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What Is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil is a natural oil that is derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca Alternifolia tree, which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, in Australia.

It is therefore also sometimes known as Melaleuca oil.

In terms of colour, it can be anywhere from nearly clear to pale yellow, and it usually smells of camphor.

Tea Tree Oil History

It was the Bundjalung people, in eastern Australia, that first made use of “tea trees”, but without the equipment to create the type of oils we see today, they simply crushed the leaves, and then inhaled the oils that were released, to help them with illnesses such as coughs and colds.

They also used to put the leaves, covered by a poultice, on wounds, and the leaves could also be used to make an infusion that helped with both sore throats and skin ailments.

It was only in the 1920s and 1930s that the oil itself became more popular, and that was thanks to a man called Arthur Penfold, who researched the oil and discovered that it has antimicrobial properties that are over ten times more active than phenol.

Its use declined after World War II, largely due to the availability of antibiotics, but it is now making a comeback, partly because it is a natural product, and consumers are becoming increasingly wary of chemical-based drugs and the big pharmaceutical companies who produce them, and partly because more and more antibiotics are creating resistant strains of bacteria, a problem that does not happen with the use of Australian tea tree oil.

Tea Tree Oil Benefits

So, what are some of the tea tree oil uses?

Firstly, it is known as a powerful antiseptic, which is why it is a popular ingredient in topical skin care products.

It is apparently effective against fungal infections, viruses, bacteria, mites (e.g. scabies) and lice (e.g. head lice).

In fact, tea tree oil is more effective against head lice than permethrin, a chemical-based treatment for this problem.
Most interestingly, perhaps, is the fact that it is effective against Staphylococcus aureus, including the rapidly-spreading MRSA. Not only this, but as we said earlier, it does not end up causing resistant strains of bacteria in the same way that prescription antibiotics do.

Another common use of tea tree oil is for acne, where it has been shown to be as effective as benzoyl peroxide, at a 5% strength. Now, it might take longer to treat your acne using tea tree oil, but we believe this is far preferable than applying harsh chemicals with all of their potential side-effects.

You’ll also find plenty of tea tree oil shampoos on the market, and that’s because it is an effective anti-dandruff agent too.

And if you add just a few drops to a bottle of baby shampoo, it can be used to get rid of head lice?

Want more?

Well, it’s good for getting rid of the yeast infection known as Candidiasis.

And lastly, there is some research, albeit fairly limited at this time, that shows tea tree oil may be effective against certain viruses, including chicken pox, shingles and even herpes (e.g. cold sores).

Manuka Honey

The Manuka bush is closely related to Melaleuca alternifolia, so it’s not surprising, therefore, that honey made from this bush also exhibits powerful antimicrobial properties.

It apparently works by breaking down the defences bacteria use against antibiotics, making it useful in treating MRSA and other so-called “superbug” infections.

In fact, medical-grade Manuka honey is the only type of honey we will use, and you can tell the difference!

Where To Buy Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil products (e.g. shampoo, soap) are available the world over nowadays, in both retail stores and online, but for us, we always turn first to our preferred supplier, Amazon.com.

As we locate more products that include tea tree oil, we’ll add them to this site. If you sign up for our RSS feed, you’ll be notified automatically whenever this happens.

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