A Guest Post by Ellis James Designs
Tea Tree oil is an amazing product with a long history of providing healing for the body, and an all-natural way to care for skin, hair, and so much more.
What is Tea Tree Oil?
Tea tree oil is exactly what the name says: It’s the oil made from the leaves of the tea tree. However, the tea tree in question is Melaleuca alternifolia, a member of the myrtle family native to Australia, and not Camellia sinensis, the tree used in Asia to make black, green, white, and Darjeeling teas.
Tea tree leaves have been used medicinally by the indigenous tribes of Australia for centuries. They crush the leaves to release the fragrance of the oils, and inhale the scent to treat coughs and colds, or infuse the leaves to treat skin ailments and wounds. Following the native’s example, the use of tea tree oil has spread throughout the world, as more and more people discover the benefits of tea tree oil.
The Special Properties of Tea Tree Oil
As with all fragrant plants, tea tree oil is full of aromatic hydrocarbons called terpenes. These chemical compounds are all variations of natural isoprenes, the compounds plants create to protect themselves from environmental stresses and stabilize their cell membranes. We are just beginning to study and understand terpenes and their effects on humans.
The Benefits of Tea Tree Oil
As with many natural and alternative treatments, there are a lot of claims about the benefits of tea tree oil. Because its uses originated as tribal medicine, many of those benefits are anecdotal, and not backed by science. To this day, there is a lot of conflicting evidence about the uses and benefits of tea tree oil, but there are some excellent reviews of the literature and medical summaries that demonstrate the proven benefits of tea tree oil. Here is what we have proven so far.
Tea tree oil helps treat wounds
Tea tree oil is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. As an antiseptic agent, it helps to kill harmful bacteria and prevent infections in wounds. As an anti-inflammatory, it reduces swelling and sensitivity, helping wounds heal. Tea tree oil also helps to activate white blood cells and boost the body’s natural immune response, so it is an effective way to treat wounds and injuries.
Tea tree oil helps treat acne
These antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties are one of the reasons that tea tree oil is so helpful for treating and preventing acne. In clinical trials, it has been shown to be effective at healing and preventing breakouts. Overall, studies show that tea tree oil is less effective and slower to work than benzoyl peroxide, but that it successfully treats acne with fewer side effects, less skin damage, and less skin dryness. For this reason, tea tree oil is a great acne solution for adult and mature skin.
Tea tree oil helps reduce dandruff
Tea tree oil is also an antifungal agent, and is remarkably effective for reducing dandruff, as well as preventing the itchy and greasy scalp we associate with dandruff, with no adverse effects.
Tea tree oil helps treat athlete’s foot
Because tea tree oil is antifungal, it is also effective at treating athletes foot. Generally speaking, it is not as effective as prescription medication (with an 85% effectiveness rate), but as a home treatment, it has been proven to be effective at causing improvement in 60-70% of cases, and completely curing athletes foot in 30-40% of cases, with few side effects.
Tea tree oil boosts oral hygiene
Tea tree oil should not be swallowed, but as a mouthwash it reduces harmful bacteria in the mouth, thereby reducing both gingivitis and halitosis.
One of the most exciting areas of current exploration in the benefits of tea tree oil is that, while it does cause skin irritation in some people, it is a remarkably effective antibacterial agent with almost no side effects and no bacterial resistance, unlike other antiseptics. This makes it extremely promising in medical and hospital settings, where bacteria and funguses are particularly dangerous.
