Description
Tea tree oil is extracted through steam distillation of the twigs and leaves of the melaleuca tree. Tea tree oil is known as a common cure-all for many infections and diseases. It has disinfectant properties that can kill microbes, viruses, and bacteria that cause illness. It can also speed up healing. Tea tree oil is excellent for use in skincare as it can reduce the appearance of blemishes and scars as well as age spots. Anti-aging properties reduce wrinkles and leave skin looking young and smooth.
INGREDIENTS
Melaleuca Alternifolia essential oil extracted by steam distilation 100%
HOW TO USE
Essential oils have the natural ability to heal, soothe, and stimulate. With antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, essential oils have a wide variety of uses.
Sniff essential oils right from the bottle for an instant pick-me-up, to relive anxiety, or to induce relaxation. Add to carrier oil, such as jojoba, and use in a soothing massage. Place a few drops in diffuser to eliminate household odors. Add to cleaning products for more antibacterial and antimicrobial power. During cold and flu season, diffuse daily to stimulate immunity. Mix with carrier oil and apply to the skin to heal wounds. Add a drop or two to your face serum and apply daily to and protect skin against the signs of aging.
Before applying to skin, do a patch test.
How to patch test – Wash, clean, and dry the area on your upper arm near the crook of your elbow. Apply small amount of essential oil and cover with a bandage. Leave the bandage on for 24 hours, then remove and check for irritation. If skin looks clear and there is no reaction after the allotted test time, the oil is presumably safe to use. If you feel irritation at any time duringthe test, remove bandage and wash area with soap and water.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree oil, or Melaleuca alternifolia, has gained much popularity over the last few years. Once relatively unknown and overlooked by many, tea tree oil is now constantly in magazines as a must-have and even considered a holy grail product by many.
So, what exactly is responsible for tea tree essential oil’s meteoric rise to fame? Or, rather, which of its many uses is responsible for it? Well, let’s find out now as we will be exploring tea tree oil’s extensive uses and benefits in this article.
However, before that, a little bit of background on this nifty oil first.
What is Tea Tree Essential Oil Made Of?
Tea tree essential oil is derived from the leaves of the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia — a small plant native to Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. A species in the myrtle family of Myrtaceae, tea tree got its name from eighteenth-century sailors.
Small in size and growing up to only about 7 meters, tea tree grows along streams and in swampy places. The plant thrives when it is in moist soil and under plenty of sunlight.
How is Tea Tree Essential Oil Extracted?
As soon as the tea tree reaches the age of 18 months and a height of at least 5.9 feet, its leaves can be harvested. For the most part, harvesters will finely chop the leaves and then transport them to a facility.
At the facility, the leaves are then immediately steam distilled. It is vital to do so as soon as possible in order to capture all the active ingredients in the leaves while they are still fresh.
When it comes to tea tree essential oil, it appears that the yield and the quality of the oil depend on the time of the year of the harvest. For example, winter months tend to produce less oil.
Benefits of Tea Tree Essential Oil
1. Fights acne and other skin conditions
One of the most popular uses for tea tree oil is as an ingredient in skincare products. Courtesy of the oil’s strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural remedy for acne and other problematic inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
For a gentle face wash to fight acne, follow this recipe: mix five to six drops of tea tree essential oil with one tablespoon of raw honey. Massage the mixture on your face, leave it on for a minute or two, and rinse it off with warm water.
To make your own lotion and soap to treat eczema and reduce psoriasis, give this a try. Blend five drops of tea tree oil with equal parts of lavender oil and dilute this mixture with a teaspoon of coconut oil.
2. Improves overall hair health
When it comes to hair care, tea tree essential oil is one of the best things you can use to improve the health of your hair and scalp. The oil not only has the ability to tackle dry flaking scalp but it also helps to remove dandruff. The oil has been shown to help with itchiness and greasiness, too.
To make your own tea tree oil shampoo, mix a few drops of the essential oil with pure aloe vera and coconut milk.
3. Soothes and heals skin irritations, inflammations, and wounds
Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, tea tree oil can potentially be extremely useful in soothing and healing wounds, inflammation, and infections.
In fact, a pilot study found that wounds treated with tea tree oil displayed signs of healing and reduction in size.
4. Relieves cough, congestion, and respiratory tract infections
Traditionally, Melaleuca leaves have long been used to treat coughs, colds, and sore throats. The leaves were either crushed for inhalation to treat coughs and colds or were soaked to make a brew to treat sore throats.
Now, science has shown that tea tree oil’s antimicrobial and antiviral properties are still invaluable in addressing these conditions.
For a reprieve from coughs, inhale tea tree oil directly from the bottle. Alternatively, diffuse about five to six drops of the oil around your home. You can also dilute one to two drops of the essential oil with a tiny bit of coconut oil and rub the resulting balm onto your chest and back.
5. Improves oral health
Besides that, tea tree oil is also an excellent natural remedy for bad breath because of its rich antimicrobial properties that can kill the cause of bad breath — the bacteria found in your mouth. A study showed that the essential oil exhibited significant inhibitory effect against oral pathogens such as Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.
To kill off the bad bacteria for good and improve your oral health, you can use it as a mouthwash. However, be sure to spit the oil out once you are done and rinse with water since the essential oil should not be used internally.
Alternatively, you can also make your own toothpaste with tea tree essential oil. Simply mix a few drops of tea tree oil with coconut oil and baking soda and you are all set.
6. Excellent as a multi-purpose solution for your home
On top of that, tea tree oil can work wonders as a laundry freshener due to its antibacterial properties. For clean and fresh-smelling clothes, add five to ten drops of the essential oil to your laundry detergent.
Not only limited to your laundry but you can also clean your carpet, curtain, gym equipment, and toilet with the potent mixture of tea tree oil, vinegar, and water.
Furthermore, tea tree essential oil can also take care of mold infestation in your home. Simply diffuse a few drops of the powerful essential oil around your house to kill mold and other bacteria.
7. As a natural deodorant
Are you looking for an alternative to commercial store-bought deodorant? Then you need to look into using tea tree essential oil as a natural deodorant. The oil’s antimicrobial properties kill unwanted bacteria on your skin to effectively eliminate body odor.
For your homemade deodorant, simply mix a few drops of tea tree essential oil with coconut oil and baking soda to bid adieu to body odor.
Mixing Tea Tree Essential Oil with Other Oils
Tea tree essential oil’s herbaceous scent blends well with citrus oils including grapefruit, bergamot, and lemon essential oils.
On top of that, tea tree essential oil goes well cypress, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, pine, nutmeg, juniper berry, and thyme essential oils, too.
Other Good-to-Know Information
While tea tree essential oil is generally safe when used topically, it is toxic when swallowed. Here, side effects include loss of coordination, loss of consciousness, confusion, and lack of muscle control. Therefore, avoid ingesting the oil.
Some people may also develop an allergic reaction to this oil and can experience rash, irritation, hives, and itchiness. Hence, always test a little bit of tea tree oil on a small area before using it liberally and all over the body.
Is Tea Tree Essential Oil the Right Oil For You?
Versatile, effective, and potent, we think that tea tree essential oil has certainly earned its reputation as one of the best essential oils around. If you have not tried this splendid essential oil, now is the time to test it out.