Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of a tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia ), which is a small tree with clustered fruit and white summer flowers that grows in Australia and Asia. There are several products that have tea tree oil in them touting its health benefits, although some are only marginally of use. Historically, tea tree oil was used by Aborigines for cuts and infections of the skin using the leaves crushed on the affected area.
Acne
A topical acne treatment has been shown to be the one most effective use of tea tree oil. While slower than benzoyl peroxide, it has fewer side effects and therefore is better in overall treatment. The oil helps kill fungus and bacteria, even some bacteria that is antibiotic resistant. This is a relatively reliable option for acne sufferers. In fact, in a study by the Department of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery in Wilmington Hospital based in Delaware, tea tree oil proved effective in 57 of 58 clinical germs and bacteria it was tested against.
Athlete's Foot/Ringworm
Both ringworm and athlete's foot is based in a fungal infection. The Linus Paulding Institute at Oregon State University saw that a 10-percent tea tree oil cream (the herbal remedy) was comparable to the 1-percent tolnaflate cream (the traditional treatment). While the tea tree oil did not cure the condition, it did readily improve the condition.
MSRA
Tea tree oil is useful for killing some bacteria that is antibiotic resistant and therefore has some use in MSRA infection treatments as well as fungal infections. According to the University of Michigan, there has been a clinical trial that found tea tree oil in a body wash and in a nasal ointment was minimally more efficient at preventing bacteria than standard drugs.
Toenail Fungus
Oregon State University's Linus Paulding Institute says that it has been shown that a 100-percent tea tree oil solution versus a 1-percent clotrimazole solution used topically for toenail disease gave the user even results. The study resulted in findings that the improvement was the same from the herbal remedy and the traditional treatment.
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