Melaleuca oil, also known as tea tree oil, is truly nature’s natural antiseptic. This topical oil, which comes from an Australian tree, is a naturally safe oil that is effective as an antibiotic, antiviral, and fungicide.
Tea tree oil was first used by the Bundjalung Aboriginal people who lived in the northeast corner of what is now New South Wales, Australia. They picked the oil-covered leaves of the tree and rubbed them on their skin to relieve cuts, bites, burns, and other skin ailments. They made a dressing for wounds by grinding the leaves into a paste. They also shredded the leaves to use as insect repellant.
There are several types of tea trees. However, the most potent medicinal oil is called Melaleuca alternifolia.
Dr. AR Penfold, a chemist in Sydney, found that tea tree oil was 13 times stronger at killing bacteria than carbolic acid, the universal standard antiseptic in the early 20th century. The Medical Journal of Australia published a study that the oil was effective in treating pus-filled infections of the skin and infected nail beds, and helped speed recovery from sore throats when gargled with the oil. Another study published in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1990 found tea tree oil to be as effective in treating acne as benzoyl peroxide, with fewer side effects. It is also effective in treating burns, canker sores, and bacterial and fungal infections.
Melaleuca oil can also be used for animals; Bites, cuts, stings, rashes, dermatitis, lice, scabies, ringworm, fleas and ticks are just a few of its veterinary uses.
Melaleuca oil can be applied undiluted or diluted in water or another type of oil such as olive oil. Most of the tea tree oil that is produced is added to skin care and beauty products such as deodorants, shampoos, and mouthwashes. Industrial-grade oils are used as disinfectants, floor cleaners, and can be added to air conditioning and ventilation systems to kill mold and mildew.
As we rediscover nature’s natural medicines through modern research, a new world of therapies is opening up to us. Natural therapies are often as effective as medications, but without the side effects. Many medicinal drugs contain healing properties that no synthetic drug has been able to mimic.