Tea Tree Oil – The Wonder from Down Under

In Australia, where it originally comes from tea tree oil, which is also known as melaleuca oil,  has been used by the native Aborigines fro centuries as both a medicine to cure or alleviate a number of ailments and as a beauty aid. It was on in the 1950s though that the rest of the world began to become aware of all the beneficial uses this pale yellow oil could be put to.

Harvesting Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is extracted from a tree that is native to New South Wales in Australia called the Melaleuca alternifolia. It is nicknamed the tea tree because natives used the leaves for centuries to make a herbal tea. When extracted from the leaves of the tea tree tea tree oil is pale yellow in color and has a slightly camphor like odor in its natural state.

Organic Tea Tree Oil Benefits – Tea tree oil has been mass harvested for several decades now to meet an ever growing demand for a product that can only be found in a single country. Organic tea tree oil is made only from the oil itself and no preservatives or colors are added. This means that you get a great oil that has a wide range of uses without the added complication of unnatural chemicals or other substances.

Tea Tree Oil Benefits

The people who have lived around tea trees all of their lives are used to using tea tree oil extracted from the leaves by crushing them for all kinds of different things and were more than aware of all the benefits of tea tree oil long before researchers and scientists became interested in the oil in the 1930s when they began studying its effectiveness as both an anti bacterial agent and as an anti fungal. By the 1970s the popularity of tea tree oil abroad saw factories spring up and tea tree oil began to be produced on an industrial scale.

Today tea tree oil is being out to many of the same uses as it has been in Australia for hundreds of years as well as to some new ones that people have discovered as they too become familiar with tea tree oil.

Tea Tree Oil Side Effects – There is one thing that people must realize about tea tree oil before they begin to use it and that is that undiluted it is not safe for human consumption. Consuming undiluted tea tree oil can lead to serious stomach upset including diarrhea and cramping.

Tea Tree Oil For Health and Wellness

Tea tree oil is a wonderful natural healing agent and it has been proven by years of research to be particularly effective against three things: fungus, bacteria and viruses. Here are just some of the ailments and condition tea tree oil can be used to combat:

• Sore Throats, Congestion, Laryngitis: You can use a tea tree oil infused steam inhalation treatment to help a great many of the symptoms of the common cold and flu. All you need to is add a few drops of the oil to a bowl full of hot water and after covering your head with a towel inhale the vapors for 5-10 minutes at a time. You can repeat the process as often as necessary to get complete and continuing relief.
• Bad Breath, Gingivitis, Canker Sores – A mouth rinse made with warm water and a few drops of tea tree oil can be great for treating all kinds of oral problems, everything from bad breath to gum soreness and plaque. A few drops of tea tree oil added to your regular toothpaste can help make it more effective as well.
• Tea Tree Oil for Acne– Because it is such a wonderful anti bacterial agent tea tree oil can be used to help clear up acne of all kinds and prevent new acne from forming. For the best results use a cotton swab to apply tea tree oil to the affected areas of the the skin at night before you go to bed and then rinse it off in the morning.A number of other conditions can be relieved by using tea tree oil for skin care. These include psoriasis and eczema and it can also be used to help reduce the appearance of skin redness in general. As it is kinder to organic tea tree oil bar soap is also great for everyday facial and body washing.
• Tea Tree Oil for Toenail Fungus – Thanks to its natural anti fungal properties tea tree oil can be used to treat  toenail fungus, a condition that can be hard to treat with conventional skin treatments and preparations. One or two drops applied to each affected nail at the nail bed on a daily basis can quickly combat a problem that it can take weeks for prescription medications designed to cure a toenail fungus to overcome. Some people have also had good results treating plantar warts in this way as well.
• Tea Tree Oil for Hair -  Many people think that washing their hair with shampoo and then using a conditioner on a regular basis is enough to combat the effects of a build up of styling products and environmental toxins that are in the air all around us wherever we go. Unfortunately the chemicals and moisturizers in these products can often have the opposite effect leading to duller hair and even to scalp conditions like dandruff and scalp dermatitis.

A tea tree oil based shampoo cleanses as well as a “regular” shampoo but is kinder to the hair and does not dull it with unwanted substances. Tea tree oil is also an effective treatment against dandruff, flaking and is often used to treat head lice without causing the kind of damage to the scalp that chemical lice treatments can. Massaging the scalp with the oil on a regular basis can be an effective way to manage and treat all kinds of scalp problems.

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