Article by BR Georgiana
I love every ingredient that comes from nature! Anything that is 100% natural and has magical powers that improve or heal nasty stuff, you name it, I am ready to try it.
This is the reason why I got to know more about Tea Tree Oil, an ingredient I keep finding obsessively in shampoos, face lotions and soaps, deodorants and ointments. I found out things I didn’t even imagine (talking here about the oil’s multiple benefits), and now I am ready to share my knowledge with each and every one of you.
What Is Tea Tree Oil and Where Does It Come From?
The pale in colour Tea Tree Oil has a fresh, camphoraceous scent, and is obtained from the leaves of the Australian plant Melaleuca Alternifolia through a steam distillation process. This tree, which rather looks like a cypress, has pointed leaves and yellowish flowers, and loves growing in marshy areas. Initially it was used by the Aboriginal communities living along Australia’s Eastern coast as an efficient antiseptic for the skin. In the beginning of the 20th century tea tree oil gained a wide popularity, becoming the main antiseptic most Australian doctors were using. With the discovery of antibiotics though, the plant was no longer regarded with interest until doctors understood some bacteria were immune to antibiotics, so they embraced the precious tea tree oil again. How do you think that felt (for the tree)?
How to Extract Tea Tree Oil (Homemade Style)
As I was mentioning earlier, this oil is so popular that many respectable skin care brands have included it in their product lines. However, you can buy over-the-counter pure tea tree oil, but you can also obtain it at home, by steam distillation. If you have the leaves, that is.
You will need a distillation set and tea tree leaves (they must be dried, so there is oil inside). The steam produced by the distillation set breaks down the leaves and the oil is vaporized by the steam. As it cools down, the pure oil separates from the condensate and it’s ready to use without additional processing. You just need to store it in a dark glass bottle to keep it away from heat and light. It would be a real shame if the oil lost any of those fantastic properties it boasts.
The Never-Ending Uses of Tea Tree Oil
Just so it’s clear, Tea Tree oil has a ridiculous amount of benefits. They all start with the promising “anti-” word and they are truly overwhelming: anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fat-deposits-from-eating-too-many-slices-of-cheescake… Just joking regarding the last one. However, that would really make me stock up on tea tree oil!
Tea Tree Oil is great in treating acne. Don’t shy away from it just because you don’t like the words “oil” and “acne” in the same sentence. It might not be as quick as benzoyl peroxide (the peeling agent usually used to treat acne), but it definitely has fewer side effects. Just make sure you don’t overuse it as it will dry your skin out.
It is a great treatment in vaginal yeast infections, athlete’s foot, thrush and fungal nail infections. You can also use it to treat genital herpes, histamine-induced inflammation caused by some allergies or staph infections, as it has the power to exterminate the virus involved in such conditions.
Wow, is there more? Bien sur, read on! It has great antiseptic powers to heal burns, cuts and insect bites. When you feel a cold around the corner, add a few drops of oil to your bathwater and inhale the vapours. If you add it to a vaporizer it helps loosen chest congestion. Last but not least, this jack-of-all-trades is effective against dandruff, lice, bad breath, dental plaque, and can eliminate persistent body odour.
Well, I hope you agree this is quite an impressive list! The only thing you should remember is to use this oil properly, in the right quantities. It is not meant to be taken orally because swallowing could lead to unwanted complications, so just stick to its topical uses in controlled dosage and you’ll be fine. Not fine. Great, apparently!
Have you ever used tea tree oil for any of the above? If so, what were the results?
Saved to my bookmarks. Thanks for the tips, cool