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TEA TREE
Plant/Part: Tree/Leaf (Source: Australia)

Latin Name: Melaleuca alternifolia, M. linariifolia, M. uncintata

Family: Myrtaceae

Extraction: Steam Distillation

AROMA: Fresh and sanitary, rather pungent.

PROPERTIES: A very useful powerful antiseptic, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Good for acne, cold sores, warts, and burns. Use for vaporising to kill germs. Useful cleansing agent for skin. Helps combat foot odor and athletes foot. Ti Tree, as it is also known, has a wide range of uses, including some aids related illnesses. Activates the white corpuscles to form a defence against invading organisms and helps to shorten the duration of illness. A strongly antiseptic oil and sweats toxins out of the body. Indicated for influenza, cold sores, catarrh and could treat glandular fever as well as gingivitis. Helps to ease otitis, a middle ear infection which is often linked to ailing tonsils. May also ease inflammation of the intestines such as enteritis and casts out intestinal parasites.

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Terpinenol (Alcohol), Cineole (Ketone), Cymene, Pinene, Terpinene (Terpenes).

PRECAUTIONS: Warning: May cause irritation to sensitive skins.

BLENDS: Cinnamon, Clove, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange, Rosemary and Thyme.

USES:

Digestive: antiseptic. used for intestinal infections and diarrhoea (when caused by them).

Genito-Urinary: antiseptic. used for thrush, vaginitis, cystitis, pruritis, leucorrhoea, fungal infections in the area.

Respiratory: antiseptic, helps to expel mucus, used to treat colds, catarrh, sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma.

Immune System: stimulates.

Skin/Hair: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, assists in the healing of wounds and scars. shirley price claims that as an antiseptic tea tree oil is 12 times as strong as carbolic acid (!). used to treat acne, blisters, burns, sunburn, cold sores (the best remedy i know), rashes, warts, fungal infections (including those of the fingernails) and wounds. one of the few oils that can be used directly on the skin, without diluting. useful in oral hygiene, relieves gingivitis, mouth ulcers, periodontal disease and toothaches.

Caution: the international society of professional aromatherapists recently suggested that the application of tea tree oil (often found in shampoos and lotions) might cause adverse reactions in dogs. other studies indicate possibility of similar reaction in cats and horses.

The active principles of Ti-tree oil include large amounts of terpineol with various alcohols and monoterpenes. The oil may be pale yellow or almost colourless and has a powerful medicinal odour, somewhat similar to Eucalyptus. As with Cajeput and Niaouli, confusion and substitution may arise, because there are many varieties and sub-species of melaleucas, so it is quite important to buy from a supplier who can specify that the oil is from Melaleuca alternifolia in order to be certain of the specific therapeutic properties.

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