Did You Know?
Among the many natural ways to treat infection, tea tree oil is one of the very best. Tea tree oil is an essential oil taken from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. It has a wide variety of uses with strong antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. The aborigines in Australia used tea tree leaves to heal skin infections, wounds, and burns by crushing the leaves and holding them in place with a mud pack. Tea tree oil effectively treats a variety of conditions. If you choose to try tea tree oil, it is good practice to do a patch test on your skin first, as undiluted tea tree oil can irritate the skin. If the skin is sensitive, then it is necessary to dilute it. A good tea tree oil solution can be made by mixing 5 parts of tea tree oil with 95 parts of water. Please note: tea tree oil should never be taken internally, even in small amounts.
Here are just some of the many ways to effectively use tea tree oil:
- Acne - Tea tree oil kills the skin dwelling bacteria that cause acne. Dilute the tea tree oil as directed above and apply to lesions. Another way to apply it is by diluting it with aloe vera gel. To begin with, mix one or two drops to one ounce of the gel.
- Athlete's Foot - Every morning and evening, saturate a cotton ball with tea tree oil (you may need to dilute it) and apply to the affected and surrounding areas. Also, you may want to apply a tea tree oil enriched moisturizer. Tea tree oil is also very effective when treating nail fungal infections.
- Insect Bites - Apply full strength to the bite area. Tea tree oil is also an effective insect repellent.
- Wound Healing - Moderately apply tea tree oil (at a strength of 70% to 100%) on the wound at least twice daily.
Lastly, putting a few drops of tea tree oil in bathwater has a relaxing and rejuvenating effect. It will also soothe sore muscles and eliminate persistent body odor.
