Best thing from Australia? (Tea Tree)

Member Name: star500

Product:	Tea Tree
Date:	04/09/00 (216 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very versatile, has lots of uses

Disadvantages: Some people don’t like the antiseptic smell

The wonders of tea tree oil, or should that be melaleuca alternifolia? This is a must for any home as it is *so* versatile and can be used for a variety of things.

Working in a Pharmacy, I know quite a bit about the joys of tea tree oil but it still amazes me how many things that it can be used for - medical and not so medical.

The oil itself comes from the melaleuca alternifolia plant which is native to Australia. Tea tree is an essential oil and is generally used as a natural antiseptic. However, it is much more than that as it has antibacterial, antifungal and possible antiviral properties. It is best to use 100% pure TTO which can be applied neat to the skin (obviously avoiding the eyes and other sensitive areas!)

The oil is also safe to use on young skins and should not cause irritation - although each person is different so if you have extremely sensitive skin then it may be wise to apply it to a small area initially.

It is widely available from pharmacies and health food shops and well known brands include "Australian Bodycare" and "Thursday Plantation". Prices range from about £3.99-£6.99 depending on the size of the bottle but Boots have their own brand which costs around £6 for a 20ml bottle. This is very good value for the size of the bottle and the quality of the oil.

No matter what brand you buy, make sure that it is sourced from the melaleuca alternifolia plant and is 100% pure.

There is a wide range of uses for the oil from top to toe including:

Prevention of head lice
-----------------------

Using TTO shampoo or conditioner or (preferably) using neat oil on the scalp after washing may help to prevent re-infection of head lice. Obviously it is best to rid the hair of lice first as it is not strong enough to kill them but, because the little blighters don’t like the smell of the oil, they are less likely to infect your child’s head after
application. Some people find it works, some don’t - but it’s worth a try, eh?

Flaky Scalp
-----------

This isn’t very well known but if you massage a few drops of oil on to the worst affected parts of your scalp (preferably when hair is dry), leave for about 10-15mins and wash out, it can help to combat a dry flaky scalp.

Spots
-----

One of its most popular uses - dabbing pure TTO on spots can help to get rid of them more quickly. Some shops sell TTO sticks which only contain about 10% oil . But a little tea tree is better than nothing!

Dog Breath
----------

Well, not exactly but if you rinse your mouth with a mild solution of TTO and warm water, it can help with minor mouth infections and possibly bad breath. It does leave a antiseptic type taste in your mouth which resembles clove oil (doesn’t linger very long though).

In the bath
-----------

Adding a few drops to your bath water has been reported to help with skin conditions such as eczema but I’m a bit dubious about that one as I find that a moisturising bath (eg using a medicinal bath oil) would be a much better option. However, it can help with fungal infections such as thrush as it acts as a mild antifungal and antiseptic.

Athlete’s Foot
--------------

Again, you can use it in the bath but it would be better to add a few drops to a basin of water and soak the feet. This is because a more concentrated solution is obtained. It isn’t meant as a substitute for the use of an antifungal cream or spray but it has been known to complement them.


There are so many more uses that it would take forever to list and people come up with new ones every day. The latest one that I’ve heard was as a cuticle and nail treatment after removing nail varnish.

Must try that one because after all of this typing, my nails are in terrible condi
tion!!!

Summary: