In Reply to: HOW DO I GET TEA TREE OIL AND HOW IS IT USED!!! posted by Christina on May 03, 2000 at 14:21:00:

You can try health food stores, drug stores, or grocery stores for both tea tree oil and vitamin E oil. I have found the best selection in organic grocery stores, so if there is one near you it might be a good bet.
As for use, the only advice I can offer is this: Sparingly. Very sparingly. Tea tree oil can irritate sensitive skin; come think of it, it can irritate non-sensitive skin. It can be diluted, but I am not sure what to dilute it with.
I have heard vitamin E oil can irritate the skin too, but I have not met anybody who tried it and had a problem.
Tea tree oil can be slightly effective against infections related to acne. I have used it, and noticed no big difference, but I think pimples healed up a bit quicker. I have heard others claim it works really well against acne, but none of those women had acne apart from a few occasional blemishes before their periods, so I am not convinced.
Vitamin E seems to just improve my skin in general, though it does not seem to reduce breakouts. I apply it about once a week, at night, after using a clay mask which is a bit drying. If I use it every day, it makes my skin worse, so I am not sure it is such a good idea. As it is, I just enjoy the temporary improvement it seems to cause.
The products I use are 100% oils. There are diluted variants out there, but I avoid them because they often contain fragrance and other irritants.