Melaleuca alternifolia, better known as Tea Tree, is one of the most versatile essential oils available on the market today, as well as being one of the best known. With a spicy, perhaps woodsy, and almost medicinal smell, pure Tea Tree essential oil is not the best smelling stuff, but with a wealth of therapeutic uses, Tea Tree Essential Oil's scent is easily an acquired one.
Essential oils can be used for therapeutic or medicinal purposes, and this article will touch upon several such uses. However, it is important to always remember that anything on the internet, using essential oils, and things a writer puts up on a webpage should never be used as a substitute for true medical care from a qualified health professional should such care be necessary.
When learning more about essential oils, one will clearly see that most essential oils state clearly that the user must dilute the oils with another carrier base. Tea Tree is one of the few essential oils where most manufacturers indicate Tea Tree is safe to use undiluted.
The melaleuca alternifolia plant is from the myrtle plant and tree family, and these plants are known for their topical anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. The aboriginal tribes would chew on the leaves to help alleviate headaches and would pack food in the leaves to help prevent spoilage.
More modern uses for the distilled Tea Tree Oil have been found. Let's look at a few of the most popular topical uses for Tea Tree Oil.
Tea Tree Oil For Skin Care
Acne - Tea Tree Oil can be used full strength directly on skin blemishes, the surrounding area, or drops of Tea Tree Oil can be added to a liquid soap and used to wash the entire affected area. Tea Tree Oil will speed healing and may help reduce scarring. Apply two to three times daily, particularly at night.
Cell Renewal - Tea Tree Oil has been shown to help regenerate skin cells, so adding a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to a moisturizer or night cream may help repair dull skin and help promote cell regeneration. Tea Tree Oil is often found listed in the ingredients of skin care products by its Latin name.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Tea Tree Essential Oil Topical Uses
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Tea Tree - 3 Amazing Variations of This Venerable Tree.
A tee tree, which is also well-known as a ti tree, is commonly used to refer to all related or possibly even unrelated series of trees which grow the leaves that are used to create this species of trees that may or may not contain the leaves from which conventional tea is even derived.
Nevertheless, they all have been labeled as such due to the fact that, at some point in time, numerous people have utilized leaves of these type of trees for the process of making tea.
That is to say people as well as groups have taken these leaves from the tea tree and soaked them in water so that they could make a tea like product. Although there are many types that are included in the tea tree classification, for the sake of space, we will discuss three in this article as examples; the leptospermum tree, the kanuka tree, and camelia sinensis, a true tea tree.
Kanuka
This type of tea tree is situated in New Zealand and is actually more like a shrub then a type of tree. This tea tree can grow very large and is plentiful across the landscape of New Zealand, and because of the little beautiful white flowers it has, tea trees such as these also develop into a beautiful backdrop across much of the landscape.
Some equate the appearance of a large grouping of kanuka trees to that of a snowy hillside in the winter. Despite the fact that the leaves are quite often utilized for tea making, this type of tea tree in reality only makes an herbal tea product, so technically speaking it is not actually a true tea making tea tree.
Leptospermum
Similar to the kanuka tea tree, the leptospermum more accurately resembles a bush as opposed to an actual tree. Similar to the kanuka, this tea tree is primarily located in New Zealand. However, it is mostly predominant in Australia, and yet just as similar to the kanuka tree, the leptospemum leaves create an herbal tea and not the actual true tea type of white, green, black/red or oolong. In addition to utilizing these tea leaves to make a tea like product, for a very long time natives have used the flowers nectar to create honey.
Camellia Sinensis
The camellia sinensis is one of the true tea tree out of which all teas, green, black/red, white and oolong are originally plucked from. It is primarily based on the eventual oxidation process that influences the final product. However nuances in flavor are also very relevant to the area of each camellia sinensis tea tree. This tea tree is indigenous to Asian regions, however today they can be located and are produced all around the world. All that is actually required is a small amount of tropical weather so that camellia sinensis can grow.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Tea Tree Oil, Medicine Kit in a Bottle
Tea Tree Oil has been known to the Bundjalung Tribe of New South Wales Australia for hundreds of years for its medicinal properties.
This wonder oil was only tested scientifically in the early 1920's by Arthur Penfold and found to be around 12 times more powerful than carbolic acid and yet caused no harm to the skin. It was used extensively by the Australian Defence Force during World War Two but due to the discovery of synthetic drugs did not become popular again until the 1960's.
Over the years it has proved itself as a natural antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory oil. One great development was that it was found to deep penetrate the skin cleaning it and encouraging the formation of scar tissue.
Some of the medical uses include healing blisters, reducing swelling from insect bites and stings, cleaning and healing abrasions and cuts, cures athletes foot and is very helpful in the healing of acne. It will cure a sore throat, cold sores, coughs and dental abscesses. It will solve most day to day first aid and medical problems.
It also lends to daily beauty care as putting drops in shampoo, body lotion, hand cream and in the bath will keep hair and skin clean and healthy. A couple of drops on toothpaste will prevent gum infections and bad breathe. It helps take the sting out of sunburn and softens corns and calluses.
Tea Tree Oil's anti-bacterial properties also extend use in the household chores, making the house clean and healthy. Putting drops in the humidifier will clean, disinfect and refresh the air and putting drops in the dishwasher and washing machine will kill all the germs.
Tea Trees only grow in Australia. There are many brands that are from inferior trees and not from the genuine Tea Tree whose Botanical name is Malaeuca. The name Tea Tree was given by Joseph Banks the botanist who traveled with Captain Cook and collected the leaves to make herbal teas.
Your first purchase should be made from a Health Shop until you know how to define whether it is the genuine oil or an inferior oil as the results will obviously not be the same with an inferior product.
There are many excellent websites on the internet and many excellent books which will give you all uses of this wonderful oil. You will be amazed at the excellent results you obtain and will find it is truly a medicine kit in a bottle.
"A Medicine kit in a Bottle" Tea Tree or Melaleuca alternifolia
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.
As a member of the eucalyptus family, tea tree oil may offer some relief to those with respiratory infections. If a cold or flu has you congested, you might find that adding a few drops of tea tree oil to a nice hot bath or vaporizer offers some relief.
You can purchase pure tea tree oil at your local health food store-add a couple of drops to shampoo to treat dandruff, or mix with an equal amount of water for an astringent toner or antifungal. You can also apply tea tree oil directly to areas affected by athlete's foot or toenail fungus, or try adding a few drops to a tampon and insert for 24 hours as a natural treatment for yeast infection.
Tea tree oil is an active ingredient in a number of commercial scrubs, soaps, washes, shampoos, lotions, and toners. However, some people find tea tree oil to be irritating to their skin. It has also been reported to worsen eczema, and to cause vaginal irritation in some women. Tea tree oil should always be used topically, and is not meant for consumption-consuming even small amounts of this substance may be fatal.
