The Way To Treat Rashes Is Easier Than You'd Think, And It's Something You Probably Already Own

Rashes, while annoying, can alert us very quickly to something being wrong with our bodies—or our relationships if you're Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City and facing some serious fears about marriage to the point that your body breaks out in a rash. In most cases, though, rashes and other skin ailments are caused by a variety of different factors depending on what the actual diagnosis is.

If it's psoriasis, for example, the chronic skin disease from which Kim Kardashian suffers, then it's caused by skin cells growing quickly and causing painful symptoms on the skin. Luckily, some common rashes can be treated right at home and with items you may already own, like tea tree oil. So before you Google your way into a panicked health crisis, consider trying tea tree oil instead to cure some common skin rashes.

Tea tree oil serves many purposes, which include topically to treat the skin, in DIY bug sprays to ward off insects, and even as a disinfectant. Here are the best tea tree oil uses.

1. It treats the skin: While there are some important instructions to follow when using tea tree oil for the skin (you can apply it on the face but just be sure to dilute it with a carrier oil and be careful around the eyes), it can be very effective at treating common skin ailments. This includes healing rashes, soothing bug bites, treating acne, and much more. This is because tea tree oil contains properties that are antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial.
   
   
2. It wards off insects: Many of us were forced to sit with tea tree oil in our hair at a young age whenever we got lice. It became a trusted and natural alternative to a lot of harsh lice shampoos. Then, once summertime rolled around and mosquitoes were buzzing about, tea tree oil was an effective repellent. Why is tea tree oil so effective at warding off certain insects? The answer lies in the fact that tea tree oil has a very strong and unpleasant smell that insects dislike because it interferes with their senses and inhibits how they locate food.
   
   
3. It’s a natural disinfectant: Yes, the same tea tree oil that you can use to clean your home is also the same tea tree oil that makes up a perfect mouthwash. This is due to the anti-bacterial properties of tea tree oil that make it safe as a mouthwash as well as a DIY all-purpose cleaner that sanitizes surfaces. It fights germs, tooth decay, and bad breath. Like any other mouthwash, just be sure not to swallow it.

Tea tree oil’s effective rash treatment comes from benefits that start with the prefix "anti": anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and anti-oxidant. All of these properties together can treat the following: eczema, skin disease flare-ups, insect bites, bacteria, fungus, and rashes caused by certain health conditions.

Simply put a few drops into a moisturizer or carrier oil (for every one to two drops of tea tree oil, apply 12 drops of carrier oil) and apply to the skin more than once per day.

Don’t just suffer with that rash—turn to tea tree oil instead as a fast, effective, and affordable solution.