The Wonders of Melaleuca (Tea Tree) Essential Oil

Melaleuca Essential Oil comes from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree native to Australia. It was named Tea Tree by Captain James Cook who has seen the aborigines using the leaves to brew tea upon his arrival to New South Wells in 1770. They also treated wounds and cuts by crushing fresh leaves and applying them to the skin directly. Today this oil is added to many skin care and personal hygiene products all over the world. 

According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information, Melaleuca Essential Oil shows antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, and anti-protozoal activities. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/

Uses for the Melaleuca Oil

One bottle of this oil comes a long way and if combined with things you already have in your kitchen it can replace many products for personal hygiene and cleaning. I've made many concoctions with Tea Tree Oil and chucked the nasty chemical filled products out. Not only that these are 100% natural, they are not harmful for the environment and you'll have fun making them (well at least I did). Here are some of the uses for Melaleuca:

• Disinfecting the toothbrush
• Fresh Breath and gum protection
• Boosting the shampoo
• Reducing Acne face cleanser
• Soothing the skin and helping with minor cuts, burns
• Preventing and treating athlete's foot and toenail fungus
• Removing the mildew smell from your clothes
• Cleaning the kitchen and bathroom surfaces
• Removing mold

Disinfecting the toothbrush

Changing your toothbrush regularly is very important because of all the bacteria that gathers on it over the course of time and because we use it to clean our teeth and mouth (AKA the gate way for lots of germs to get into our body). To make sure your toothbrush is squeaky clean place 2 drops of the oil on it and 2 in the cup/glass/container you keep it in, let it sit for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Ta-Dah your royal toothbrush is clean!

Fresh Breath

For a mouth rinse, place 2 drops of Tea Tree oil into half a cup of water and use as usual. Do not swallow! The antibacterial properties of the oil will keep your mouth and gums protected and odor free.

Boost your Shampoo

Antibacterial and anti-fungal properties of Melaleuca will reduce dead skin cells and kill the fungi and bacteria clogging the follicles of your hair. This will promote healthy hair growth. Further more the oil will keep your scalp moisturized thus preventing the excretion of excess oil and/or itchy, dry scalp. Add a few drops of oil to your shampoo (I've added 6 drops to a 500 ml bottle), shake well before use and wash your hair as normal. Sometimes I let the shampoo sit on my hair for a few minutes before rinsing, but this is completely up to you. Also I have found a brand of natural coconut based shampoo which is mild, if you are using regular shampoo try not to leave it in your hair for too long. 

Reducing Acne Face Cleanser

Tea Tree oil is great for greasy, acne prone skin as it kills the bacteria that causes acne and controls the skin sebum blocking your pores. Add a few drops of oil to your face cleanser/wash shake well and use as usual. If you are using a face tonic, place 1 drop to the cotton ball and pour the tonic over it. 
Adding a few drops to your shower gel will have the same effect on your skin.
This oil is very strong, so make sure you are not using too much as it might burn!

Preventing and Treating Athlete's Foot and Toenail Fungus

As we all know sweaty, itchy, smelly feet are not the nicest thing to live with. Because we wear shoes the sweat from out feet is not able to evaporate. This creates a warm and wet paradise for fungi and bacteria where they grow old and raise children together. All joke aside Athlete's Foot is no laughing matter, together with toenail fungi it is a reoccurring issue for many people.
Adding a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to your foot bath will make a world of difference. If you don't have time for that, simply mix a few drops of essential oil with any oil you have in your kitchen (olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil. . .). I have used 2 drops of Tea Tree per 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. Apply the mixture to clean feet before bed.

Removing the mildew smell from your clothes

A few weeks ago I was washing a load clothes and I missed one T-shirt when I was unloading the washing machine. It stayed there over night and to my huge surprise it didn't smell bad the next day. How is this possible? Well, I have substituted the laundry softener with white vinegar and essential oil mix: 6 cups of white vinegar and 15 drops of Melaleuca Oil. That's it! Mix well before every use and a quarter of a cup per wash will do. If you are worried about the smell of vinegar, don't be, by the time the clothes dries, the smell will disappear.
However, if your clothes does have that mildew smell, just run the rinse cycle again and add 3 to 5 drops of oil.
Tea Tree will also protect your clothes from moths when you put it away during winter/summer.

Cleaning the kitchen and bathroom surfaces

The commercial cleaners work great on kitchen and bathroom surfaces, but what is not great about them is that they are extremely toxic and even though you wear gloves, the micro particles will get in touch with your skin. AS I've mentioned before, not only that Tea Tree is good for your skin, it's great for killing bacteria and disinfecting. All you need to do is mix 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water and 8 drops of the essential oil into a spray bottle. Works great on all the surfaces, leaving them clean, mold and odor free. Just spray the area your cleaning, let it sit for a few minutes and rinse as usual. I spray the toilet first and leave it in while I'm washing the sink and the shower. 

Important

While Tea Tree oil is very beneficial, like everything else, it can be toxic if taken in large quantities. Keep in mind that it takes many, many leaves to make a small bottle of essential oil, so one drop will go a long way. Some people are allergic to Tea Tree! 
Always dilute the oil if applying it to the skin. To make sure you have diluted the oil enough, always apply a small amount to your skin first and wait for a few minutes. 
Because of it's high concentration Tea Tree Oil is toxic if eaten. Keep it away from your eyes and do not give it children under 6 months old.

There are many uses for Tea Tree Essential Oil. It combines well with Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon Essential Oil and the can all be added to your laundry softener, personal hygiene and cleaning products. Just remember to do some research and make sure you're not using too much. You can buy pure grade essential oils here.
Have you used Tea Tree before? How do you use it? Please share your thoughts, ideas and questions.