Tea Tree Oil Uses

Tea tree oil appears to have some medicinal properties that make it a viable option for alternative or complementary treatment of certain ailments. Herbalists and traditional medical practitioners have long used the oil, and modern clinical research, although preliminary, is beginning to confirm some of the claims made for it. MedlinePlus stresses, however, that scientific evidence is thus far too limited. The National Institutes of Health advises that tea tree oil should not be taken orally.

Antimicrobial

Tea tree oil, derived through the steam distillation of leaves from the Melaleuca alternifolia, a tree native to Australia, shows an ability to inhibit the growth and spread of bacteria, viruses and fungi. An Australian overview, published in the January 2006 issue of Clinical Microbiology Reviews, explored evidence of tea tree oil's effectiveness in combating microbes that threaten human health. The review concluded that although in-vitro studies support claims for tea tree oil's antimicrobial properties, there is not yet sufficient clinical evidence to prove them conclusively. The Australian researchers strongly recommended large-scale clinical trials to "to cement a place for [tea tree oil] as a topical medicinal agent." The most common uses of tea tree oil, based on its antimicrobial properties, have been as an antifungal ointment, antibacterial ingredient in mouthwash, a topical gel to treat genital herpes and a remedy for bacterial vaginosis.

Anti-Inflammatory

The soothing, anti-inflammatory properties of tea tree oil make it an ideal ingredient for dermatological applications, as well as for cosmetics and personal care products, according to Ian Southwell and Robert Lowe, authors of "Tea Tree: The Genus Melaleuca." Such properties appear to outweigh the oil's antifungal effects, based on an Australian study published in a 1992 issue of the Australasian Journal of Dermatology. A formulation with 10 percent tea tree oil was tested against a 1 percent Tolnaftate cream, a widely used antifungal, and a placebo in the treatment of athlete's foot. Patients receiving the tea tree oil reported sharply reduced symptoms, but the tea tree oil was significantly less effective than Tolnaftate in combating the underlying fungal infection.

Anti-Ectoparasitic

Infestations of ectoparasites, such as lice and mites, are endemic in many parts of the world and a serious problem in some school systems in the United States, as well. Although the clinical evidence is not yet conclusive, a growing number of studies point to the effectiveness of tea tree oil as a treatment for such infestations. In one such study, published in the December 2002 issue of Phytomedicine, researchers combined tea tree oil with paw-paw extract and thymol for use as an herbal shampoo for the removal of head lice and nits. The study, undertaken in the corporate laboratories of Nature's Sunshine Products in Utah, first searched for the optimal blend of these natural products. Once the correct formula was established, researchers used the product on human test subjects infested with head lice. They reported 100 percent efficiency in the removal of lice and nits.