Tea tree oil is sometimes used for its antimicrobial and antiseptic actions to treat fungal infections, as well as dandruff, acne, herpes, periodontal disease, minor wounds and burns, lung conditions and skin conditions. Tea tree oil is made from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree, which is native to Australia. Don’t use tea tree oil for any medicinal purpose before first consulting your health-care provider, nor should you stop taking any other treatments or medications in lieu of tea tree oil unless recommended by your doctor.
History
For centuries, tea tree oil has been used for its antiseptic properties to treat and prevent infections, including fungal infections, says the University of Michigan Health System. Tea tree oil became a natural preventive and treatment for wound infections in Australia, and the nation’s government deemed tea tree oil a vital commodity for its military during World War II, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Benefits
Today, you might use tea tree oil to treat athlete’s foot, thrush, vaginal yeast and other fungal infections. Tea tree oil may also help to get rid of mild fungal infections of the nails, says the University of Michigan Health System. To treat fungal infections, you can use a 70- to 100-percent-strength tea tree oil applied to the skin area two or three times daily until your symptoms go away, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. To treat fungal vaginal infections such as yeast, you can use a douche containing up to 40 percent concentration tea tree oil. But, you should discuss these proposed applications with your doctor before using tea tree oil for any purpose.
Function
Tea tree oil contains volatile oils, active constituents that include terpinen-4-ol, alpha-terpineol, sesquiterpenoid, 1-8-cineole and terpinolene, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. These volatile oils seem to have antimicrobial activity that can inhibit the growth of fungal infections such as Candida albicans. In vitro studies published in 2000 and 2006 have proved tea tree oil’s antimicrobial actions, the latter study finding that tea tree oil helped to kill fungal yeast infections from the mouths of cancer patients, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Scientific Evidence
A 2002 double-blind clinical trial involving 158 people with the fungal skin infection known as athlete’s foot found that applying a 25 percent or 50 percent tea tree oil solution twice per day for one month was substantially more effective in treating the infection than placebo, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Nearly two-thirds of the people who used the 50 percent solution completely got rid of their athlete’s foot fungal infections and more than half of those who used the 25 percent tea tree oil were cured. An Australian clinical study published in 1992 also found that tea tree oil effectively treated athlete’s foot, says the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Warnings
Although considered safe, tea tree oil may cause you to experience skin irritation or develop an allergic rash if you apply 100 percent or “pure” solutions to your skin every day, warns the University of Michigan Health System. Tea tree oil isn’t safe to take orally. In fact, ingesting tea tree oil can cause toxicity, the University of Pittsburgh warns. Cases of neutrophil leukocytosis and coma have been reported after taking tea tree oil orally, according to a study published in 1998 . Even when you’re using tea tree oil topically, you should talk with your doctor about any potential health risks and proper usage.
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