Tea Tree Essential Oil Uses

Unlike essential oils from peppermint or fennel, which are often found in culinary products, the tea tree does not find much use outside of essential oil therapy. While it may not be as diverse in its uses as other plants, the versatility and effectiveness of tee tree essential oil still makes it tremendously valuable. Tea tree essential oil possesses many properties that make it a useful in treating a number of ailments.

Fight Cold Sores

Tea tree essential oil’s beneficial properties include working as an antiviral agent. Aromatherapist and author Patricia Davis writes that this antiviral capability makes it a good choice for fighting off the uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing cold sore. Tea tree essential oil is non-irritating to the skin so you can directly apply a little of the oil to the cold sore. Davis writes that this works best if done at the first feeling or sign of an impending cold sore.

Help Treat Respiratory Infection

While tee tree works as an antiviral agent, that is not the only type of infection that it is effective against. It also works to kill bacterial. The bacterial fighting ability makes it a good choice for helping ward off or heal a respiratory infection. Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes for Health, says that many laboratory studies have confirmed tea tree essential oil’s antibacterial action. In addition to fighting off the infection causing bacteria, tea tree essential oil also helps you clear out mucus from your lungs. To take advantage of these properties the best method of use, according to aromatherapist Julie Lawless in her book, “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils” is adding the oil to steaming water and inhaling the vaporous mixture.

Cure Ringworm

Infections can not only be caused by viruses and bacteria, but also by fungi. Tea tree oil completes its infection fighting capabilities by also having fungicidal properties. There are many common fungal skin infections, such as ringworm. Because tea tree oil does not irritate the skin, you can directly apply it to the infected skin and it will work to kill the infection causing fungi.