Tea tree oil has a distinct aroma that clears the mind.
Tea tree essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from the leaves and branches of the tea tree, native to Australia. This is one of the few essential oils that can be purchased at most grocery stores with a natural food and health section. The oil is clear and its aroma is clean, strong and camphorous. Tea tree is a must in any medicinal herbal first aid kit as it has many useful homeopathic properties, including anti-septic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
Massage or Bath
Used in a massage oil or bath, tea tree oil is helpful for depression and "general debility," according to the editors of "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Natural Home Remedies." It can also be added to a foot bath to help treat athlete's foot. Tea tree is also an anti-parasitic, vein decongestant, neurotonic, and immune system stimulant. According to the "Therapeutic Essential Oil Guide," it is helpful in easing muscle aches and spasms.
Vaporizer
Individuals with sinusitis find that using a personal vaporizer helps to drain and open their sinuses, increasing ease of breath. Adding a few drops of tea tree essential oil to the water in a vaporizer is effective for not only sinusitis, but also the common cold, bronchitis and flu, according to Joni Keim and Katherine Graf, authors of the "Therapeutic Essential Oil Guide."
Gargle or Mouthwash
Because of its anti-septic, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, tea tree oil works as a mouthwash. Put several drops of tea tree oil in a cup of water and gargle to treat sore throats, tooth abscesses and gum infections.
Astringent
According to Penelope Ody, author of "The Complete Medicinal Herbal," tea tree is a "potent antibacterial for infected skin conditions." She recommends that people with excessively oily skin and skin with recurring acne add 1 ml tea tree oil to 10 ml water or equal quantities of rosewater and distilled witch hazel to be used as a lotion. It also works on cold sores, cuts and warts by dabbing a diluted solution onto the affected area twice daily. It has also been known to help some people with eczema, dermatitis and ringworm.
Considerations
Though tea tree oil is safe to use on babies, infants, children and pregnant women, it should not, according to "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Natural Home Remedies," be used on people who have impaired kidney functions or kidney infections. Always test tea tree oil on a small patch of skin first to make sure it doesn't cause irritation.
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