Here's the tea on this tea (tree).

    It's always a sad day whenever I run out of my favorite tea tree oil by The Body Shop but it's even sadder when I run out of it during active breakouts! Tea tree oil has always been my go-to treatment for my pimples because it dries them out cleanly, quickly, and effectively. Some people have their pimple patches, I have my tea tree oil.

    Since my TBS tea tree oil is all used up, I thought I'd go and repurchase another bottle. However, how come no one told me how expensive it is now?? I swear, inflation is so real right now that even my tea tree oil has gone up! Since I don't have it in me to purchase it full price (honestly, where is the double digit sales when you need them??), I thought I'd search for a potential alternative. Something that's cheaper but as effective. And lo and behold, I found one!

   This is Thursday Plantation's Tea Tree Oil, a multi-purpose liquid made from 100% Australian Melaleuca Alternifolia (aka tea tree) leaf oil that has powerful antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties. These properties inhibit a broad spectrum of bacteria and fungi and cleanses and protects the skin, which is why tea tree oil can be used on pimples, acne, fungal infections, minor cuts, bites, stings, etc. (But don't please don't use it to treat fresh piercings!!)

    This Tea Tree Oil is free from polysorbates, petrochemicals, mineral oils, propylene glycol, SLS, SLES, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colours, synthetic preservatives, synthetic parabens and animal derived ingredients. It is available in 5 sizes but the one I have here is the 10ml bottle which price ranges from ₱209-₱349 on the Orange/S App. 

    One thing I noticed immediately in this Tea Tree Oil was that it looks like your typical aromatherapy oil bottle (you know, the ones you put in diffusers). Compared to The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil, TP's bottle is narrower and slightly taller. Also, this one doesn't have a child-proof cap (which is a bit sad for me tbh because I'm a sucker for those) and the opening of the bottle isn't as narrow as The Body Shop's, making the oil flow out quite easily.

    Now let's get to the oil itself, shall we? The consistency is pretty much your standard fluid concentrated tea tree oil. However, this one has a bit of a greasy but more drying feel to it, if that makes sense? Upon application, you'll feel a bit of a slip to it but as it dries down, it leaves the area with a drying feeling. Scent-wise, it has a stronger, a bit more pungent tea tree scent. It was a little much for me at the beginning as I was used to the more subtle and mild scent of The Body Shop's.

    So here's the tea though: I personally think that the Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil works more quickly and effectively on pimples than The Body Shop's! Keep in mind that Thursday Plantation's contains 100% tea tree oil, which makes it stronger and more swift-acting than The Body Shop's 15%. When applied to my pimples, it only takes 3 days max for them to be gone- pretty impressive, if I say so myself! It also doesn't sting that much on the skin and on my blemishes, which is a great plus.

    Though it's nice that this is pretty much concentrated and swift-acting, this also means that it's more drying on the skin. With this tea tree oil, hydrating and moisturizing your skin afterwards is important to keep the dry patching as minimal as possible. So don't forget to load up on those serums and moisturizers when using this one! Alternatively, you can also dilute this product with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil or jojoba oil to make it less drying.

    For its affordability and effectivity, I feel like the Thursday Plantation's Tea Tree Oil is a great alternative to The Body Shop's tea tree oil. It's significantly more concentrated, which means you only need a little of it which also makes the duration of treating blemishes shorter. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the scent but thankfully, it's one that goes away as it dries. Overall, this one is a really good tea tree oil and I would recommend it for anyone who is looking or is in need of a strong one!