Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia [Latin]), also known as teatree oil and Australian teatree, is a relative of the eucalyptus tree, and is one of the best natural astringents available. It is not related to Camellia sinensis, the plant that produces the tea leaves used in beverages. Its confusing name comes from the travel writings of British explorer Captain James Cook, who referred to this tree as a "tea plant " when writing about his exploration of Australia. Tea tree is native to Australia, where aborigines have long used its leaves to treat wounds and infections.
Tea tree oil contains terpenes and other phytochemicals that kill bacteria and fungus. Australian studies have shown that tree oil works as well as benzoyl peroxide on inflamed acne; benzoyl peroxide worked faster, but tea tree caused with fewer drying side effects. A study at the University of Rochester School of Medicine found that tea tree oil was just as effective as 1 % clotrimazole for treating toenail fungus, and as effective as 1 % tolnaftate for treating athlete's foot. Laboratory studies have shown that tea tree helps kill yeast fungus as well.
Tea tree oil has a history of over 60 years as a natural remedy for all skin issues. It is one of the most effective natural remedies for coldsores in our time. It is steam distilled from the leaves of the tea tree species (Melaleuca alternifolia), which is found in a tiny area called the New South Wales on the eastern front of Australia. Only the highest quality tea tree oil comes from this area, which is often the prime origin of many products based around Tea tree oil.
Tea tree oil is an active ingredient in a number of commercial scrubs, soaps, washes, shampoos, lotions, and toners.
As tea tree oil is becoming more and more common, tea tree oil uses are evolving and more varying and versatile. Tea tree oil has so many different properties, including; antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, disinfecting, anti-inflammatory, cleansing, soothing and healing to name a few.
Because of all the different ways it works, tea tree oil uses vary from skin care to household cleaners to wound care to pet care and beyond. Tea tree oil can be irritating to a small amount of peoples skin and should not be swallowed, but is otherwise extremely safe when used correctly. A few of the hundreds of general tea tree oil uses are detailed below:
Tea tree oil can be applied directly to acne pustules, use a very small amount and dab on affected areas twice daily. Tea tree oil can also be added to regular face wash and used twice daily. Tea tree oil is effective on acne because of it’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory components.
Tea tree oil uses as a face cleaner is very effective, because it is a gentle cleanser yet a potent antibacterial product. Drops of tea tree oil can be added to regular face wash, however, for best results use a ready made tea tree oil face wash.
Because tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, yet generally very gentle, it is very useful as an everyday soap. Many excellent natural soaps containing tea tree oil have been developed, but a few drops of pure tea tree oil can also be added to whatever soap you have on hand.
Massage tea tree oil into scalp twice daily until lice and lice eggs are gone. Use tea tree oil shampoo regularly to help prevent head lice.
Along with all its disinfecting properties, tea tree oil is both moisturizing and soothingly cleansing, and therefore very effective as a shampoo.
Wash affected area well before applying small amount of pure tea tree oil to it for infection prevention and to promote healing. Using tea tree oil for burns is also effective.
Apply pure tea tree oil directly to the boil after first prepping the boil with warm clothes to make the skin more ready to absorb the tea tree oil.
The most common warts are unsightly rough growths on the skin caused by a virus know as the human papillomavirus. They are very contagious and difficult to get rid of. Apply a drop of tea tree oil, full strength, to the wart a few times a day. It may take a while for the wart to disappear so be patient.
Tea tree oil has strong antifungal properties, making it very useful for common fungal infections such as athletes foot. After cleansing feet apply tea tree oil directly to foot. Only a small amount is necessary, so adding the tea tree oil another oil, such as olive oil, can make it easier to massage the tea tree oil into your feet.
Apply a few drops of tea tree oil directly to affected nail and surrounding skin. Use a few times a day until the nail has grown out and the fungus is gone.
Ringworm is actually a fungal infection of the skin, it causes round circles with the outside of the circle being red/raised and can itch and ooze. Tea tree oil can be applied directly to the area a few times a day until the area is healed.
Because of tea tree oils antibiotic and antibacterial components it has been shown to be very effective in reducing gingivitis which causes gum disease. Brushing with a tea tree oil toothpaste and using a tea tree oil mouthwash daily is recommended.
Cold sores are actually a viral infection, once a person has it they harbor the virus in their body and when their immune system is down it can cause breakouts. Tea tree oils antiviral components can reduce the healing time of the sores. Apply the tea tree oil directly to the sore twice daily.
Tea tree oil is very effective for household cleaning due to it’s natural antiseptic properties, it is also effective in killing mold and mildew. There are pre-made cleaning products containing tea tree oil and many different recipes for making your own. You can also simply add a few teaspoons of tea tree oil to a few cups of water and pour into a spray bottle for use throughout your house.
Add a teaspoon of pure tea tree essential oil to a gallon of water when washing windows, floors, toilets, bathrooms and kitchen surfaces.
Add two teaspoons of tea tree oil to your washing machine load for a fragrant, fresh wash.
Household ants and other pests avoid tea tree oil, so a few drops placed at the point of entry will deter them. Wipe cupboards with an oil and water solution to chase away cockroaches.
Remove scuff marks from a linoleum floor by rubbing a few drops of oil on the spot, then wipe the marks away with a damp cloth.
Wipe walls and showers with a tea tree oil/water solution to prevent mildew growth.
To remove chewing gum from hair, apply tea tree plant oil. The gum will lose its stickiness and you can wipe it away.
Add 20 drops tea tree oil to approximately one gallon of water, stir, and soak the nappies overnight in the mixture.
To read a more in-depth article of the very many uses of Tea Tree Oil, click here.
Tea tree oil is medically proven to be a naturally powerful anti-viral, anti-fungal medicine, anti-bacterial oil. It is often sold at 10%, 15%, 30% and 100% strength levels. In the particular case of treating cold sores, somewhere between 30% and 100% would work very well as these will be spot treatments.
Tea tree oil can reduce cold sores painful healing time by nearly 50%. Apply a few drops of 30% tea tree oil directly to the break out area with cotton swabs several times a day. This spot treatment will dry out and shrink the coldsores over time, often within a few hours of application. The quicker the cold sore is spotted, the more effective Tea Tree Oil becomes.
Tea tree oil have been scientifically investigated as an anti-bacterial agent only recently, though having been used for hundreds of years by natives of Australia. In addition to cold sores, tea tree oil has been proven more effective for acne than benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid combined, which are popular ingredients in most acne medications including Proactiv. Being an anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent, tea tree oil has been proven to work for genital herpes, genital warts, yeast infections, lice, athlete’s feet, bug-bites, and various other skin infections.
With overwhelming evidence as an effective topical treatment for almost all skin disorders, tea tree oil should be the first ingredient to be used on skin infections and disorders. In addition to both cold sores and genital herpes, tea tree oil is just as effective with herpes zoster (shingles), chicken pox and all HSV related skin infections. Also, for those that suffer from dandruff, 5% tea tree oil shampoo has been proven to cure the infection indefinitely. Additionally, one clinical research undertaken found that 100% tea tree oil used topically was twice as strong as clotrimazole, an active ingredient in most medical dandruff and nail disease prescription drugs.
After twice daily applications for four weeks, tea tree oil solutions were found to be moderately effective against this persistent foot fungus.
A recent study compared the effectiveness of tea tree oil gel with benzoyl peroxide lotion in people with mild to moderate acne. People in both groups had a significant reduction in acne lesions, and although the tea tree oil took longer to work initially, the patients who used it had fewer side effects.
A study examined the use of tea tree oil shampoo in people with mild to moderate dandruff. After four weeks, the tea tree oil shampoo significantly reduced symptoms of dandruff.
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8 Major Features & Benefits |
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Antiseptic/Bacterial Properties: |
A general disinfectant that fights bacteria in all kinds of wounds and infections. |
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Anti-Fungal Properties: |
Treats fungal diseases affecting humans and animals. |
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Anti-Viral Properties: |
Fights many common infectious diseases. |
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Anti-Inflammatory Properties: |
Good skin penetration capabilities. |
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Antimicrobial Properties: |
Extremely low potential for skin irritation or sensitisation. |
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Immuno-Stimulant: |
Helps the body to fight off all kinds of infections. This is especially important if the body is weakened already. |
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Cleans Wounds: |
Tea tree oil dissolves pus and cleans the surface of wounds without damage to the tissue. |
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Repairs Skin: |
Tea tree oil helps skin to heal by encouraging the formation of new scar tissue. |
Tea tree oil is an essential oil distilled from the leaves of the melaluca plant which is native to Australia. The oil is active against bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections. It’s used to aid in healing abscesses, acne, athlete’s foot, blisters, burns, cold sores, dandruff, herpes, insect bites, oily skin, rashes, and warts.
A laboratory study found that certain active components of tea tree oil effectively slow the growth of P. acnes. The oil’s proponents claim that even severe cases of acne have been shown to benefit from it.
Tea tree oil kills p. acne and is an ingredient in many acne skin care formulations—cleansers, toners, and moisturizers. Tea tree oil is considered as effective as benzoyl peroxide for killing p. acne bacteria, but it takes longer. However, tea tree oil doesn’t cause the redness, irritation, and inflammation that’s common with benzoyl peroxide.
For very sensitive skin use calming and soothing masks, such as an aloe vera, allantion, tea tree oil, or green tea compress. Other soothing ingredients for masks or compresses include licorice and red raspberry.
Essential oils such as geraniun, lavender, lemon and tea tree oil can be used to help regulate the sebaceous glands. These oils need to be diluted. A facial spray with lemon balm essential oil can help close the pores. Witch hazel can also be applied after cleansing.
Where you feel a pimple about to erupt, rather than squeeze it, try applying spirits of camphor, essential oil of lavender or tea tree oil four or five times daily to help dry it up and perhaps prevent eruption. If you do get an eruption and are prone to scarring, use a salve which includes vitamin E, calendula and comfrey.
No! That was not all! It has numerous aces up its sleeves which can be covered under following general medicinal properties it possesses.
Anti Bacterial: The activity of microbes, bacteria, virus and fungi are at their peaks in the Tropics and hence most of the medicinal plants are found there too. Tea Tree is one such plant. It can cure some of the ugliest bacterial infections of the Tropics. Wounds, which are most prone to bacterial infections in this region, can be effectively cured and protected using this oil. Although this oil is seldom taken orally, but if so, in mild concentrations, can cure internal bacterial infections too, such as those in colon, stomach, intestines, excretory system and urinary system. It can also be used in treatment of Tuberculosis.
Anti Microbial: Microbes prefer to keep safe distance from this oil, since it is an effective anti microbial. It can kill and keep away certain microbes (protozoa) which are responsible for causing Tropical fevers, malaria etc.
Anti Septic: Open wounds are most susceptible to infection by bacteria and fungi and may result in septic or tetanus. Thus they must be protected well in advance. For this, Tea Tree Oil can be a wise choice as it is an excellent anti septic. It can be applied directly on the wounds, boils, sores, cuts and certain eruptions, as well as insect bites and stings, to protect them from infections. It is as good as any anti biotic, but without its adverse side effects.
Anti Viral: Viral infections are very hazardous and re-appearing, since virus can survive under most intolerable conditions. They can bear unimaginable heat, cold and even poison, as they develop a protective shell called “Cyst” around them. Some viruses are intelligent enough to develop a new cyst each time they are activated, like the Common Cold Virus, to duck our immune system. They never die a natural death and can live dormant (neither live, nor dead) for even hundreds of thousands of years. They can be killed only if their cyst is ruptured using some compound or they are subjected to extreme heat which is beyond their tolerance. The Tea Tree Oil helps rupture this cyst in some viruses and can give protection against them. It also helps cure viral infections like common cold, influenza, mumps, measles, pox etc.
Balsamic: The Essential Oil of Tea Tree has balsamic properties, that is, it boosts health. It promotes absorption of nutrients from food and gives protection from diseases too, thus proving beneficial for total health.
Cicatrisant: The Cicatrisant property of this essential oil makes it heal wounds quicker and protect them from infections, as well as help neutralization of the scar marks and after spots left by eruptions, boils, pox, acne etc.
Expectorant: Those who are suffering from cough and cold, congestion, bronchitis and other troubles associated with cold, are sure to get relief using this Tea Tree Essential Oil. It gives relief from cough, cold, bronchitis and congestion.
Fungicide: The Tea Tree Essential Oil is as effective against fungal infections as it is against any bacterial or microbial infections. It inhibits fungal growth and cures diseases like dermatitis, athlete’s foot etc.
Insecticide: It is obvious that an essential oil that is so deadly for those adamant and hardy bacteria and viruses, will be effective against insects too. Tea Tree Oil is an efficient insect deterrent and insect killer. It does not let parasites and other insects like mosquitoes, fleas, lice, flies etc. come near a person who has rubbed some of this oil on his body. It kills internal insects and worms too, such as intestinal worms like round worm and tape worm and others like hook worms.
Stimulant: This essential oil has stimulating effects on hormones secretions, circulations etc. but more prominently on immune system. It boosts up immunity and acts as a shield against infections.
Sudorific: Besides infections, another cause of diseases is accumulation of toxins in the body. These toxins are either generated by the body itself, as a by-product of various reactions, or get inside the body somehow. Our body too, has certain mechanisms to throw away these toxins. One of them is perspiration or sweating. It has many advantages. It removes toxins, moistens the skin, open pores on skin and keeps the body cool. Tea Tree Essential Oil, being a Sudorific, increases sweating and promotes removal of toxins like uric acid. It also helps remove excess water and salts from the body.
Other Benefits: Gives relief from muscular pain, aches, sprains.
Tea tree oil is LIKELY SAFE for most people when put on the skin, but it can cause skin irritation and swelling. In people with acne, it can sometimes cause skin dryness, itching, stinging, burning, and redness.
Applying products to the skin that contain tea tree oil along with lavender oil might not be safe for young boys who have not yet reached puberty. These products might have hormone effects that could disrupt the normal hormones in a boy’s body. In some cases, this has resulted in boys developing abnormal breast growth called gynecomastia. The safety of these products when used by young girls is not known.
Tea tree oil is UNSAFE when taken by mouth. Don’t take tea tree oil by mouth. As a general rule never take undiluted essential oils by mouth due to the possibility of serious side effects. Taking tree tea oil by mouth has caused confusion, inability to walk, unsteadiness, rash, and coma.
Tea tree oil contains varying amounts of 1,8-cineole, a skin irritant. Products with high amounts of this compound may cause skin irritation or contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction, in some individuals. Oxidized tea tree oil (oil that has been exposed to air) may trigger allergies more than fresh tea tree oil.
Tea tree oil should not be swallowed. Poisonings, mainly in children, have caused drowsiness, disorientation, rash, and ataxia—a loss of muscle control in the arms and legs causing a lack of balance and coordination. One patient went into a coma after drinking half a cup of tea tree oil.
Topical use of diluted tea tree oil is generally considered safe for most adults. However, one case study did report a young boy who had developed breast growth after using a styling gel and shampoo that contained both lavender oil and tea tree oil.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Tea tree oil seems to be safe when applied to the skin. But it should not be taken by mouth. Ingestion of tea tree oil can be toxic.
The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
For nail fungus (onychomycosis): 100% tea tree oil solution applied twice daily for six months.
For athlete’s foot (tinea pedis): 25% or 50% tea tree oil solution applied twice daily for one month has been used. Tea tree oil 10% cream applied twice daily for one month has also been used.
For acne: 5% tea tree oil gel applied daily.
I'm Satisfied! June 09, 2010, From Korea, Republic of
Purchased as an anti-bacterial agent. For every application I add 1-2 drops to my face & back lotion. I get break-outs so wanted to use this, something natural, as a way to fight bacteria growth on my skin throughout the day. At night-time I add 1-2 drops of Tea Tree Oil to my ... Vitamin E Oil 5,000 I.U... Anyway, my skin has become noticeably clearer in the last couple of weeks, even though summer has started and with it increased sweat and potential for more acne problems...
Great product.. October 18, 2010, From Finland
Excellent tea tree oil. I love it that it's organic. I use it to eliminate pimples and it works well.
Excellent Product July 15, 2011, By Rita Adams From Washington
I've used this product for all types of skin conditions, including toenail fungus and an itchy scalp condition. Works great.
Organic Healing August 18, 2010, From Virginia
Excellent medicinal proporties for skin problems.
laundry additive May 10, 2009, From Texas
This is the first time I've bought tea tree oil, so my review is based on limited experience. Still, I'm happy with my purchase. I add the oil to my laundry to help disinfect my clothes and towels, and it leaves a nice, clean scent.
great oil February 17, 2010, By Lynne Turner From Massachusetts
I use a few drops in laundry specially to freshen towles or sheets. I also use in soaking bucket with diapers. I also like it for anti mold spray and skin ailments.
... - great product! April 08, 2009, From Maryland
... Tea tree oil has myriad uses ... We use it for acne, burns, cuts, scrapes, bug bites & stings, athlete's foot, foot odor and the prevention of head lice. So many remedies for so many icky things! In one bottle - and not to mention the toxicity of the conventional treatments and their expense. Love. This. Stuff.
Australian Tea Tree Oil May 08, 2009, From Finland
The oil is great. I have been using it together with the Aloe Vera gel for about 2 weeks, and I can see already a big improvement on my face. Thanks again for the great products you have here!
Tea Trea does wonders March 30, 2009, From Maryland
I have been amazed at the benefits of Tea Tree!It has helped my children with congestion, cuts and scrapes. I think it was a great value and good quality item.