Tea Tree Oil

Also known as: Melaleuca alternifolia

Tea tree oil is extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia of the Myrtaceae family and is also known as ti-tree, ti-trol and melasol.

Tea trees are native to New South Wales in Australia, and are produced nowhere else in the entire world, and it has been used by the aboriginal population of that country.  Tea tree oil is produced no where else in the world, besides Australia. The oil is only produced in Australia where the Aborigines used it for a long time for a variety of medicinal purposes, including tropical diseases and wound infections.

Aromatherapy using Tea Tree Essential Oil:

Benefits of Tea Tree Essential Oil:

Tea tree oil has a sharp, medicinal smell, but it is one of the most powerful immune system stimulants in the world of herbology.  It is able to provide relief and speed healing to most infections, whether they are bacterial, viral, or fungal in origin. 

It is known to clean cuts, abrasions, and other wounds quite well, while providing pain relief.

The therapeutic properties of tea tree oil are many and varied.  Tea tree essential oil is a great multipurpose oil for all types of infections. 

It is well known to kill microbes, thereby helping with things such as dysentery, while its antiseptic properties make it perfect for cleaning wounds and treating bacterial infections.  It is great for treating fungal infections, and killing viral bacteria too. 

It works well as an insecticide and may be added to hair treatments to repel lice, as well as being an insect repellent.

Tea tree essential oil can help relieve herpes outbreaks, lessen the frequency and duration of outbreaks, while easing the painful symptoms of the virus. 

It is great in gum, dental rinse, and toothpaste and helping to prevent gum disease. 

There have been cases of successful treatment of respiratory infections, yeast infections, athlete’s foot, and many other applications.

  • Tea tree oil can be used for aromatherapy in simmer pots, diffusers, or steam therapy. 
  • For injured or sore areas, it can be applied topically, or mixed with water for cleansing. 
  • It can be blended as massage oil or as bath oil, in mouth rinses and gargles.
  • Added to shampoo, or cream and lotion bases. The general dilution for hair products is ten drops of oil in every sixteen ounces of shampoo.

Side Effects of Tea Tree Essential Oil:

Tea tree oil is considered safe oil.  It has never been considered toxic or an irritant.

There have been cases of sensitization, so this should be watched for when using tea tree oil on a long term basis.