* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
PLANT NAME (Botanical name): TEA TREE (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Geographical source: Australia
Delivers a warm, spicy, medicinal aroma. It is used in perfumes, colognes and aftershaves and as a scent in room sprays, gargles, antiseptics, shampoo, soaps, acne creams, and other skin care products.
Aromatherapy: cleansing, purifying, uplifting
Tea tree has a long history of use as an herbal medicine. Biochemists and aromatherapists worked together in defining the therapeutic nature of tea tree essential oil, and as a result, tea tree has become very popular as an alternative remedy.
A member of a genus of Australian and New Zealand trees and shrubs, the tea tree is also known as the honey myrtle or bottle brush tree. The many species and subspecies of this tree have an interesting bark that curls off the trunk, giving them the name "paperbark". The tea tree (sometimes spelled "ti") is related to eucalyptus. The scent of the extracted oil is similar to eucalyptus, but softer. Poor-quality tea tree oils smell like melted rubber. Tea tree oil is non-toxic, and like lavender oil, its uses are wide-ranging. Many of the 100 or so species of tea tree have fragrant leaves containing essential oil. Three species are distilled for their essential oils, including Melaleuca alternifolia, which yields tea tree oil. Melaleuca cajeputi provides cajeput essential oil and Melaleuca viridiflor is the source of niaoli essential oil. Distilled niaoli and cajeput oils retain some of the sweet-woody aromas present in the fresh leaves. Niaoli and cajeput oils are less medicinal smelling than tea tree oil.
The leaves of the tea tree were used for many years by the indigenous peoples of Australia before their "discovery" by the crew of the British explorer James Cook. The aboriginal people from Australia used tea tree leaves to treat wounds and cuts. Freshly crushed leaves were applied directly to an injury, then held in place with a mud pack. The medicinal effects of this poultice were so powerful that they helped combat infections in the wounds and also overcome the potential for further infections caused by the non-sterile mud pack.
Tea tree's effects spread among Europeans, as a folk medicine, as they settled Australia in the 19th century. Gradually the scientific community began to research and document the effects of the tea tree plant, especially the germicidal and bactericidal properties of the oil.
The key to tea tree's medicinal effectiveness is two chemical constituents found in the oil -- terpinen and cineole. Although both are germicidal and bactericidal, cineole can be a powerful skin irritant. Therefore, tea tree oils with high terpinen and low cineole contents are preferred. The terpinen/cineole ratio can vary considerably in the many different species of tea tree. The ratio can even vary in the same species if they are growing in different areas. This variance prompted the creation of an Australian standard for a minimum terpinen content of 30 percent and a maximum cineole content of 15 percent. Now that tea tree is commercially cultivated, producers can select and propagate selected plants that surpass the Australian standard. Essential oil with terpinen content a high as 40 percent and cineole content as low as five percent are now available. With this high standard, the oil remains highly effective while the possible irritant effects decrease. Because the terpinen found in tea tree oil is so mild, it can soothe scratches, sunburn, cuts, and cold sores. Since it is non-irritating, you can apply a single drop of the oil directly to minor injuries once/twice a day. Tea tree herb has a marked oil-dissolving and dispersing action which can help alleviate overly oily skin. Combined with water it works very well as a facial skin astringent. A few drops of the tea tree oil massaged directly into the scalp will gently invigorate the scalp and will help lift greasy deposits from the hair shaft before shampooing.
When you seek cleansing, purifying and uplifting benefits from aromatherapy, include tea tree oil in your tour through the Garden of Aromatherapy. Its natural warm, spicy aroma is certain to enhance your sense of wellness.
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Cautions
Not approved by the FDA for internal consumption.
Dilute well, skin irritant.
Label Information
Skin Type: Blemished
Note/Strength: Middle / Strong Note refers to the speed at which an oil evaporates - top notes dissipate the fastest and base notes the slowest. Strength refers to the intensity of the aroma.
Founded in 1984 in the Trinity Mountains of north central California, Aura Cacia is a leading manufacturer of 100% pure and natural essential oils and quality aromatherapy products.
Aura Cacia offers more than 80 essential oils that create moods such as relaxation, rejuvenation and sensuality.
Essential oils from Aura Cacia are 100% pure botanical oils without any added water, alcohol or other diluting agents. These aromatic oils are generally steam-distilled from herbs, fruits and flowers. Citrus fruit essential oils are cold-expressed.
No animals are used to test Aura Cacia products. The products are biodegradable.
Tea tree oil is an important therapeutic andcosmetic essential oil. Despite its less than beautiful fragrance, itshould figure prominently in any beginner or advanced aromatherapist'srepertoire. The following aromatherapy recipes should give you a goodstart on enjoying the benefits of tea tree oil.
Cleansing SkinAstringent
12 drops tea tree oil 3 ounces warmwater
Combine the oil and water in abottle and shake to blend thoroughly. Moisten a cotton ball with themixture and gently wipe freshly cleansed skin.
Soothing SunburnRelief
Overexposure to the sun can bepainful. Try this soothing treatment for natural relief.
Add essential oils to water andplace mixture in a bottle with a spray atomizer attachment. Shake well andmist sunburned areas whenever you need cooling relief.
Fill a portable basin ortub with hot water. Add essential oils to water and swirl to disperse.Soak feet for at least 15 minutes.
First Aid Relief
This remedy is excellent for skinirritations, bites, stings, burns, inflammation, bruises or scrapes.
Mix together 3 drops of each essential oil:lavender, tea tree, German chamomile and helichrysum. Combine with oneounce of infused calendula flower oil. Use a cotton ball to apply to cleansed wound.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
