Using Tea Tree Oil as a Natural Remedy

Tea tree oil has gained popularity in the past few years as a natural remedy for many health related ailments. Tea tree oil, otherwise known as melaleuca oil, is an oil extraction from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree, a plant that is native to Australia. For hundreds of years the indigenous people of Australia, the Aborigines and the Bundjalung people, have used tea tree oil as a medicinal compound. It is only in recent years that the rest of the world has come to know of this miraculous mixture.

Tea tree oil as many antifungal properties, which make it a great natural medicine for skin related problems. Acne medications that are made with tea tree oil have proven to be very effective at clearing up skin that is plagued with the condition and help prevent it from coming back. When used in shampoo and other hair treatments, tea tree oil has proven to be an excellent treatment for dandruff and psoriasis.

Tea tree oil also has anti-septic properties making it an excellent agent to be used on wounds. The oil can be used undiluted or diluted, and can be mixed into creams and lotions that are applied onto a skin wound. It facilitates speedy healing of the wound and will help to prevent it from becoming infected.

Tea tree oil can be used to treat insect and spider bites, scabies, warts and athletes foot. It is used in treatment for sunburn, poison ivy and ear infections. In actuality, there are very few health conditions that tea tree oil is not helpful for in some way.

There are some mouthwashes and toothpastes that contain tea tree oil to help treat canker sores, various form of periodontal disease and even halitosis. These mouthwashes and toothpastes are quite effective in treating these conditions, however it is important to note they should be used with caution.

Though there are rare cases of it causing a problem, tea tree oil is primarily used externally and should not be ingested. If you use a mouthwash or a toothpaste that contains tea tree oil, you should make certain you do not swallow any.

The other exceptions to "external" use, include tea tree oil being used as a gargle for sore throats and treatment of cold symptoms as well as it being used in a douche form to treat yeast and other vaginal infections.

There are so many uses for tea tree oil that it is certainly a must have item in any naturalists medicine cabinet. When purchasing tea tree oil in a pure form, make sure that it is a high quality oil from a reliable source. It is generally a very inexpensive oil, and with it gaining such popularity can be very easily found on the Internet and in many health food and natural supplement stores. If you have never used tea tree oil, you should buy yourself a bottle today. You will be surprised at just how useful it really is and wonder how you ever lived without it.