Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)

You are starting to see Tea Tree essential oil in many products these days, because it has won a reputation as a 'cure all' because of its powerful antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties. It can be used ‘neat’(without dilution) for athlete's foot, nail viruses and other fungal infections. I also use it in acne remedies; it is good for all skin infections. When fighting off a cold or flu, I massage tea tree oil (diluted to 10%) on my sternum to stimulate the thymus and enhance my immune system.

You can use it as well in a diffuser to combat the flu and other viral infections (it’s in my ‘Germ Free Synergy’). It is often recommended as the remedy for a vaginal candida infection. (I would most assuredly combine the tea tree EO with lavender EO and dilute the blend to 10% for that!)

Now the smell of Tea Tree – well, let’s call it "robust" because it is a definitive, in your face sort of oil. At first I did not like it at all, but I've come to respect its assertive, medicinal strength. A MUST HAVE for your essential oil first aid kit!


Here is some clinical information from the American Society for Microbiology:

Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties

...Complementary and alternative medicines such as tea tree (melaleuca) oil have become increasingly popular in recent decades. This essential oil has been used for almost 100 years in Australia but is now available worldwide both as neat oil and as an active component in an array of products. The primary uses of tea tree oil have historically capitalized on the antiseptic and anti-inflammatory actions of the oil. This review summarizes recent developments in our understanding of the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of the oil and its components, as well as clinical efficacy...

and

...Of all of the properties claimed for TTO, its antimicrobial activity has received the most attention. The earliest reported use of the M. alternifolia plant that presumably exploited this property was the traditional use by the Bundjalung Aborigines of northern New South Wales. Crushed leaves of "tea trees" were inhaled to treat coughs and colds or were sprinkled on wounds, after which a poultice was applied (135). In addition, tea tree leaves were soaked to make an infusion to treat sore throats or skin ailments (101, 135). The oral history of Australian Aborigines also tells of healing lakes, which were lagoons into which M. alternifolia leaves had fallen and decayed over time (3). Use of the oil itself, as opposed to the unextracted plant material, did not become common practice until Penfold published the first reports of its antimicrobial activity in a series of papers in the 1920s and 1930s. In evaluating the antimicrobial activity of M. alternifolia oil and other oils, he made comparisons with the disinfectant carbolic acid or phenol, the gold standard of the day, in a test known as the Rideal-Walker (RW) coefficient. The activity of TTO was compared directly with that of phenol and rated as 11 times more active (121)...

...contemporary data clearly show that the broad-spectrum activity of TTO includes antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiprotozoal activities....

And

A paradigm shift in the treatment of infectious diseases is necessary to prevent antibiotics becoming obsolete, and where appropriate, alternatives to antibiotics ought to be considered. There are already several nonantibiotic approaches to the treatment and prevention of infection, including probiotics, phages, and phytomedicines. Alternative therapies are viewed favorably by many patients because they are often not being helped by conventional therapy and they believe there are fewer detrimental side effects. In addition, many report significant improvement while taking complementary and alternative medicines. Unfortunately, the medical profession has been slow to embrace these therapies, and good scientific data are still scarce. However, as we approach the "postantibiotic era" the situation is changing. A wealth of in vitro data now supports the long-held beliefs that TTO has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.