The Healing Power of Tea Tree Oil: My Top Benefits

This is my favorite essential oil. In my opinion, it is the King of all essential oils! The reason for this is because it has helped my family so much with its healing abilities. I will tell you all the different ways it has helped me and how I use it. First, I want to briefly explain what tea tree is and a little of its history.

TEA TREE HISTORY

The Melaleuca tree, or tea tree, grows on the swampy southeast coast of Australia. It is also found on the northeast coast of New South Wales. The native people have used it as a plant medicine for centuries. The correct name of this tree is Melaleuca Alternifolia. It is a small tree, but its leaves are packed with amazing health benefits! The native people would often crush the leaves to produce oil, and they would inhale it to treat respiratory issues. Today, we just buy it in a little bottle called essential oil and enjoy it for many healing qualities. The tea tree oil industry started in the 1920’s when they realized there was money to be made. (1)

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

There have been some studies to determine the health benefits of tea tree oil. Mostly anecdotal and there aren’t nearly as many as I would have hoped. Some people can be allergic to it too. You may want to do a spot test on a small part of your skin. Use a carrier oil with the tea tree before applying it. It can be toxic to pets, so you wouldn’t want them to inhale the oil. Also, it should be kept away from children because it is toxic if ingested. It is a hot oil so mixing a little carrier oil with it would probably be best. The types I use are olive oil, sweet almond oil, or coconut oil. Click HERE for some safety precautions. (2)(3)

Now let us get the fun part! This is where I will explain all the ways it has helped my family. I have been using it for at least 15 years. I will share with you the ways it has helped us. There are many different stories out there. Still, I will discuss what has worked for me.

MY PERSONAL STORIES

The first time I ever really used it was to treat a skin infection of Impetigo on my face. It was a pretty severe case, and I had tried antibiotics, but they never healed the infection. Impetigo is a staff or strep bacterial infection that can range from mild to severe. The infection was on my face. I got it directly from someone who had it on their face. They used my office phone. YUCK! I was given topical and internal antibiotics. It had spread pretty far and was just a mess, not to mention painful, itchy, and disgusting to look at. The antibiotics did cause it to reduce in size, but the core never really went away. Just when I thought I was better, the bump appeared again. Impetigo usually starts with a white head pimple that hurts. If you squeeze it thinking it’s a pimple, it will spread fast. I was pretty upset at this point. I started searching the internet. I found a book called MRSA Secrets Revealed. I ordered it right away. One of the suggestions the author talked about was using tea tree oil on the infection. I bought some from “Be Young Essential Oil Company” right away and waited impatiently for it to come. As soon as it came, I opened it and put the oil directly on the infection. I did not even bother to use carrier oil & and amazingly, within a few days, the spot was gone. I kept doing it every day for a couple of weeks to make sure it was completely healed. Not only did it heal completely within that week, but it has never returned. It has been about 15 years. All I have is a small scar to remind me of the unfortunate experience.

This made a believer out of me right then and there! I decided I would always keep a bottle of this liquid gold in my medicine cabinet. I use it for mild skin abrasions, pimples, bug bites, or lung infections. It is best to use it as soon as you get cut or see a bump. Whatever you do, don’t squeeze an unusual pimple or boil. Just put this on it right away. If it is anything serious you should visit with your doctor.

A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS

The next time I tried it seriously was when I came down with a strange respiratory issue. It was a fungal bacterial infection. I was so sick for about 3 weeks and had a temperature of 103 the whole time. The doctor gave me 3 different kinds of antibiotics, and finally, the z pack worked! I did not try the tea tree with this particular infection. Still, I came down with it again after visiting our local lake. That’s where I got it the first time. There was something in the water that somehow I was picking up. This time, I decided to try inhaling tea tree oil in an essential oil steam bath. I was worried I could have an allergic reaction, but I was so desperate I did it anyway. It worked, and I was so happy that I did not have to go on antibiotics again. This has since worked for me every time I started getting bronchitis from a cold or something else.

LET’S NOT FORGET THE TOES

Last but not least, it worked when my Mom got toenail fungus from getting a pedicure at the salon. Her toe nail had fallen off. I told her to mix a little olive oil with the tea tree oil. She should put it on a cotton ball. She wrapped a band-aid around it and kept it on day and night. She changed the dressing every morning and evening evening. She did this for about 1 to 2 weeks. It again worked, and it has never come back to this day, and that was at least 3 years ago. It is best to do this when the nail falls off because it has better skin contact.

These are my own personal stories. They tell of a wonderful plant medicine. It has worked so well for my family and I. In my opinion, if I only had one home remedy to use, tea tree oil would be my pick. My next pick would be apple cider vinegar with “The Mother”. There are many other ways this oil can be healing, including external yeast infections, lice, and more. I always suggest speaking with your health care practitioner before trying anything new. If you have never tried using tea tree oil, it is worth giving it a chance. In the comments of this blog feel free to share your Tea Tree oil stories. Stay happy and healthy!