Tea Tree Oil - melaleuca alternifolia.

This is an amazing essential oil from the Melaleuca family of trees, which has recently enjoyed immense recognition for its potent anti-fungal, antiseptic, anti-viral and anti-bacterial actions. It makes an excellent treatment for a wide spectrum of skin ailments and complaints, from acne, athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, yeast infections, cold sores and mouth ulcers. As with Manuka oil, Tea Tree essential oil’s powerful germ fighting capabilities do not make it irritating or toxic to even sensitive skin. It is one of the few essential oils that may be used undiluted on skin.

Tea Tree can be employed against three categories of infectious organisms: bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It is a powerful stimulant for the immune system. Its use will strengthen the body’s defensive response to all infections. It is very useful for persons who easily contract infections or who are slow to recover from illnesses.

Tea Tree is used to help ward off or curtail colds and other infectious diseases. It can be used as a bath oil to promote profuse sweating with hot water. Raising the temperature of the body and sweating helps to eliminate toxins and increases the flow of blood. This can stop a cold from developing. Please read Uncle Harry’s pamphlet on Detox bath and the method of inducing profuse sweating described in the text.

Tea Tree oil should be an integral part of a home first aid kit. It is four times stronger than a household antiseptic as it is a powerful killer of all sorts of bacteria. When used externally on wounds and cuts it will remove dead skin and leave a healthy surface. It acts as a natural solvent and is mildly anesthetic.

This oil produces no negative side effects. It can be used directly on skin and has no toxic effect on the body. When using on children it may be preferable to dilute it with a vegetable oil. Used externally for wounds, to dislodge dirt and bacteria from burns, cuts, scratches, or abrasions. It is used on sunburn, insect bites, and all sorts of itches from a variety of causes. It can be used on the anal and vaginal areas. A further list for which Tea Tree is useful follows: herpes lesions, ringworm, lice and ticks bites, sores from eczema and psoriasis, thrush, candidiasis, head and pubic lice, athlete’s foot, fungal infections, treatment of staph sores, boils, pimples, acne, sinus congestion, etc.

Tea Tree can be used for cold sores. Dab it on at the first burning sensation that precedes the blisters. The blisters of shingles and chickenpox can be treated in the same way.

The oil can be used directly or diluted on acne. For women who have inflamed, painful spots around the nose and chin preceding their menstruation period, they can apply a drop on each spot to rapidly reduce the heat and pain and clear up the spots.

It serves as an excellent antifungal oil for use in the treatment of ringworm and athlete’s foot, and helps to control Candida albicans. Tea Tree oil will control the Candida organisms by reducing the rate at which they reproduce and strengthens the body’s ability to resist them.

It is a good idea to use Tea Tree oil to build up the body’s immune system by using it in baths and massage on a regular basis. It can be an effective preventive of airborne bacterial infection by diffusing the oil with an aroma lamp or nebulizer. Mix the oil into a cream base and use as a gentle protective cream for nappy rash. It can be mixed into the rinsing cycle of a washing machine as a protective measure for clothes and towels.

Tea Tree is best used externally or for inhalations. It is otherwise not recommended for internal use.

Niaouli Oil - melaleuca viridiflora

The Niaoli Tree is a sister to Tea Tree and Cajeput. Niaouli Oil with its medicinal odor, has antiseptic qualities and is believed to be beneficial for the respiratory system as well as being useful for inflammations and infections.

It is used locally for a wide variety of ailments, such as aches and pains, respiratory conditions, cuts and infections; it is also used to purify water. Due to its powerful antiseptic qualities it’s a good choice of oil to treat skin conditions such as acne, boils, burns, cuts, insect bites and other similar conditions. Used also for treating respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs and sore throats. Can be used in treating cystitis and urinary infection, muscular aches and pains, rheumatism and poor circulation. Niaouli is also used in pharmaceutical preparations such as gargles, cough drops, toothpastes, mouth sprays, etc.

Cajeput - melaleuca leucadendron l.

While Cajeput is the sister tree to Tea tree and Niaouli the important difference is that Cajeput is skin-irritant and as such less suitable for external use.

Cajeput Oil is often used in combination with other medicinal oils for treating bronchitis, colds, coughs, laryngitis, pharyngitis and pneumonia; it is especially used in cold and flu remedies and cough pastilles.

Cajeput essential oil, like that of eucalyptus, also has stimulant and relaxant activity. When taken internally, it warms the stomach and reputedly may cause rapid pulse and perspiration if taken in excessive amounts. Cajeput oil, properly diluted, has also traditionally been used as a douche to treat cystitis, urethritis, and urinary infections.

Cajeput oil is reported to be antiseptic, astringent, carminative, emollient, rubefacient, sedative, stimulant and vermifuge. In Burma, cajeput oil is mixed with camphor for treating bone and joint disorders and pain, and in Indonesia the oil is used externally for treating burns, cramps, colic, earache, headache, pain, skin disease and toothache. In Malaysia, the oil is used as a pain killer and digestive aid and a small amount is added to sugar for treating cholera and colic.

Cajeput oil has strong antibacterial activity and the main active agents obtained from the essential oil were found to include 1,8-cineole (or eucalyptol), linalool, alpha-terpineol and terpinen-4-ol. Vietnamese cajeput oil has been deemed effective as an antibacterial for local application in modern medical practices. Additionally, combinations of cajeput oil with conventional antibiotics have been shown to potentiate therapeutic activities.