Benefits of Tea Tree Oil
From pimples to pristine sportswear, tea tree oil has a purpose to play in all our lives. And it seems most companies agree with the many benefits of tea tree oil. Many skin care and beauty products contain it these days. It’s one of the most well known essential oils on the market today and has been a popular natural remedy for centuries.
Tea tree oil originates from the leaves of the beautiful Australian tree called Melaleuca alternifolia, or tea tree for short. Aboriginals have used tea tree oil as a traditional medicine for years to treat coughs and colds, wounds and infections (1).
15 Useful Ways To Incorporate Tea Tree Oil Into Your Life
A natural and powerful extract, it offers antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. These are highly useful for helping the following conditions (2):
- Acne
- Eczema
- Fungal Infections On The Nail
- Lice
- Scabies
- Athlete’s Foot
- Ringworm
- Mouth & Nose Infections
- Ear Infections – Otitis Media & Otitis Externa
- Cuts & Abrasions
- Burns
- Insect Bites & Strings
- Boils
- Vaginal Infections
- Toothache & Sore Throat
Acne
From a small pimple to acne, we all dread those breakouts. There aren’t many natural skin care products effective in treating pimples. However, tea tree’s antibacterial properties, help get rid of bacteria, breakouts and acne. This special oil not only treats acne, but also cleans up the bacterial overgrowth while reducing redness and swelling. It also helps prevent acne scars. Buying a natural tea tree skin care product or applying tea tree oil to your every day facial wash and cleanser will help to decrease acne (3).
Eczema
Tea Tree oil contains components that soothe and eases the symptoms and flares of eczema (4). For example, anti-inflammatory compounds minimize irritation to reduce itching. Adding at least two drops of tea tree oil to a facial wash, not only reduces irritating eczema flare-ups, but it could also erase eczema. If you suffer from oily skin, tea tree oil combats the struggle. Also try adding a few drops of tea tree oil to your sunscreen, moisturizer or even your daily facial toner.
Fungal Infections Of The Nail
They can be painful and cause many difficulties in your everyday life. Fungal infections in your toenails or fingernails can lead to a change of color and thickening of nails. In extreme cases, cracking or loss of the whole nail can occur, it can be excruciatingly painful and may affect your ability to use your feet or hands for a while. Tea Tree oil can repair and fight the fungal infection. Applying the oil regularly to the infection can help heal a fungal infection and improve the health of your nails. If the health of your nails suffers from wearing toxic nail polish, try massaging a few drops of tea tree oil into your cuticles and nails most nights or add two to three drops of tea tree oil to your favorite hand cream.
Lice
Every mother’s nightmare! Tea tree oil has come into play as a natural remedy for solving many medical and physical conditions, and yes including head lice. It can kill lice in the adult stages of life, and treatments also reduced the number of lice eggs that hatched. In some cases it also keeps lice away. Adding at least 10% to your traditional shampoo or hair product can be highly effective. We find that alternating a tea tree treatment with a coconut oil treatment works more effectively.
Scabies
Much like head lice, scabies can be easily attracted by skin-to-skin contact with another person who has the condition. Most people resort to medication, but research has stated that tea tree oil is five per cent more effective in killing the eggs and mites which lay and hatch their eggs in the top layer of your skin (5). A treatment to resort to would be buying a bottle of shampoo with a five per cent total of tea tree oil, covering yourself with the shampoo and leave it for 5 minutes, then rinse off.
Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot is an infection located on your feet, often in between your toes. In worse cases, this infection can also spread to other parts of your body. Athlete’s foot arises from a buildup of fungus from sweaty feet and wearing socks that don’t absorb moisture. Drying your feet after swimming or washing is really important for this condition. Tea tree oil can annihilate this infection. It helps to reduce inflammation of athlete’s foot without the drying and other negative symptoms in other medications (6).
Ringworm
Ringworm is another fungal infection that affects the skin on your body. As the name suggests, someone with ringworm has circular rash or rashes that form on the skin. You can catch ringworm from any contact to another human that is carrying the fungus. The antifungal properties of tea tree oil give it the ability to defeat the fungal infection.
Mouth & Nose Infections
Mouth and nose infections are often caused by a buildup of either bacteria or fungus. As tea tree cannot be swallowed, the best way to treat this type of infection around the nose and mouth area is to inhale the steam from a steam inhalator which is filled with Melaleuca (tea tree) oil. In many cases, it has cleared the infection, sinus and killed the bacteria around the mouth area. Try adding it to your bath water for a remedy for coughs, bronchial congestion, and pulmonary inflammation (7). Interestingly, we also found a study suggesting tea tree oil useful as an antimicrobial action against E. coli and Staph infection (8).
Ear Infections – Otitis Media & Otitis Externa
The most common start to an ear infection is from nasal and sinus congestion caused from a buildup of mucus. It leaks into the ear canal, and becomes infiltrated by bacteria. Tea tree oil can treat ear infections, and also help soothe or prevent occurrences. Mix two or three drops of tea tree oil with ¼ cup of warm olive oil, tilt your head and slowly add a couple of drops into the ear and wait for one minute. Add melaleuca oil to a steam vaporizer and place it next to your bed as you sleep. Steam inhalation of Melaleuca oil clears the sinus and kills bacteria (9).
Cuts & Abrasions
It’s a fantastic antiseptic and has many properties that make it acceptable for the healing of cuts and abrasions. For example, the liquid contains analgesic, antibacterial and antioxidant, these feature are excellent for cuts and scrapes. It cleans the wound, enhance healing, and preventing infections. Be careful when using on kids; it often stings when applied to open wounds.
Burns
A burn can be excruciatingly painful and irritating in most situations. A fresh burn is effectively an open wound. Adding it is an active and perfect infection-fighting oil. It also decreases the swelling and prevents some pain.
Insect Bites & Stings
For the healing or prevention of insect bites and stings, tea tree oil is one of the most popular of essential oils. First, clean with antibacterial soap. Then, add about one to three drops of the oil. Many suggest that this is the most natural way to treat an insect bite and sting.
Boils
Never underestimate a boil! Boils are caused by bacteria that infect, and then cause inflamed hair follicles. Some can grow up to the size of a tennis ball. The area around the infection swells and turns red. It eliminates the bacterial infection that causes the boil. Apply tea tree oil and a dilution of coconut oil directly on the boil daily.
Vaginal Infections
Vaginal infections come in many different ways, although studies suggest that tea tree oil may be the best home remedies for treating this type of infection. Mix tea tree oil, lavender oil and coconut oil together and shape into a suppository mold kit. Use one suppository every day for six days. This method can allow full cleansing and elimination of the infection or in severe cases use twice a day for twelve days. Consult with your healthcare professional.
Toothache & Sore Throat
It’s an excellent remedy for a toothache and a sore throat. Never swallow it. It is a poison. Some uses include using it as a mouthwash, treatment for bad breath, and treatment of a toothache and mouth ulcers. Add a drop to a glass of water, swish around the mouth, then spit out once the mixture has covered your whole mouth a couple of times. To remedy a toothache try dabbing an earbud soaked with tea tree oil onto the aching tooth.
Household Uses
Try it as a house cleaner! It kills mold, and it is a natural deodorant and air clearer. You will see products containing tea tree oil marketed as a natural and environmentally friendly product. As we mentioned earlier, being ‘natural’ doesn’t mean it is non-toxic or non-poisonous. We love adding a teaspoon to our load of laundry to give an extra clean freshness. It even works effectively on our sweaty sports gear and stinky farming clothes.
Comment Below!
We hope you find all these practical usages helpful. Share with us how you like to use it in the comments below.
Resources
- http://theconversation.com/indigenous-medicine-a-fusion-of-ritual-and-remedy-33142
- https://nccih.nih.gov/health/tea/treeoil.htm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17314442
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20865268
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1772908/
- https://bettermindbodysoul.com/benefits-of-tea-tree-oil/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10735256
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/
