tea tree oil
tea tree oil: "tea tree oil
What Is It?
Health Benefits
Forms
Dosage Information
Guidelines for Use
General Interaction
Possible Side Effects
Cautions
What Is It?
It was centuries ago that Australian aborigines probably first started plucking leaves from a native tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) to treat skin infections. In 1770, sailors from Captain Cook's expedition to the South Seas ventured ashore at New South Wales and brewed a tea using the leaves of the same tree. This event engendered the herb's English name 'tea tree'--which is actually something of a misnomer because the Melaleuca species bears no relation to the Camellia species, the usual source of tea leaves.
Today, an aromatic oil with a fragrance reminiscent of nutmeg is steam-distilled from the Melaleuca leaves. Because the Melaleuca alternifolia grows only in Australia, that country is now the major source of tea tree oil, exporting some 700 tons of annually. Tea tree products are often referred to as 'melaleuca oil.' The pure oil is colorless to pale yellow.
Health Benefits
High-quality tea tree oil contains 40% or more of terpinen-4-ol, the ingredient that fights harmful bacteria and fungi and makes the oil so effective in preventing and fighting infection in cuts, scrapes, insect bites, and stings.
Specifically, tea tree oil may help to:
Treat cuts, scrapes, insect bites and stings, and other minor skin wounds and irritations. Tea tree oil blends rapidly and easily with the skin's own oils. In the process, the oil alters the chemical barrier of the skin, making it less hospitable to the growth of fungi and other organisms. In these ways, tea tree oil not only lessens the chance of infection, it also promotes healing and reduces the likelihood of"
What Is It?
Health Benefits
Forms
Dosage Information
Guidelines for Use
General Interaction
Possible Side Effects
Cautions
What Is It?
It was centuries ago that Australian aborigines probably first started plucking leaves from a native tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) to treat skin infections. In 1770, sailors from Captain Cook's expedition to the South Seas ventured ashore at New South Wales and brewed a tea using the leaves of the same tree. This event engendered the herb's English name 'tea tree'--which is actually something of a misnomer because the Melaleuca species bears no relation to the Camellia species, the usual source of tea leaves.
Today, an aromatic oil with a fragrance reminiscent of nutmeg is steam-distilled from the Melaleuca leaves. Because the Melaleuca alternifolia grows only in Australia, that country is now the major source of tea tree oil, exporting some 700 tons of annually. Tea tree products are often referred to as 'melaleuca oil.' The pure oil is colorless to pale yellow.
Health Benefits
High-quality tea tree oil contains 40% or more of terpinen-4-ol, the ingredient that fights harmful bacteria and fungi and makes the oil so effective in preventing and fighting infection in cuts, scrapes, insect bites, and stings.
Specifically, tea tree oil may help to:
Treat cuts, scrapes, insect bites and stings, and other minor skin wounds and irritations. Tea tree oil blends rapidly and easily with the skin's own oils. In the process, the oil alters the chemical barrier of the skin, making it less hospitable to the growth of fungi and other organisms. In these ways, tea tree oil not only lessens the chance of infection, it also promotes healing and reduces the likelihood of"

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