Ailment: Mites (demodex mites)
Remedy: Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil, melaleuca alternifolia essential oil, properties, traditional healing uses, recipes, warnings.
Comment posted by David Niven Miller of Perth, WA, Australia on 11 February 2012 at 12:47 595
Hi Norma, the idea is to leave it on your skin. If there is too much you can wipe it with a tissue, but otherwise leave it. See the above comments regarding getting it on the eyelashes, and avoiding getting it in your eyes.
Question posted by Norma of Miami, FL, USA on 11 February 2012 at 7:36 594
Hi David, I would like to know if after applying the mixture to my face and to my eyelashes I have to rinse it out. If yes... how long do I leave the mixture for? Thank you so much!!!
Comment posted by David Niven Miller of Perth, WA, Australia on 13 January 2012 at 9:18 553
Hi Camelia,
Mite eggs and the mites themselves can be embedded deep in hair follicles, so the treatment needs to go through a cycle of egg laying / hatching. Continue the treatment for a couple of weeks after the mites seem to have gone, so any eggs have time to hatch.
Also try to discover where your infection came from in the first place, so you don't get re-infected.
Try not to get tea tree oil in your eyes. If you do get TTO in the eyes, wipe them with a tissue and wash it out with full cream milk (which contains fat) or with warm water by standing under a shower and gently directing it into your eyes. And as I said in the main instructions, test TTO on your own skin before using it for the first time.
Question posted by Camelia of Palm Beach, FL, USA on 13 January 2012 at 4:12 552
Hello David. First of... thanks for the post! I would like to know if after doing the treatment for 6-8 weeks the mites come back again. And... would mixture of tea tree oil affect the eye vision. I have read it damages the vision, so I'm a little scared about that. I really appreciate all your help.
Remedy (new) posted by David of Perth, WA, Australia on 8 May 2010 at 13:30 165
YES
Daily application of a tea tree oil cream. Add TTO to shampoo (and conditioner if you use one). The treatment lasts a minimum of 6 weeks, and may take 8 weeks or longer. You have to go through several cycles of eggs hatching to get rid of them all. Wash your face every night before bed. Use a mild soap, and make sure to include your nose, eyebrows and eyelashes. Gently wash and scrub your eyelash roots. Daily or every second day, wash your hair with a tea tree oil shampoo. After washing and drying, apply a mild oil (1 part TTO, 4 parts macadamia, olive or coconut oil) to all affected areas, including eyelashes. Once per week, use a strong oil with a blend of 1 part TTO and 1 part another oil. Use a cotton bud to apply the oil around the eyelashes.
I made up a skin oil using TTO, castor oil and coconut oil to use on the eyelashes and the edge of the eyelids before bed every night. I put some on the rest of my face too. Noticeable improvement after a week. However, TTO is harsh and burns if it gets into the eyes. You have to be careful to use very little, and just apply it to the lashes and edge of the lids.
NOTE:
Tea tree oil is very effective at killing skin mites. Mites usually die in the skin as part of their natural cycle, but after using TTO they die in great numbers. Blepharitis, Rosacea etc break out and seem worse during this initial stage. Continue the treatment without a break for six weeks to kill the mites, and to allow their eggs to hatch and kill those mites too.