If you're eyeing a bottle of tea tree oil and wondering whether you should drink it, don't: It will make you seriously ill. But don't throw it out either. Tea tree oil has a host of applications, all for external use only. Used in topical applications, tea tree oil, which also is sometimes referred to as manuka or melaleuca oil, can be a handy addition to your medicine cabinet.
History of Use
Australian Aborigines have long valued the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree for use as a treatment for skin wounds. The traditional use of tea tee leaves was to crush the leaves and apply them as a poultice to cuts and abrasions to ward off infection. Australian physicians took notice of this traditional practice in the 1920s and began using oil derived from tea tree leaves to clean injuries and prevent post-surgical infection. Australian World War I soldiers carried tea tree oil in their first-aid kits as an antiseptic. Today the use of tea tree oil as a topical remedy has spread worldwide. It is available as an oil and as an ingredient in numerous products.
Effects of Ingestion
Tea tree oil is not used for internal applications due to its toxicity. The American Cancer Society explains that when swallowed it can cause hallucinations, coma, vomiting and blood cell abnormalities. The journal "Clinical Microbiology Reviews" states that cases of tea tree oil poisoning have been reported in both children and adults, though no known human deaths have resulted from ingesting tea tree oil.
Topical Uses
Clinical evidence indicates that tea tree oil might be of benefit in inhibiting bacterial, fungal and viral microbes. Tea tree oil has been used as an acne-fighting treatment, and in this application has been shown to have effects similar to benzoyl peroxide, with fewer side effects
According to "Clinical Microbiology Reviews," tea tree oil also appears to have anti-inflammatory effects and might help reduce swelling and redness associated with inflammation.
Considerations
Tea tree oil is sometimes added to products such as mouthwash and toothpaste, an application that some might erroneously equate with "internal use." It is vital that such products are spat out after use and not ingested, in order to avoid potential side effects.
CoxHealth notes that there is the potential for side effects due to accidental ingestion of tea tree oil intended to eradicate halitosis or oral thrush, and recommends that tea tree oil not be used by itself for such purposes without the supervision of a health care professional.
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