Botanical and Common Names
- Family Myrtaceae
- Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree Oil)
- Other species that provide valuable oil:
- Melaleuca leucadendron (Cajuput, White Tea Tree, Swamp Tea Tree, Paperbark Tree, White Wood)
- Melaleucea viridiflora (Niauli is a broad-leafed paperbark tree.)
- Melaleucea linariifolia has an essential oil that is very similar to tea tree.
Cautions
- None listed.
Description
Native to Australia and Tasmania, tea tree is now widely used in Europe, Australia, and North America. The evergreen shrub is related to the myrtle tree, reaching over twenty feet in height and having a papery bark, pointed needle-like leaves, and heads of yellow or purplish flowers that when open, resemble a puffy, feathery mass. The tree flourishes wild in swampy areas in northern New South Wales and Queensland, but is now extensively cultivated, especially on plantations in Asia and other parts of the world. The Tea Tree produces an essential oil that has unique infection-fighting properties. The leaves and small branches are picked throughout the year and distilled to produce the essential oil.
Key Actions
- strongly antimicrobial
- antiseptic
- immune stimulant
Key Components
- volatile oil (percentages are variable, but basically -– terpinen-4-ol [40%]
- gamma-terpinene [24%]
- alpha-terpinene [10%]
- cineol [5%])
Medicinal Parts
Leaves, essential oil
Scientists have identified eighty of the estimated one hundred compounds in tea tree oil, and a few are unique to the plant. Some of these compounds are active against viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Most of these compounds are chemicals classified as either terpene hydrocarbons (pinene) or oxygenated terpenes (mostly 60% terpinen-4-ol plus cineole). Terpinen-4-ol is a powerful germicide, fungicide, and significantly antiseptic but well tolerated by the skin. Cineole, on the other hand, can irritate the skin of some people, but has expectorant and antiseptic properties. Cineole is also found in eucalyptus. It is these antiseptic properties that make it especially valuable in treating various skin infections.
It is especially useful as a hospital disinfectant as it kills antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus.
Testing has found it effective against many other organisms as well, including all strains of candida except Epidermophyton floccosum, all sixty-four strains of Malassezia furfur, and eighty other types of disease-causing fungi. The following is a list of organisms that tea tree oil has proven its effectiveness against: aspergillus, bacteroides, Clostridium, Cryptosporidium, Diptheroids, E. coli, Enterobacter, Fusobacterium, Gonococcus, Hemophilus, Herpes viruses, Meningococcus, Microsporium, Peptococcus, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Spirochetes, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Trichinosis, Trichophyton.
Remedies
Crushed leaves have long been used in hot water as an inhalant to relieve sinus congestion.
Infusions made from crushed fresh leaves are used to treat coughs, colds, and skin infections. They are used internally to treat glandular fever and postviral fatigue syndrome (ME). They can also be used in household cleaning wash water, as well as in the laundry or diaper soaking water.
Oil or cream can be applied to athlete’s foot and ringworm, as well as to corns, warts, acne, boils, nail fungi, infected skin sores, burns, scrapes, wounds, insect stings, and many other skin conditions.
Mouthwash is used for oral infections and gum disease, as well as a gargle for sore throats.
Suppositories are used to treat vaginal infections.
Lotions, creams, or compresses ease the pain and itchiness of skin irritations.
Commercially prepared products available are as follows: pure oil, creams and ointments, mouthwashes, toothpicks, germicides, shampoos and conditioners, hand creams, bar soaps, pet shampoos, suppositories, lozenges, dental floss, massage oil, and deodorant.
Traditional Uses
Conditions where tea tree oil has proven useful and listed according to body region:
- Head and Neck: dandruff, seborrhea, psoriasis, eczema, ringworm, furunculosis, razor cuts, mastoiditis, head lice, cradle cap, acne, and blackheads.
- Note: Nizoral has long been used to treat psoriasis of the scalp, but long term cures do not take place. In addition, it carries risk of systemic toxicity especially that of the liver. Tea tree does not cause this concern. It also produces fewer side effects than benzoyl peroxide, used to treat acne.
- Face: razor cuts, acne
- Mouth, Throat, Ears: controls oral bacteria when a few drops are added to a gargle and helps heal canker sores, cold sores, pyorrhea, cavities, toothaches, ear infections (outer and middle ear), sore throats, colds, thrush, halitosis; promotes the healing of gum disease, canker sores, and herpes sores
- Hands: paronychia, fingernail fungus
- Joints: arthritis, gout, eases muscle and joint pain and inflammation
- Respiratory system: bronchitis, sinusitis, croup, tonsillitis
- Urinary tract: cystitis
- Rectum: shrinking hemorrhoids and reducing pain, including that of rectal fissures
- Genitals: herpes and warts, vaginitis (including trichomonas), penile discharge, excessive odor, jock itch, chronic candidiasis
- Feet: bromhidrosis, toenail fungus, ingrown toenails, calluses, corns, athlete’s foot.
- Skin: kills microbes associated with skin infections, including bacteria or viruses in wounds; such fungal infections as ringworm or athlete’s foot, nail fungus, thrush, and jock itch ; and eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, boils, cuts, abrasions, scrapes, puncture wounds, bed sores, varicose ulcers, surgical lesions, burns, itchy or chapped skin, scabies, pilonidal cysts, impetigo, dermatitis, allergy rashes (including poison ivy, oak, and sumac), chicken pox and shingles, and animal bites (including those by dogs, cats, snakes, insects, and humans)