tree tea oil

When British explorer, James Cook, set foot on Botony Bay in 1770, little did he realize that experimentation with a native botanical there as a tea substitute and beer-flavoring ingredient would lead to the launch of a major export for Australia 200 years later. But, to Australian Aborigines, this herbal panacea and its health-giving benefits were well known, and a well-kept secret for many years before Cooks arrival. Tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia, as Cook and his crew dubbed this tall evergreen, is a member of the myrtle family and native to the moist lowlands of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, Australia.

Australian inhabitants introduced the healing properties of the tea tree to the British landing party in the form of poultices made from the crushed leaves to treat cuts, burns and skin infections and as a tea for respiratory ailments. The Aborigines also used a wash or tea of the leaves to remedy dental disorders such as inflamed gums, as well as to ease sore throats and ulcers of the mouth.

Reputedly, a legendary lagoon was believed to yield mystical healing powers to those who bathed in its waters. It was later determined that this myth may, in fact, have basis since the water seemed to be continuously infused by falling leaves of tea trees growing near the waters edge.

Tea es of age By the early 1900s, tea tree became a popular household remedy, but still remained exclusively an Australian medicinal. Australian soldiers fighting in World War I were given supplies of tea tree oil to employ as a disinfectant.

During World War II, the Australian army and navy incorporated tea tree oil in first aid kits as an official germicide. The oil was also used in munition factories as a machine cutting oil to reduce infections in the hands of workers affected by abrasions from metal filings and turnings.

In the 1920s, Australian researchers took a serious look at tea tree and discovered that the oil exhibited up to 13 times more antiseptic activity than carbolic acid, the standard germicide in use at the time. Over the next decade, further research revealed that tea tree oil effectively deterred bacterial growth without irritating delicate surrounding tissue, a benefit not always appreciated with other antiseptics.

Australian hospitals and physicians soon adopted tea tree oil preparations to sterilize the surgery and to prevent infection from taking hold in recovering patients. Dentists value the oil for its antiseptic qualities and its gentleness to surrounding oral mucous membranes.

The oil of tea tree is obtained from the leaves and branch tips by aqueous steam distillation after curing for about 6 weeks. Tea tree oil contains 48 pounds, collectively referred to as terpenoids.

By the 1980s, tea tree oil gained popularity in Europe and the United States and is now found in numerous anti-fungal products including bath soaps, shampoos including those formulated for head lice, skin salves and ointments, oral hygiene products, natural cleaning products and pet care products to deter fleas, ticks and to treat dermatitis. Not just folklore ...

But, does tea tree live up to its reputation as a cure-all for so many different types of infections and disorders? In several recent studies, tea tree oil has stood up against numerous disease-causing bugs, including 54 types of yeasts 32 of which were Candida strains, Escherichia coli and 26 strains of dermatophyte bacterium a form of tinea, or ringworm. Topical applications of 5 percent tea tree oil have been shown to be as effective as benzoylperoxide in acne patients, but without burning and irritation.

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