Rediscovering Tea Tree Oil – and 8 Reasons to Stock Up
The deeper you go exploring the ins and outs of your own health, making health-enhancing tweaks becomes second nature. Be it eating dinner earlier and breakfast later, decreasing the amount of sugar you eat and alcohol you drink, being kind to yourself and others, or even just purging plastic from your kitchen, every tweak counts. So, when you come across a product that does so many good things, that’s a keeper. One of my favorites, tea tree oil, is an often-overlooked multi-purpose, multi-tasking essential oil (or concentrated plant extract) that everyone should get to know better. What’s so great about this stuff? Plenty. Here’s what you need to know and why you should always have some on hand:
Tea tree oil is an ancient health-hacker.
When it comes to natural medicinal elixirs, ancient cultures often came up with the goods. Tea tree oil is one of them, derived from the tea tree plant which grows primarily in Australia’s New South Wales and Queensland. For centuries, the continent’s indigenous people have used tea tree oil as a germ killer, applied topically on wounds and skin infections, and as an herbal medicine to treat coughs and colds. They crushed and heated the leaves, then inhaled the vapors.
Tea tree oil takes on everyday irritations.
These days, this essential oil is used topically, as a super helpful, drug-fee, natural way to help treat a variety of common annoyances. By tapping into tea tree oil’s strong antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties you can tamp down everyday irritations like nail fungus, dandruff, athlete’s foot, skin infections and more – without having to run to the drug store to pick up specialized chemically-based ointments or prescription pharmaceuticals.
A little dab’ll do you, but not Fido.
Topical application of essential oils like tea tree oil are generally well tolerated but, before you dive in – particularly if you have any plant allergies – be sure to do a simple patch test before applying to skin to check for potential skin irritation. It’s a good idea to experiment with healing recipes that dilute the tea tree oil a bit to also reduce chances of an allergic reaction. A note of caution though: never apply undiluted tea tree oil directly to the skin, and avoid taking tea tree oil orally, as swallowing the stuff can trigger serious symptoms such as confusion, breathing problems, and, worst case, even coma. Also keep tea tree oil out of reach of children and pets as just a few drops can make them severely ill.
Tea tree oil is Mother Nature’s unassuming disinfectant.
One of the most well-known uses of tea tree oil is as a natural disinfectant, thanks to its built-in antimicrobial compounds which are particularly effective when it comes to killing bacteria, viruses, and fungi throughout your home:
- Got household surfaces that could use a clean-up without using an unhealthy commercial antibacterial brew? Make tea tree oil your DIY all-purpose cleaner default. With hot water, a few drops of tea tree oil and vinegar, you can easily mix up a safe and effective household disinfectant that you can spritz liberally, for far less than you’d pay for store-bought ‘natural’ or eco-friendly brands.
- Got issues with mold and mildew? Tea tree oil contains terpenes that help kill mold spores and prevent them from coming back. Simply mix a few drops of tea tree oil with water in a spray bottle and spray it onto affected areas to send mold and mildew packing.
- Got dirty laundry? Here too, a few drops of tea tree oil added to your usual laundry detergent can also help eliminate bacteria that may be lingering on your clothes.
Trade commercial hand sanitizers for the DIY tea tree oil version.
The last few years have certainly raised our consciousness about the importance of frequent hand washing to reduce the chances of picking up a bug. But this new awareness did leave a lot of us with some mighty dry, cracked hands and fingers. The attention to hygiene is still a smart idea. However, when you’re on-the-go and not near a sink, you can keep hands cleaner with less cracking by bringing along your own DIY hand sanitizer, using a simple recipe that combines moisturizing tea tree oil, lemon oil and lavender oil.
Tea tree oil is the secret weapon for clearer skin.
Tea tree oil’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties make it an excellent remedy for acne-prone skin as it can reduce the redness and inflammation that accompany breakouts – without pouring a lot of harsh chemicals onto your already irritated skin. It’s been shown to work as well as benzoyl peroxide, with far fewer side effects.
How does it work? Tea tree oil’s antibacterial powers get the job done by helping to fight the bacteria that cause acne, while its ability to regulate sebum production makes it especially helpful for those with oily skin. When applied topically on inflamed areas, tea tree oil also helps tame the redness, irritation, swelling, and pain caused by various skin conditions, including eczema, and psoriasis, etc.
To work it into your skin care routine, always remember to dilute it, particularly when applying it to your face. To do that try mixing 2-3 drops of tea tree oil with your usual moisturizer, or, dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba. Again, start with a patch test first to guard against irritation.
Tea tree oil helps care for your hair.
Stroll the aisles of your local Walgreens or Whole Foods and chances are, you’re going to see plenty of hair care products that include tea tree oil as an ingredient. Here too, its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its ability to moisturize and nourish the scalp are major selling points. But, when added to commercial shampoos and conditioners which are often loaded with harsh chemicals, the benefits of the added tea tree oil are tougher to tease out, and may not be doing much at all.
So, a better choice may be to use it in essential oil form to take advantage of tea tree’s natural compounds. What can those compounds do for you? They can promote healthy hair growth and improve the overall condition of your locks by:
- Controlling dandruff: One of the most common uses of tea tree oil is its ability to fight against dandruff by helping to reduce fungal overgrowth on the scalp, which is often a major cause of the condition.
- Relieving dryness and itchiness: Tea tree oil has soothing properties that can provide relief from dryness and itchiness on the scalp. It helps to unclog pores and nourish the scalp, making it an excellent remedy for conditions like eczema or plaque psoriasis patches on the scalp.
- Stimulate healthy hair growth: With regular use, tea tree oil can stimulate blood flow to the scalp, encouraging hair growth and limiting loss.
To use tea tree oil as a hair health treatment – again, assuming you don’t have a plant allergy and have done a patch test – try adding 2 or 3 drops of tea tree oil to your usual amount of daily shampoo and mix well in a small dish or the palm of your hand. Lather up, massage into your scalp and rinse after five minutes. Massaging the scalp with the mixture will also help stimulate blood flow to the area and help encourage healthy hair growth to boot.
Tea tree oil helps clear your airways – but maybe not the air.
Skin care isn’t it’s only virtue. It can also help you breathe a little easier this winter. If winter ills have got you down and your congestion levels are way up, try adding 2 – 3 drops of tea tree oil to boiling water and breathing in the brew’s steamy vapors for 10 minutes or so. That should help decongest inflamed nasal passages and curb coughing to boot.
When it comes to clearing your indoor air, essential oil diffusers are thought to have an air-cleansing effect, but there’s not a lot of research to back that up. Furthermore, according to a recent study published by the National Institutes for Health, essential oil diffusers have been found to contribute to poor indoor air quality and may affect the central nervous system and cognitive function. Hardly a ringing endorsement, so, probably best to limit their use to special occasions.
Bottom line: Tea tree oil has been used successfully as a natural remedy for skin issues and all-around household disinfectant for many, many years. And while there is scientific support for its effectiveness against certain conditions, it should never be ingested and in the interests of safety, shouldn’t be used in or near the mouth on its own as it’s poisonous if swallowed. For those looking for an alternative to fluoride in dental care, commercial products that include tea tree oil may be a relatively safe option, but, considering its toxic properties, best to take a pass on oral use of any kind.
