Melaleuca Alternifolia
Australian Tea Tree
Let's begin the series of essential oil monographs with Tea Tree oil, one of the most pervasive essential oils in the consumer marketplace. One of the first products to carry Tea Tree oil was Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Shampoo back in the 1980s. Tea Tree was incorporated into the shampoo to soothe an itchy scalp, help control dandruff and clean up an oily scalp also. Since then, Tea Tree is in everything from soaps to mouthwashes to housecleaning products.
What is Tea Tree?
Tea Tree essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves (and sometimes branches) of the Tea Tree plant, a member of the Melaleuca family. The Tea Tree oil we are discussing here is Melaleuca Alternifolia. Any oil labeled anything else (even if it says "Tea Tree") is not what you want. There is New Zealand Tea Tree, which is a different species and oils made from Melaleuca Leucadendron. If you want Australian Tea Tree, then you want Melaleuca Alternifolia.
How do you use it?
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) is, literally, a killer oil. Germicidal, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral, Tea Tree has many uses both in holistic health treatment and in disinfecting. Its varied abilities have led to its increased popularity and incorporation into a myriad of products. Unfortunately, Tea Tree's popularity has been its downfall, and it has become difficult for the average consumer to separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of quality.
If you have a high quality (see below) oil, completely unadulterated, you will find Tea Tree is great for the following uses:
1. Acne -- A very little goes a very long way, and a mixture of 20 drops of Tea Tree with 6 ounces of organic Witch Hazel, 30 drops of Rosemarinus Officinalis and 1 ounce of water makes an excellent toner for acne prone skin. Tea Tree and Witch Hazel are naturally astringent, and Tea Tree's antibacterial properties have been shown in multiple clinical studies to kill the bacteria that causes acne breakouts. Shake well before use.
2. Respiratory problems -- Boil up 16 ounces of water, pour into a heat-resistant bowl and add 5-10 drops of Tea Tree; the steam will help sufferers of sinusitis, asthma and chronic coughs breathe a bit easier. In this instance, both Tea Tree's antibacterial and expectorant actions are at work. An alternative to this treatment is to put 5 drops in a diffuser.
3. Candida yeast -- Tea Tree can do a mean job on vaginal yeast infections; put 2-3 drops in a sitz bath or a full bath filled on a couple of inches. Repeat twice daily for a week. Please remember that a yeast infection is a symptom of other medical issues; make sure to visit your doctor to be certain you aren't suffering from something more serious.
4. Athlete's foot -- The same anti-fungal power can kill athlete's foot. Make up a spray of 3 ounces water, one ounce vodka, and 20 drops of Tea Tree. Spray feet and sneakers. By the same token, use Tea Tree to wash affected gym wear. 30 drops in a full load of clothes, use only on whites.
5. Disinfecting the bathroom -- 3 drops in hot water makes a great mopping solution, and another 3 drops of Tea Tree with 3 drops of Eucalyptus Globulus in the toilet bowl will get rid of any odors.
Much research has been done lately on Tea Tree's ability to fight off drug-resistant staphylococcus infections (MRSA), and hospitals in England are starting to use it as part of protocol. Hopefully, aromatherapy can save the day on this one!
Why does it work?
The main chemical components are terpinen-4-ol, terpinenes, cineoles (1.4 and 1.8), pinene, and limonene. (There are other chemicals present.)
When researching a quality Tea Tree oil, please find out the chemical breakdown from your supplier (this is why buying oils at the supermarket is a bad idea): you want an oil that is at least 30% terpinen-4-ol (preferably around 40%) with a low percentage of cineoles. A little cineole can go a long way, and while 1.8 cineole is an excellent expectorant, too much can lead to liver problems.
1.8 cineole, limonene, and pinene can all cause skin irritation, so please always test one drop in the crook of your arm. If you have any rashes or burning, rinse off with milk or olive oil, followed with soap and water.
What are the dangers?
Non-organic oils, oils made poorly, oils of the wrong chemical ratios -- these are the by-products of a popular product. Organic Tea Tree essential oil from a quality supplier with a high terpinen-4-ol percentage and a low (around 6%) 1.8 cineole percentage should be safe for almost anyone.
Store all oils away from light and heat. Keep your bottles closed tightly -- oxidization will destroy even the highest quality Tea Tree oil!
Always test new oils on the crook of your arm for sensitization.
Don't expose yourself to anymore than 15 drops (topically or inhaled) in one day, and don't use on infants, pregnant/lactating moms, the very elderly or frail, cats or dogs.
As with all oils, err on the side of caution, i.e., if deciding between using 2 and 3 drops, use 2. With essential oils, less is always more!
Exercise common sense! Don't put anything in your mouth unless a Registered Aromatherapist, Naturopath, Herbalist or your doctor says so!
Final Note.
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine, published in 2007, entitled "Prepubertal Gynecomastia Linked to Lavender and Tea Tree Oils" by Henley, Lipson, Korach and Bloch discussed three cases of boys under the age of 11 who developed breasts. The authors draw the conclusion that lavender and tea tree oils were to blame. Melaleuca Alternifolia was involved in only one of the cases, and this was as an ingredient in a styling gel and a shampoo (interestingly enough, this was a Paul Mitchell shampoo). Further research is needed before medical conclusions can be drawn. Even the authors state on page 6 of the report "Other components in these products may also possess endocrine-disrupting activity that contributed to the gynecomastia, but those components were not tested because we chose to evaluate only...(lavender oil) and a chemically similar component that was found in some of the products (tea tree oil)." It is not even known if the products themselves were to blame, and it has been pointed out by aromatherapists much smarter than myself that lavender and tea tree oils are not chemically similar.
I am no scientist. I simply note that, when studies find Tea Tree oil to be 5% more effective than antibiotics, it is dismissed as statistically negligible, but when one boy happens to use a shampoo with Tea Tree oil in it and develops gynecomastia, it's taken as scientific proof. I leave you to draw the conclusions.
Let's begin the series of essential oil monographs with Tea Tree oil, one of the most pervasive essential oils in the consumer marketplace. One of the first products to carry Tea Tree oil was Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Shampoo back in the 1980s. Tea Tree was incorporated into the shampoo to soothe an itchy scalp, help control dandruff and clean up an oily scalp also. Since then, Tea Tree is in everything from soaps to mouthwashes to housecleaning products.
What is Tea Tree?
Tea Tree essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves (and sometimes branches) of the Tea Tree plant, a member of the Melaleuca family. The Tea Tree oil we are discussing here is Melaleuca Alternifolia. Any oil labeled anything else (even if it says "Tea Tree") is not what you want. There is New Zealand Tea Tree, which is a different species and oils made from Melaleuca Leucadendron. If you want Australian Tea Tree, then you want Melaleuca Alternifolia.
How do you use it?
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) is, literally, a killer oil. Germicidal, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral, Tea Tree has many uses both in holistic health treatment and in disinfecting. Its varied abilities have led to its increased popularity and incorporation into a myriad of products. Unfortunately, Tea Tree's popularity has been its downfall, and it has become difficult for the average consumer to separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of quality.
If you have a high quality (see below) oil, completely unadulterated, you will find Tea Tree is great for the following uses:
1. Acne -- A very little goes a very long way, and a mixture of 20 drops of Tea Tree with 6 ounces of organic Witch Hazel, 30 drops of Rosemarinus Officinalis and 1 ounce of water makes an excellent toner for acne prone skin. Tea Tree and Witch Hazel are naturally astringent, and Tea Tree's antibacterial properties have been shown in multiple clinical studies to kill the bacteria that causes acne breakouts. Shake well before use.
2. Respiratory problems -- Boil up 16 ounces of water, pour into a heat-resistant bowl and add 5-10 drops of Tea Tree; the steam will help sufferers of sinusitis, asthma and chronic coughs breathe a bit easier. In this instance, both Tea Tree's antibacterial and expectorant actions are at work. An alternative to this treatment is to put 5 drops in a diffuser.
3. Candida yeast -- Tea Tree can do a mean job on vaginal yeast infections; put 2-3 drops in a sitz bath or a full bath filled on a couple of inches. Repeat twice daily for a week. Please remember that a yeast infection is a symptom of other medical issues; make sure to visit your doctor to be certain you aren't suffering from something more serious.
4. Athlete's foot -- The same anti-fungal power can kill athlete's foot. Make up a spray of 3 ounces water, one ounce vodka, and 20 drops of Tea Tree. Spray feet and sneakers. By the same token, use Tea Tree to wash affected gym wear. 30 drops in a full load of clothes, use only on whites.
5. Disinfecting the bathroom -- 3 drops in hot water makes a great mopping solution, and another 3 drops of Tea Tree with 3 drops of Eucalyptus Globulus in the toilet bowl will get rid of any odors.
Much research has been done lately on Tea Tree's ability to fight off drug-resistant staphylococcus infections (MRSA), and hospitals in England are starting to use it as part of protocol. Hopefully, aromatherapy can save the day on this one!
Why does it work?
The main chemical components are terpinen-4-ol, terpinenes, cineoles (1.4 and 1.8), pinene, and limonene. (There are other chemicals present.)
When researching a quality Tea Tree oil, please find out the chemical breakdown from your supplier (this is why buying oils at the supermarket is a bad idea): you want an oil that is at least 30% terpinen-4-ol (preferably around 40%) with a low percentage of cineoles. A little cineole can go a long way, and while 1.8 cineole is an excellent expectorant, too much can lead to liver problems.
1.8 cineole, limonene, and pinene can all cause skin irritation, so please always test one drop in the crook of your arm. If you have any rashes or burning, rinse off with milk or olive oil, followed with soap and water.
What are the dangers?
Non-organic oils, oils made poorly, oils of the wrong chemical ratios -- these are the by-products of a popular product. Organic Tea Tree essential oil from a quality supplier with a high terpinen-4-ol percentage and a low (around 6%) 1.8 cineole percentage should be safe for almost anyone.
Store all oils away from light and heat. Keep your bottles closed tightly -- oxidization will destroy even the highest quality Tea Tree oil!
Always test new oils on the crook of your arm for sensitization.
Don't expose yourself to anymore than 15 drops (topically or inhaled) in one day, and don't use on infants, pregnant/lactating moms, the very elderly or frail, cats or dogs.
As with all oils, err on the side of caution, i.e., if deciding between using 2 and 3 drops, use 2. With essential oils, less is always more!
Exercise common sense! Don't put anything in your mouth unless a Registered Aromatherapist, Naturopath, Herbalist or your doctor says so!
Final Note.
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine, published in 2007, entitled "Prepubertal Gynecomastia Linked to Lavender and Tea Tree Oils" by Henley, Lipson, Korach and Bloch discussed three cases of boys under the age of 11 who developed breasts. The authors draw the conclusion that lavender and tea tree oils were to blame. Melaleuca Alternifolia was involved in only one of the cases, and this was as an ingredient in a styling gel and a shampoo (interestingly enough, this was a Paul Mitchell shampoo). Further research is needed before medical conclusions can be drawn. Even the authors state on page 6 of the report "Other components in these products may also possess endocrine-disrupting activity that contributed to the gynecomastia, but those components were not tested because we chose to evaluate only...(lavender oil) and a chemically similar component that was found in some of the products (tea tree oil)." It is not even known if the products themselves were to blame, and it has been pointed out by aromatherapists much smarter than myself that lavender and tea tree oils are not chemically similar.
I am no scientist. I simply note that, when studies find Tea Tree oil to be 5% more effective than antibiotics, it is dismissed as statistically negligible, but when one boy happens to use a shampoo with Tea Tree oil in it and develops gynecomastia, it's taken as scientific proof. I leave you to draw the conclusions.
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