Tea Tree Oil has many benefits if Antibiotics aren't working or aren't your first option. Dr. Z shares the power of natural remodes that prove to me more effective then modern medicine at times.
There are countless ways to enjoy tea tree benefits for your health and these eight top the list.
1. INFECTIONS AND WOUND CARE
Studies (6) show that tea tree essential oil can be as effective in eradicating MRSA (7) (methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus) as commonly used antimicrobial drugs. Research has shown that a 5% tea tree oil solution has been shown (8) to be effective in removing MRSA on the skin.
Application: Prepare a 5% remedy for cuts and scrapes as an antiseptic by adding 15 drops of tea tree oil in a 10ml roller bottle and filling the rest with fractionated coconut oil.
2. CLEANING AND KILLING GERMS
Since the 1940s, researchers have been looking at the antimicrobial powers of tea tree oil by testing it against several bacterial strains. The data (9) shows that even a low dose of tea tree can kill bacteria and a stronger concentration is even effective against E. coli!
Application: For every ounce of carrier or liquid, add 20 drops of tea tree oil to your DIY cleaning solutions to disinfect your home and homemade hand sanitizer recipes.
3. GET RID OF FUNGUS
Tea tree oil has been successfully tested on toenail fungus (10) and athlete’s foot (11), and the >evidence (12) demonstrates it may heal fungal infections in general. This oil is a safe bet to add to your treatments for ringworm, and impetigo as well!
Application: For athlete’s foot, mix 1/2 cup arrowroot and 1/2 cup baking soda and add 3 drops each of basil, tea tree, sage, and clove essential oils. Apply to your socks and shoes after laundering and apply to your feet before putting on your socks.
4. MOLD BE GONE
Struggling with nasty mold in your shower, dishwasher, or washing machine? Tea tree oil is the solution! Science has proven (13) its effectiveness in blocking mold on produce used in commercial foods.
Application: Add a few drops of this oil to your cleaning solutions or to your washing machine and dishwasher cleansing cycles.
5. ACNE AND DANDRUFF
If you are battling these conditions, tea tree oil can help. Research has found (14) that it is as effective as common acne treatments and it successfully treats dandruff (15) as well. It also reduced scalp itchiness and greasy hair.
Application: Be sure to add a few drops of tea tree into your shampoo recipes!
6. ITCHY SKIN CONDITIONS
Speaking of itchy skin, tea tree oil can help with eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions, including poison ivy rashes. Its anti-inflammatory powers have been proven (16) to reduce psoriasis in the lab.
Application: Add a few drops of tea tree oil to Mama Z’s Skin Serum recipe to help heal these conditions.
7. DEODORIZE
Because of its antibacterial properties, tea tree oil is an excellent deodorizer for everything from laundry to cleaning. Add 2-3 drops into your liquid laundry detergent, mixing well.
Application: Its ability to combat body odor also makes it a great choice to add your homemade deodorant recipes!
8. ORAL HEALTH
Because it doesn’t taste great, you might not think of tea tree oil for your oral health. However, studies suggest that it is effective in fighting plaque (17) and bad breath (18), as well as for sanitizing your toothbrush (19).
Application: Add this oil to your homemade toothpaste or oil pulling routine, especially if you are fighting an infection.
A NOTE ABOUT ESTROGEN AND TEA TREE
As with any strong oil, potency should be considered with regard to safety, and some have suggested that tea tree may be toxic and too strong to use. Officially, thanks to a study out of the Journal of Ethnopharmocology, researchers have deemed it non-genotoxic, and as centuries of wisdom and use have indicated it is safe when used correctly. (20) Simple antibiotic safety principles should be observed, such as confirming bacterial infection before treatment, using only what you need, and protecting your esophagus by ingesting 1-2 drops in gel capsules with carrier oil.
The only reason why we’re even having this discussion is because of a poorly researched 2007 New England Journal of Medicine article titled, “Prepubertal Gynecomastia Linked to Lavender and Tea Tree Oils.” The long and the short of it is that three boys obscurely developed idiopathic cases of prepubertal gynecomastia (when boys experience enlarged, tender breast buds) for a short period of time (1 – 5 months).
It was determined that all three patients were using either a shampoo, lotion, soap or balm that included lavender oil and tea tree oil as ingredients. The researchers extrapolated that these essential oils were “estrogenic” based off of a preliminary in vitro evaluation. In their words, “On the basis of the three case reports and the in vitro studies, we suspect that repeated topical application of over-the-counter products containing lavender oil or tea tree oil was the cause of gynecomastia in the three patients.” (21)
There are several epidemiological reasons why this conclusion is false and is out of the scope of this article to cover each one, but I’ll leave you with this thought: just because lavender and tea tree oils were two common ingredients in the products that these three boys were using, does not prove that they were the cause. This is a classic statistics blunder that many make. “Correlation does not imply causation,” because there are countless other variables that not being considered (diet, environmental triggers, medicines, and etc.).
Suffice it to say that essential oils safety expert Robert Tisserand emphatically states that, “Lavender [and tea tree] oil does not mimic estrogen nor does it enhance the body’s own estrogens. It is therefore not a ‘hormone disruptor’, cannot cause breast growth in young boys (or girls of any age), and is safe to use by anyone at risk for estrogen-dependent cancer.” (22) And Tisserand’s conclusion has been supported by more recent research.
In 2013, for instance, the International Journal of Toxicology published a study confirming that lavender is not estrogenic, at least in female rats. Whether it is for humans remains to be seen, but there is literally no research to prove otherwise. (23)
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