Tea Tree Oil

(Western Herb)

Melaleuca alternifolia

Tea Tree oil is also known as Ti tree, Teabaum, Teetree, Swamp tree, Australian tea tree, and Melaleuca oil.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND INFORMATION:

The Tea tree is a small tree that grows to a height of twenty to twenty-five feet high.

It produces whitish-yellow hanging flowers that are shaped like bottle brushes.

The Tea tree has layers of paper like bark and aromatic needle-like dark green leaves. It grows naturally only in swampy areas where rivers often flood the lowlands such as northeastern New South Wales and Australia.

The Melaleuca alternifolia is just one of the three hundred species of tea trees that grow in Australia. It is by far the most well known and because of the benefits of tea tree oil over the past many years, it is often referred to as “the wonder from down under.”

Tea tree oil is also “first aid in a bottle.” It certainly is a herbal remedy that you need to keep on hand to treat such things as cuts, sunburns and bug bites. Tea tree oil remedies are some of the strongest natural antiseptics known and is very useful for treating bacterial and fungal infections.

TARGET AILMENTS:

Apply externally for:

* disinfecting wounds

* acne

* boils

* athlete’s foot

* dandruff

* earache

* nail fungus

* ringworm

* head lice

* shingles

* herpes

* insect and spider bites

* scabies

* warts

* insect bites

* mastitis

* diaper rash

Use as a gargle for: (but do not swallow because ingesting tea tree oil is dangerous)

* colds

* laryngitis

* sore throats

* oral thrush

* cold sores

* canker sores

Use added to water for:

* douche for vaginitis

* candida

* trichomonas * wash for pruritus (itching of the anus and genital area)

Use in inhalations for:

* colds

* influenza

* fevers

* sinusitis

* coughs

* respiratory infections

* bronchitis

* catarrah

* laryngitis

* tonsillitis

* tuberculosis

* whooping cough

PREPARATION:

Tea tree is available as oil and is also now added to many soaps, creams, salves, shampoos, and other body care products.

Parts used: Leaves and small branches

Collection: Leaves and terminal branches are harvested every 12 to 18 months. The oil is steam distilled from the leaves and branches.

Constituents: Terpenes, terpinenes, sesquiterpenes, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpineol, beta-pinene , camphor, limonene, linalool, 8-cineole

Actions: Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiseptic, analgesic, germicide, cicatrizing, diaphoretic, expectorant, mucus-expelling

SAFETY AND SIDE EFFECTS:

* Ingesting tree tea oil may possibly cause nerve damage.

* Should not be used by people who are allergic to celery or thyme, contains same same allergen and can cause an allergic reaction.

* Use caution when applying to areas of broken skin or rashes.

* Skin and vaginal irritation may occur in sensitive individuals.

* People who have sensitive skin should dilute the oil with a bland oil, such as vegetable oil.

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

* This oil can be used to kill fleas on pets.

* Add a few drops of the oil (a natural deodorizer) to your wash to help deodorize clothes to get rid of odors.