More often than not, warts will go away without any help.
This could take a long time, though.
We should also remember that HPV wart virus might spread, so it is important to seek immediate treatment as soon as warts appear.
With complementary and alternative medicines such as tea tree oil have enjoyed increased popularity in recent decades and widely available over the counter —
Is tea tree oil good for wart removal?
Tea Tree Oil for Genital Warts and Plantar Wart Removal
Derived from the leaves of tea tree, tea tree oil is widely used to treat various skin conditions such as acne, nail fungal infections, and insect bites.
According to report published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, tea tree oil is incorporated as the active ingredient in many topical formulations used to treat cutaneous infections due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
As such, this essential oil has emerged as a popular home treatment for warts (eg. genital warts and plantar wart), with below is a common procedure of how to remove warts with tea tree oil:
Step 1: Wash your warts and dry them as well as the area that surrounds these.
Step 2: Apply a drop of pure tea tree oil to your wart and place a bandage over it. You could also apply tea tree oil to the bandage’s pad if that’s easier.
Step 3: Leave this bandage overnight or for a total of 8 hours.
Step 4: Gently remove the bandage, then wash the area. You can also remove the bandage during the day and put fresh one on at night, or place a fresh bandage with tea tree oil.
Step 5: Repeat the steps 1 through 4 daily until the warts fall off or disappear – which will generally take between 1-4 weeks.
In video below, Dr. Holly Lucille elaborates the steps of warts removal using tea tree oil as naturopathic medicine.
Where To Buy Tea Tree Oils
Tea tree oil can be purchased in most pharmacies and major stores, while Amazon.com also offers a good variety of tea tree oil brands with below are the best sellers:
- Radha Beauty Tea Tree Essential Oil – 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade
- Majestic Pure Therapeutic Melaleuca Alternifolia Tea Tree Oil
- Art Naturals Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Now Foods Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil for Warts Removal Review: Does It Work?
The results of using tea tree oil as home wart removal remedy are generally mixed, with below examples of experience sharing and forum feedback:
michaelshane commented via CureZone: “My 14 year old daughter had a wart the size of a small pea, on top of her hand, right at the knuckle… Every moring she would put a drop of tea tree oil on the wart an cover it with a bandaid. At night she remove the bandaid add another drop of tee tree oil then place her hand in a latex free glove. She would wear the glove all night. The next day she repeated the treatment… In that week the wart was mostly disolved. The wart was almost invisible to the eye.”
Miss_F shared her experience via eHealth Forum: “Pure Tea tree oil can be very damaging to the skin – particularly in sensitive areas. I tried it and it irritated the hell out of my nether region! .. I got some vaseline, emptied half out and melted it by sitting the container in hot water. I added a few drops of pure tea tree oil, gave it a good mix and just applied the mix with a cotton bud directly to the genital wart. It’s not gone yet but it is definitely shrinking. It will obviously take a bit longer due to the fact I am using a very weak solution of tea tree – but I’d rather that than using pure tea tree and hurting the hell out of myself again.”
Accutane Dude commented via HealthBoards: “I’m a male who has genital warts.. The last couple of days I applied tea tree oil. It burns… What is concerning me a bit is that after I washed it off yesterday they became really red and swollen..”
As indicated, while there are user testimonials that successfully get rid of warts using tea tree oils, the potential side effects of this method include burning sensation, swollen skin, etc.
Additionally, the University of Maryland Medical Center warned:
“DO NOT Use Tea Tree Oil Internally”
Other Home Remedy Combinations with Tea Tree Oils
Indeed, many people use tea tree oils together with other home remedies for wart treatment –
Option #1: Tea Tree Oil with Aloe Vera
For those who don’t know, aloe vera also has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. To use it with tea tree oil, combine equal amount of tea tree oil with aloe vera gel. Then, stir the mixture well and apply it on the areas affected. You can wrap the applied area with a bandage or a gauze. Leave this on for several hours overnight and wash this off with water and reapply the same process on a regular basis.
Option #2: Tea Tree Oil with Apple Cider Vinegar
The excellent video below shows a step by step actual case study on how to use combination of tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, and oregano oil to help get rid of 2 plantar warts for a kid. The video also contains before and after pictures of how plantar warts on feet dried up, turned black, and fell off after using this wart removal approach.
Option #3: Tea Tree Oil with Carrier Oil
Combine 4 to 5 drops of tea tree oil in carrier oil such as avocado oil, almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil. Apply the mixture on the warts. Gently massage it for a few minutes and leave this on for another several minutes. You may leave this overnight and rinse with water. Repeat it every day.
Option #4: Tea Tree Oil with Warm Water and Table Salt
The process will help you treat the warts on your feet and hands. Combine 2 to 3 drops of tea tree oil in a tablespoon of salt and 5L of warm water. Soak your feet or hands with warts in this water for about 10 to 15 minutes during night time and continue to do this process for 5 to 10 days.
Option #5: Tea Tree Oil with Garlic
You may place 2 to 4 drops of pure tea tree oil on your warts before you go to bed. Cover the affected area with some crushed garlic and wrap this with a bandage. Leave this overnight and repeat the process each night for up to 3 weeks.
Tea Tree Oil for Wart Removal Reviews: The Verdict
Tea tree oil is widely known for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.
While there are success stories of using tea tree oils for warts, there do have actual wart removal experience sharing that indicate this home remedy may have potential side effects like burning sensation, pain, swollen skin, etc.
Warticide wart remover is a topical solution that combines the antiviral properties of 3 ingredients: Tea tree oil, salicylic acid, and natural cedar leaf Thuja oil.
It is specifically formulated to help get rid of genital warts and plantar warts with convenient dropper.
