab and dab directly onto your blemish. If you don’t have a cotton swab, you may also use a cotton pad, or your fingertips (just be sure to thoroughly wash your hands first).

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, $18 MSRP

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE SKIN CLEARING CLAY MASK REVIEW

Recommended For: Blemish-prone skin types.

Purify your complexion with The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask. Enriched with the brand’s Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya, tamanu oil, menthol, and skin-hydrating glycerin, The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask was made with blemish-prone and oily skin types in mind. Upon application, the mask can cleanse the complexion of pore-clogging dirt, debris, and excess sebum. The results? A complexion that appears purified and soothed.

Why We Love It: One of my favorite ways to target specific skin concerns is with a powerful facial mask—so, when The Body Shop sent our Skincare.com team their Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask to test and review, I was extra excited to incorporate this purifying face mask into my weekly at-home spa day. No thanks to the change in weather (hello winter!) my skin has been acting up and I’ve noticed that I am experiencing more breakouts than usual on my T-Zone. So, instead of using the mask all over my complexion, targeted the affected area in a customized multi-masking recipe 1-2 times a week. After a few uses, I noticed that my blemishes began to clear up and were less noticeable.

How To Use It: For blemish-prone complexions, apply a liberal amount to your freshly cleansed skin— avoiding the eye-area and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with a lukewarm washcloth and follow up with your pH balancing toner, serums, moisturizer, and so on.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask, $17 MSRP

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE OIL SQUEAKY CLEAN SCRUB REVIEW

Recommended For: Blemish-prone skin types.

Treat your complexion to a weekly exfoliation with The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil Squeaky Clean Scrub. Formulated with the brand’s Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya, skin-hydrating glycerin, and hydrogenated castor oil, this bi-weekly exfoliator can slough off dry, dead skin cell build up, cleanse the complexion of pore clogging dirt and debris, and help rid the skin of excess sebum without drying out the skin. The results? Skin that looks and feels softer, smoother, and purified.

Why We Love It: While it is not necessary—and we certainly do not recommend it—to exfoliate your complexion every day, we believe that exfoliation is one of the most important steps in a weekly skin care routine, as it can help lift away dry, dead skin cell buildup that may make it harder for your purifying skin care products to work their magic. With that being said, when The Body Shop sent us complimentary samples of their tea tree oil collection to try and review, I was most looking forward to testing out the Tea Tree Oil Squeaky Clean Scrub, as it is packed with nourishing ingredients such as glycerin and hydrogenated castor oil—which is actually used as the emulsifier in this skin-softening skin care product! After cleansing my complexion with the brand’s Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser, I applied the exfoliating scrub directly to my complexion in upward circular motions. Upon rinsing and applying the brand’s Tea Tree Mattifying Lotion, I noticed that my skin not only looked and felt softer, it was well-hydrated, too!

How To Use It: After cleansing your complexion, apply The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Squeaky Clean Scrub to wet skin and massage in upward circular motions. Rinse with lukewarm water and follow up with the rest of your skin care regimen (i.e. toner, serums, and moisturizer).

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Squeaky Clean Scrub, $16 MSRP

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE TARGETED GEL REVIEW

Recommended For: Blemish-prone skin types.

Waking up to a blemish is no bueno! Whether you’re faced with one random pimple in the center of your forehead or are experiencing a bout of acne, target your blemishes with The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Targeted Gel. Enriched with the brand’s Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya, honey, and hydrogenated castor oil, and conveniently packaged in a portable stick (with a wand applicator!), this cleansing gel can help purify your pores and target your breakouts on-the-go without over-drying.

Why We Love It: As I stated above, I use tea tree oil religiously in my skin care routine to help purify my complexion and reduce the appearance of breakouts. So, when The Body Shop sent us a complimentary sample of their Tea Tree Targeted Gel to test and review, I was looking forward to testing out a product that is actually formulated—and packaged—to do just that. After testing it out on a few random breakouts, I noticed that the blemishes started to become less noticeable and after a few days of use were gone altogether.

How To Use It: After cleansing your complexion, apply a small amount of the Tea Tree Targeted Gel directly to the skin using the wand applicator. Allow it to soak in before following up with the rest of your regimen.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Targeted Gel, $10 MSRP