Tea Tree Oil: 6 Benefits You Need To Know

Essential oils in their adorable tiny bottles contain the most diverse and almost magical beneficial qualities. It's amazing how such small things have major benefits that help you resist the intrusion of common diseases and unwelcomed problems that become huge roadblocks in your daily life.

Tea tree oil has so many interesting beneficial qualities that I'm sure after reading this article you will definitely consider making this super oil as a part of your essential oil's pack at home. Do you have a set of these tiny magical bottles? If not then don't worry, start with Tea tree oil. I am positive that even if you don't have a set of essential oils now, you will get this particular one simply because it will come in handy in everyday use in your life.

Don't let its name mislead you in any way. Tea tree oil is neither associated with the tea plant not is it associated with tea oil. It, in fact, is extracted by the careful process of steam distillation of twigs and leaves from the tea tree (botanical name is Melaleuca Alternifolia) which is native to parts of Australia. Its dynamic healing qualities have made it famous throughout the world. It can be used to prevent and cure almost all kinds of tropical diseases and infection.

I'll start with Tea tree oil's benefits for your skin

Don't you hate when dark spots, blemishes appear on your face? I find pimple outbursts to be the worst, don't you? Tea tree oil will come to rescue your pretty face from the atrocious things that hide your beauty. Just a few drops of this essential oil on a piece of cotton and dab it lightly over the affected areas on the face.

Tea tree oil is most effective for treating acne. Not only does it fights bacteria (which is a cause of acne) tea tree oil penetrates through your pores and loosens up blocked oil and dirt that cause blackheads, whiteheads, and those painfully annoying red breakouts. Simply mix five to six drops of pure tea tree oil with two teaspoons of honey and rub on your face in a circular motion. Leave on for a minute or two and rinse it off with water. Your acne will surely start to fade away.

Tea tree essential oil also helps in relieving different types of skin inflammation. It is used as a natural treatment of eczema and also for reducing psoriasis.

This oil has certain antimicrobial property, which means it can kill the minutest of bacteria that cause diseases. So if you get cut with a knife while working in the kitchen or get bruised, and if you're scared of the pain that antiseptics cause when applied on an open wound (it kills me!) then with the help of Tea tree oil you can escape suffering that excruciating pain.

This is what you can do - First clean the affected area carefully with plain water, making sure there is no dirt or dust left over. Mix a drop of tea tree oil (only a drop will do because it is highly concentrated) with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil (carrier oil) and apply a small & soft dab directly to the cut. Rinse, clean and reapply 1-2 times daily or as required.

Tea Tree Oil's Advantages for Your Hair

Your Hair is vulnerable to be damaged by many environmental elements such as dust, smoke, exposure to sun, winds, and acidic rains. On top of that, we use harmful chemicals on our hair like hair colors and fancy hair products. Little do we realize that temporary bliss may cause if not permanent then prolonged damage to your hair.

You must wash and condition your hair properly with mild and harmless products that promote healthy growth for your hair and prevent them from damage, thinning and breakage. The shampoos and conditioners that you buy from the market without knowing what your hair needs are mostly loaded with polymers, fillers, and fragrance to make them more appealing to you. These fillers, polymers, and additives are harmful and damaging to scalp and hair's health.

Choose a shampoo with tea tree oil, or better yet, add 2 drops of this essential oil to your regular organic or herbal shampoo. Tea tree oil is gentle and completely natural, that means it contains no harmful chemicals. That is why it is used for hair and scalp treatment. It helps in unclogging pores that get blocked because of regular use of shampoos and hair products that contain fillers and polymers. It also helps you in getting rid of the dead skin which hinders the growth of your hair. Be it split ends, fungal infection, dandruff, itchy and other scalp related concerns, Tea Tree Oil will give your scalp and hair a healthy boost.

This oil gives your hair a wonderful shine and a fresh feeling in your scalp. This is medicinal oil that nourishes and moisturizes both scalp and hair. Thanks to its antibacterial and antiviral attributes that leave your hair protected against various forms of scalp irritants.

Tea Tree Oil's Uses for Cold and Sour Throat

If you are suffering from cough andcold, bronchitis, congestion, and other troubles associated with cold or if you tend to catch a cold quite often then surely you can get relief using tea tree essential oil. You can rub it on your chest or inhale it while sleeping. How will you do that? Simple, pour one drop on the corner of your pillow and I promise you will wake up feeling better in the morning.

Tea tree essential oil is beneficial with dealing with the inflammation of the mucous membranes, which is the cause of pain when you struggle with a sore throat. Most importantly it can help in fighting off an infection. If caught at the right time, it can possibly prevent the infection before it causes you this inconvenience.

Mix 1 drop of tea tree oil and two teaspoons of salt (it helps in drawing out excess water from the mucous membrane which causes added discomfort) in a glass of warm water and gargle with it at least once possibly twice a day. Don't worry if you swallow it a little bit mistakenly, but try that you only gargle and spit it out.

It is not just beneficial for mild or the common cold. Ever experienced a terrible head cold? The resulting discomfort when you catch a cold that evolves into a sinus infection (condition in which the cavities around your nasal passages become inflamed) can make you feel utterly miserable. The inflammation of the membranes makes it difficult for the mucous that gets congested in the air-filled cavity in your forehead's bones to drain. This is what actually happens in your body when you get a 'head cold'.

The anti-bacterial action of tea tree oil is airborne, which means that it can be effective if you inhale it through steam.

Remedy to get rid of a sinus infection with tea tree oil - All you have to do is add around 4 to 8 drops of tea tree essential oil to a bowl of freshly boiled water. Keep in mind that this is concentrated and too much is not recommended. Therefore, you must add the number of drops with regard to the seriousness of your infection. Now lean over the bowl carefully, and cover your head and the bowl with a towel. Inhale the steam for at least 7 to 10 minutes. Repeat this once in the morning and once before sleeping.

Benefits of Tea tree oil's antibacterial and antiviral properties

Thanks to its antibacterial properties tea tree oil can cure some of the most dangerous and scary bacterial infections. Wounds, which are prone to get affected by bacterial infections, can be effectively protected as well as cured using this amazing oil. It is rarely taken orally, but if you need to then it is imperative to keep in mild concentrations. It can be used to treat internal bacterial infections such as those in the stomach, colon, intestines, excretory system, and urinary system. Tea tree oil can also prove to be useful in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Since viruses can survive under immensely harsh conditions, they can occur frequently and are quite dangerous.

Viruses can bear extreme conditions of cold as well as heat; they can even bear poison. I'm not kidding, they develop a protective shell around them called a 'Cyst'. Some viruses are even intelligent enough to grow a new cyst in order to trick your immune system (viruses such as the common cold virus). They never die naturally and can live in a state of being neither alive or dead for hundreds of years. That is scary stuff!

They can be destroyed only if somehow their cyst is ruptured. And guess what! Tea tree oil helps in rupturing cyst in some viruses, gives protection and builds resistance against them. It also assists in curing viral infections such as the common cold, mumps, influenza, measles, and pox.

Tea Tree oil as an insect repellent and an insecticide

It is plain to see that this super essential oil that is so lethal for viruses and bacteria can only be super effective against insects too. Tea tree oil is a potent insect repellent and an insect killer. If you mix 2-3 drops of this oil with your body lotion and rub it on your body then there will be no chance that any kind of parasite or other insects like fleas, mosquitoes, lice, or flies would come near you. This oil kills internal worms and insects too. Intestinal worms such as tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms, as it can be absorbed by your body trough your skin.

If you are not able to defend yourself against the nasty bug bites, tea tree oil still comes to your aid to reduce the irritating itch, redness, and swelling. So if you ever get bit by a bug, dab the infected area with 2-3 drops of tea tree oil (of course, diluted in a carrier oil) onto the bug bite. It will reduce the severity of the initial reaction that the bite causes and soothe the itching or burning sensation.

Tea tree oil's Perks for Your Oral Health

The bacteria in your mouth can be a good thing as well as a bad thing. It is a bad thing because an overabundance of it leads to a severe case of bad breath. As I have already mentioned above, that tea tree oil possesses supernatural antibacterial properties that can help in killing excess bacteria which causes you to have bad breath.

Here's what you can do to fend off bad breath - Add 2-3 drops of tea tree oil and 1 drop of peppermint essential oil in a cup of fresh water. Swirl (don't drink!) for half a minute or a minute and spit it out.

Precautions to take while using Tea tree oil

• If you're using this essential oil for the first time don't start by using it directly on sensitive parts of your skin. Mix it with a carrier oil and apply a little bit on your arm to make sure that you are not allergic to it.
• Never apply this essential oil directly on the skin, it should always be mixed with a carrier oil (if you're using one drop of the essential oil then mix it in at least one tablespoon of the carrier oil).
• Do not ingest this oil, it is meant for topical use only.
• It should be kept far from the reach of children.