Uses and Applications summary
For nearly 100 years pure tea tree oil (TTO) has been extensively used to successfully treat a quite extraordinary range of conditions and found a myriad of other uses. This is because of its antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties and some anti-inflammatory activity which have been the subject of extensive and comprehensive studies probably best summarised in the 2007 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) titled
Effectiveness and Safety of Australian Tea Tree Oil1 compiled by preeminent researchers Carson, Hammer and Riley2. Cynthia Olsen in her Tea Tree Oil Guide book3 provides a very helpful and quite detailed chapter tabulating a near exhaustive list of common conditions that have been successfully treated by the applications of pure tea tree oil including:
- Skin
Acne and Pimples
Boils (furunculosis)
Cold sore (herpes simplex)
Dermatitis and Eczema
Insect bites and Stings
Psoriasis, Hives and Rashes
Ringworms
Ulcers (leg and tropical)
Vaginal (yeast) infections
Warts
Minor wounds, cuts and abrasions
Aftershave and bikini wax irritation
Burns (minor)
Coral cuts
Nappy rash
Infections - Feet and Nail
Athlete’s foot (tinea)
Corns and calluses
Foot odour
Nail Infections (perionychia) - Hair and Scalp
Cradle cap (pityriasis capitis)
dandruff (Malassezia furfur)
Head-lice (pediculus humans capitis)
Itchy scalp (some other types) - Mouth
Gingivitis
Toothache
Bad breath
Mouth ulcers
Cough, colds, nasal congestions and
bronchial congestion
Pure Australian tea tree oil uses further extend to:
The treatment of a whole range of animal and pet skin condi6on (ref 3. chapter 4) eg 6cks, mange, fleas. Solvent application similar to mineral turpen6ne and eucalyptus oil. Formulated products star6ng with aqueous emulsions and natural cold-pressed oil balms and lo6ons. More sophisticated formulations further broaden the scope of use for tea tree oil – molecular complexes between tea tree oil and modified starch provide controlled release and evaporation control characteristics as do the exciting new microencapsulated matrices that MCNE can now offer. Extensive details (including dosages, applica6on methods and precau6ons) for each and all of the above examples can be readily found on the internet and in C. Olsen’s guide3.
- https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/downloads/07-143
- Clin. Microbiol. Rev. January 2006 vol. 19 no. 1 50-62 [ https://cmr.asm.org/content/19/1/50.full ]
- Olsen, Cynthia B. Australia tea tree oil guide, Rev. 3rd ed., First aid in a bottle. 2007.
