Tea tree oil is an essential oil, which is obtained by distillation from parts of the plant of the tea tree. Mostly leaves and branches of the Australian native species Melaleuca alternifolia are used. Tea tree oil is a mixture of many substances, whereby the main active ingredient is called terpinen-4-ol.
It is used in a wide variety of health conditions and is a very popular household remedy. Although Tea Tree Oil is a herbal product, under no circumstances should it be used carelessly and especially not in the wrong dosage and application method, as it can cause a variety of undesirable side effects that can even lead to anaphylactic shock. See below under “What side effects does tea tree oil cause?
Fields of application
Tea tree oil is used as a home remedy for a variety of ailments. It is characterized above all by its anti-inflammatory, disinfecting and wound healing effects. There are many areas of application:
- For skin diseases like acne: Acne is characterized by clogged and inflamed sebaceous glands.
Particularly affected are face, chest, back and shoulders. There are special tea-tree-containing face creams or toners for these areas. Tea tree oil can also be used to treat isolated spots.
It has an anti-inflammatory effect and kills bacteria.
- Warts can also be treated with tea tree oil.
- Since it also has a fungicidal effect, tea tree oil can be used to treat athlete’s foot.
- It also supports the therapy of skin diseases such as neurodermatitis and psoriasis.
- Applied to wounds it promotes wound healing.
- Tea tree oil effectively helps with flea, tick and louse infestations and relieves itching.
- Due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect, it can also be used internally for sore throats and colds. Symptoms that can be successfully treated with the essential oil include sore throat, colds and coughs. For sore throats, a highly diluted gargle solution with a few drops of oil in water can have a soothing effect.
If the nose is blocked or the bronchial tubes are clogged, the oil is dripped onto the forehead, nose or chest, which leads to relief of the respiratory tract.
- Tea tree oil is often used in the cosmetics industry as an additive in shampoos, body creams, soaps, toothpaste, mouthwash and bath additives.
For many of the applications listed above, healing earth is also recommended as a natural remedy, which, unlike tea tree oil, is not irritating.
- It is even added to animal care products, here it should be noted that essential oils can be deadly for animals. An application should be discussed with the veterinary surgeon.
- Finally, tea tree oil is also said to have a positive effect on the human psyche.
It can be used vaporized in fragrance lamps or enriched in aroma baths. Tea tree oil is said to give strength, release fear and strengthen.
Pimples usually appear during puberty, when the hormone balance of adolescents is out of balance. The skin produces more sebum, which can clog skin pores and cause inflammation.
If the skin of the face, chest and back is heavily contaminated, this is called acne. Tea tree oil can be used for individual pimples, but also for severe acne. Tea tree oil has an antibacterial effect and cleanses affected skin areas from unwanted bacteria.
It also dries the skin slightly, which is desirable for oily skin. Therefore, tea tree oil is a component of a variety of facial toners and creams. You can also put a few drops of the oil on a damp cloth and then carefully dab the face.
This is especially recommended for large acne areas. It can also be applied to expressed pimples, preferably gently dabbed on with absorbent cotton. Tea tree oil disinfects and cleans inflamed skin.
However, an application of Tea Tree Oil can also cause skin irritations. These can range from slight redness with itching to allergic symptoms. The older the oil is and if you apply the oil pure, the higher the probability is.
It should therefore only be purchased in small quantities and stored in a cool place away from light. Tea tree oil should not be used on dry skin, as it dries out the skin even further and can irritate it. Skin problems?Blackheads are clogged sebaceous glands of the skin and occur mainly in the T-zone of the face (forehead, nose and chin).
Oily skin in particular tends to form blackheads.Since tea tree oil dries the skin and has a cleansing effect, it is an ideal household remedy. It should be applied in diluted form to the affected areas or in the form of facial toner. Tea tree oil can also be used for colds.
Applied in small quantities to the forehead and chest, it clears the bronchi and sinuses and makes it easier to expectorate mucus. It also acts as a disinfectant in aqueous solutions as a mouthwash and can be used for pharyngitis. Caution: Do not use essential oils in small children, as they can cause respiratory tract cramps.
Warts are small, benign skin tumors and can occur mainly on the hands, soles of the feet or in the genital and anal area. In most cases, the cause is a viral infection, especially infection with the Human Papilloma Virus. Tea tree oil can also help in the treatment of warts, as with many other skin diseases.
This is made possible by its virustatic effect, so it has an inhibiting effect on the viral disease. It also has a disinfecting and wound healing effect, so inflamed warts heal faster when treated with tea tree oil. In the treatment of warts, tea tree oil is applied undiluted in a few drops to the wart or dabbed on with a absorbent cotton pad.
This should be done several times a day over a period of at least two weeks. In the case of warts in the genital area, this measure should be avoided, as the undiluted oil has a strong irritating effect on the mucous membranes. If the skin generally reacts with redness and irritation to the tea tree oil, the treatment must be discontinued.
Herpes is an infection with the herpes virus 1 (for lip herpes) or 2 (for genital herpes). After the initial infection, it remains in the organism for life and breaks out when the immune system is weakened, during stress, high UV radiation or other occasions. Small vesicles with highly infectious content are formed, which after bursting open form honey-yellow crusts.
Tea tree oil is attributed a virustatic property and is therefore used in the treatment of herpes. At best, it is used before the blisters are formed when signs such as a feeling of tension, itching and burning appear. A small drop of pure tea tree oil is dabbed on with a cotton swab (Q-tip) or cotton swabs, preferably at hourly intervals.
For longer treatments, the oil should be diluted to avoid irritating the skin too much. With genital herpes, care should be taken that mucous membranes are particularly sensitive. Here only a diluted solution should be used, if at all.
Due to its fungicidal properties, tea tree oil is also suitable for treatment against skin fungus. It relieves itching and inflammation. Tea tree oil can be used as a bath additive, for example.
However, if you suffer from dry skin, it is better to use other household remedies, as tea tree oil dries out the skin. Contact with certain types of fungi can lead to an infection of the toenails or fingernails. Pre-existing conditions (such as athlete’s foot) and hygienic conditions, especially a warm and humid environment, are favorable.
More often, the toenails are affected. The infections are transmitted by direct or indirect human contact. Tea tree oil is an alternative medicine remedy for treatment and prevention.
For this purpose, the affected nail is brushed several times a day with a diluted tea tree oil solution. Alternatively, a plaster or gauze bandage can be applied with the diluted solution. The treatment must be carried out over a longer period of time.
Usually tea tree oil alone is not sufficient to treat nail fungus successfully, it should be discussed with a doctor if the fungal infection has been present for a longer period of time or if there is no improvement. In the prophylaxis tea tree oil can be used as an additive of foot baths to prevent nail fungus. Head lice often occur in children and school children.
Tea tree oil can be used in case of an infestation with head lice. To do this, a few drops of tea tree oil should be mixed with shampoo and massaged into the scalp. Tea tree oil is a natural means of killing the parasites.
The treatment is even more successful if lavender oil is added to the tea tree oil. However, some people are allergic to tea tree oil. In case of redness, skin irritation and itching, the treatment should be discontinued.
Scabies is a highly itchy skin disease caused by mites.The parasite infestation often affects residents of nursing homes, refugee shelters or children in day care centers. A successful household remedy against scabies is tea tree oil. It kills the parasites and helps the skin to recover.
Affected areas are rubbed with a diluted solution of tea tree oil several times a day. The risk of an allergic reaction should also be considered here. Mites are small arachnids that are parasites and belong to the human environment.
People with a house dust allergy react to them with health problems. In addition to thorough dusting and the regular beating of carpets, tea tree oil can help as a household remedy against mites. It can be sprayed in diluted form on textiles such as mattresses, sofas, carpets and curtains.
Tea tree oil kills the parasites and, if used regularly, can help successfully combat house dust mites. Tea tree oil is also a popular household remedy for fleas. It can be used to combat flea infestation in the household.
It is also effective in stopping flea infestation in animals and can be found as an additive in animal shampoos. Here, however, you should pay attention to the instructions for use: Tea Tree Oil can cause serious poisoning symptoms such as vomiting and neurological deficits in dogs and cats when taken orally. It should only be used in small amounts and washed out of the case well.
Tea tree oil has a positive effect on the scalp and provides shiny hair. It is used for oily hair and dandruff. It also relieves unpleasant itching on the scalp.
Tea tree oil can be added to the hair shampoo in a few drops and should be gently massaged into the scalp. Afterwards the hair is rinsed thoroughly. During application, care should be taken to ensure that tea tree oil can dry out the skin.
What to do against dry scalp and dandruff? – here you will find the information you need. Friends of Tea Tree Oil use it in many different ways and in some places Tea Tree Oil is also said to have a positive effect on hair loss.
Tea Tree Oil strengthens the health of scalp and hair. It makes the hair shinier and fuller. However, hair loss is largely genetic and hormonal. Therefore, one should not expect miracles from the treatment with tea tree oil in cases of severe hair loss.
