Tea Tree Oil
Introduction:
Family: Myrtaceae
Description & Extraction:
It is a small tree from New South Wales in Australia, similar to Cypress, with needle-like leaves and heads of sessile yellow or purplish flowers and grows to about
7 meters (20 feet) high and thrives in marshy areas, though it is now cultivated in plantations. It has a light spicy, rather pungent smell and is very pale in color with
a watery viscosity. Tea tree oil is extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia of the Myrtaceae family and is also known as ti-tree, ti-trol and melasol. It is extracted from the
leaves and twigs by steam distillation and the yield is about 1.8%.
Properties:
Blends well with:
Tea tree essential oils normally blend well together, tea tree oil blends particularly well with cinnamon, clary sage, clove, geranium, lavender, lemon, myrrh, nutmeg,
rosewood, rosemary and thyme.
Chemical Composition:
The main chemical components of tea tree oil (also referred to as ti-tree oil) are a-pinene, b-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, a-phellandrene, a-terpinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole,
y-terpinene, p-cymene, terpinolene, linalool, terpinen-4-ol and a-terpineol.
Toxicological Properties:
Tea tree oil are antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, balsamic, bactericide, cicatrisant, expectorant, fungicide, insecticide, stimulant and sudorific.
Benefits, Uses & Precautions:
• Tea tree oil is very important in the health of the immune system, as it acts as a immuno-stimulant and increases the body's ability to fight off any infections, while
it also is used to revive the mind and body after shock.
• The world over, this oil is used with great effectiveness to ward of infections of any kind, and it is active in all three varieties of infectious organisms: bacteria
• fungi and
• viruses.
• It can help with influenza, cold sores, catarrh, glandular fever and gingivitis.
Summary:
Tea tree oil is one of the most powerful immune stimulant oils and helps fight infections of all kinds and helps clear the skin.
