The native aboriginal people of New South Wales, Australia, used tea tree oil for various medicinal purposes, including as a topical ointment for cuts, burns and other skin ailments. With a rich history of use, tea tree oil may eventually go on to play an important role in modern alternative medicine, but make sure you talk to your doctor before using it as a primary treatment for any health condition.
History
Deanne Tenney, author of "Tea Tree Oil," states that New South Wale's Bundjalung aboriginal people often steeped a tea from the crushed leaves of the tea tree plant, a habit duly noted in 1770 by the British Royal Navy's Captain James Cook, the man responsible for the plant's present-day name. By the 1920s, surgeons in Australia used tea tree oil to serve as a disinfectant. It went on to become a key antiseptic item in the first-aid kits used in Australia during World War II, but fell into disuse soon after, most likely due to the introduction of antibiotics, notes Tenney.
Features
Tea tree oil possesses a thin consistency and a clear or light yellow color. It has a strong, distinctive odor somewhat reminiscent of the scent of eucalyptus oil, which contributes to making it a commonly used essential oil in aromatherapy. C.J. Puotinen, author of "Nature's Antiseptics," states that tea tree oil contains 48 organic compounds that work together to make it a versatile topical ointment for treating various health conditions. Compounds include cineole, terpinenes, cymones, terpineols and L-terpineol. MedlinePlus states that tea tree oil's antibacterial properties most likely arise from the compound terpinen-4-ol.
Uses
Historical uses for tea tree oil are wide and varied, but most are not supported by thorough clinical testing. According to MedlinePlus, tea tree oil has been tested in the past on animals or in humans as a treatment for acne, athlete's foot, bad breath, dandruff, fungal nail infections, lice and vaginal infections arising from both yeast and bacteria. Other traditional uses include insect bites, burns, warts, bruises, leg ulcers and scabies.
Types
Tea tree oil is available full strength and in diluted solutions for treating various health conditions, as recommended by your primary care doctor or a certified alternative health care practitioner. Diluted solutions vary but generally include 5 percent or 10 percent tea tree oil as an active ingredient, usually in a gel or shampoo form. Effective dosage levels have not yet been determined, due to a lack of clinical testing; however, MedlinePlus notes that study trials generally include a 5 percent or 10 percent diluted solution applied topically for no more than four weeks.
Potential
MedlinePlus notes that preliminary laboratory studies indicate tea tree oil may be an effective remedy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA. Having developed a resistance to methicillin, the antibiotic commonly used to treat staph infections, MRSA may lead to potentially life-threatening health conditions, including blood infections, pneumonia and toxic shock syndrome, according to MedlinePlus.
References
- "Tea Tree Oil"; Deanne Tenney; 1999
- "Nature's Antiseptics"; C.J. Puotinen; 1999
- MedlinePlus: Tea Tree Oil
- MedlinePlus: MRSA
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