Evergreen Herbs & Medical Supplies Articles & Resources

Tea tree comes 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 synergistic compounds, 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. One double-blind study found 100 percent tea tree oil comparable to clotrimazole for treating athlete's foot. In another double-blind study, 80 percent of 60 patients suffering from nail fungus (a type of ringworm), were cured without a recurrence after 16 weeks of using tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is also useful in maintaining oral health. Studies have shown that tea tree-containing products (such as mouthwash) help to eliminate harmful bacteria without irritation and, in the case of one study with AIDS patients, deterring oral yeast, or thrush.

While tea tree oil is a valuable topical treatment with immediate impact, it offers long-lasting benefits that many other types of antiseptics fail to achieve. The complex composition of standardized tea tree oil renders bacteria helpless in developing resistance and, because it's components are readily absorbed via the skin, it continues to scare off bacteria for several days after its application. Tea tree oil destroys most types of fungi and bacteria -- even those resistant to current antibiotics -- and, since it exerts a slight analgesic effect, it is often found in products that prevent or treat sunburn. Tea tree is also popular in massage therapy for this reason, and its quick-acting, penetrating quality makes it effective in easing muscle strain due to work-related or sports injuries.

This unique medicinal from "the land down under" is gentle enough to apply "neat" or straight from the bottle to the point of injury or infection.

However, those with sensitive skin may wish to dilute tea tree essential oil with a cold-pressed carrier oil, such as sweet almond, apricot kernel or avocado. The aroma of pure tea tree oil is slightly "earthy" and since this bothers some people it is often blended with herbal helper oils such as lavender, geranium, clary-sage, mint and particularly clove and nutmeg.

Products to try:

Desert Essence

* Tea Tree Relief Spray - 15 percent solution of tea tree oil for minor burns, scrapes, insect bites and fungal infections of the feet.

* Tea Tree Oil Skin Ointment

* Tea Tree Oil Lozenges and Breath Freshener

* Tea Tree Oil Lip Rescue

* Tea Tree Oil Deodorant

Derma-E

* Tea Tree & E Oil - 75 percent Tea Tree & 25 percent vitamin E for cuts, scrapes and insect bites, athlete's foot, nail fungus and acne.

* Tea Tree & E Cleansing Shampoo with Jojoba Oil

* Tea Tree & E Moisturizing Conditioner

Thursday Plantation

* Tea Tree Mouthwash and Tea Tree Toothpaste

* Tea Tree Vegetable Soap

* Tea Tree Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Jason Cosmetics

* Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Moisturizing Stick - a blend of tea tree oil, rosemary and lavender. May also be used as an all-over body moisturizer.

* Tea Tree Oil Shampoo & Conditioner - combines tea tree oil with Alpha and Beta hydroxy acids.

* Tea Tree Oil Therapeutic Mineral Gel - 100 percent natural pain reliever for sore muscles caused by arthritis, backache and sports injuries.

Tea Tree Uses:

* Dandruff and head lice

* Rashes, eczema, insect bites

* Vaginal yeast infections

* Jock itch (tinea cruris)

* Nail fungal infections

* Athlete's foot

* Warts and boils

* Cuts and burns

* Bronchial congestion (when inhaled from a vaporizer)

* Flea deterrent for pets

* Muscle soreness and inflammation

REFERENCES

Bassett IB., et al. "A comparative study of tea-tree oil versus benzoylperoxide in the treatment of acne," Medical Journal of Australia 153:455-58, 1990.

Chan CH., et al. "Activity of tea tree oil on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus," Journal of Hospital Infection 39(3):244-5, July 1998.

Concha JM., et al. "1998 William J. Stickel Bronze Award. Antifungal activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil against various pathogenic organisms," Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association 88(10):489-92, Oct. 1998.

Jandourek A., et al. "Efficacy of melaleuca oral solution for the treatment of fluconazole refractory oral candidiasis in AIDS patients," AIDS 12:1033-37, 1998.

Nenoff P., et al. "Antifungal activity of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) against pathogenic fungi in vitro," Skin Pharmacology 9(6):388-94, 1996.

Syed TA., et al. "Treatment of toenail onychomycosis with 2% butenafine and 5% Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil in cream," Tropical Medicine and International Health 4(4):284-7, April 1999.

Veal L. "The potential effectiveness of essential oils as treatment for headlice, Pediculus humanus capitis," Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery 2(4):97-101, Aug. 1996.

PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000.

Karyn Siegel-Maier is a freelance writer who specializes in herbs, alternative medicine and new-age issues. She is a frequent contributor to national and regional magazines, newsletters and other publications. She is the author of The Naturally Clean Home: 101 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Non-Toxic Cleansers (Storey-Books, 1999).