# shameless plug for tea tree oil



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i just wanted to state that i feel every medicine cabinet should have a bottle of tea tree oil. i will not list all of the uses of tea tree...i couldn't if i tried. i will just say it is the best antiseptic i have ever known.

i am nursing the second "skin flap" i have suffered this month. i have never had good luck with ripped flaps of skin. normally, they never re-adhere to the wounded area, and i eventually need to cut them off and deal with a nasty scab for about a month. two weeks ago i caught the back of my hand on a nail head and a long scratch ending in a triangle shaped flap of skin was left on my hand. i treated it with tea tree oil, bandaged it and kept it dry for 2 days. when i removed the bandage, i was happy to see that the flap of skin had healed enough to not need debriding. i applied tea tree oil a few more times and it is now totally healed.

yesterday, i knocked the skin of a knuckle loose with a hammer. it wasn't really hanging, but it was the size of half a dime and loose enough to go either way. i treated it with tea tree oil and bandaged it and wrapped the bandaid with duct tape to immobilize the knuckle (like using a splint). i replaced the bandage when it sweated off yesterday, and i applied more tea tree oil. i just removed the second bandage and the flap of skin is healing nicely.

the only other time i had this kind of luck was when i was digging in the soil with my hands and nearly cut half of my pinky tip off on a broken bottle neck. i used porter's salve the time and my traditional bandaid wrapped in duct tape. it healed well without needing to be debrided. it could have used about three stitches. i later learned that porter's salve contains tea tree oil.

yes, it is good for burns, nail fungus, repelling insects...yada yada, but i think every medicine cabinet should have a bottle of this stuff as a first aid antiseptic.


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## Jeff54321 (Jan 26, 2005)

MELOC said:


> i just wanted to state that i feel every medicine cabinet should have a bottle of tea tree oil.


I agree.


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

I totally agree. I am not crazy about the smell, but it does work great. 
My cat was in a fight last week. I had to take him to the vet. Cost me almost $80. I almost tried the tea tree oil instead, but I don't know if it is toxic to cats if they lick it off. 
I had to make a fast decision to take him to the vets because it was Sat. and they said I had to be there by 11 am. It was 10 am when I called them. Sure would be cheaper, by far, to be able to use the tea tree oil on him.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Dunno if it's toxic, but it does taste nasty, Lucy.

Tea tree oil is anti fungal, anti viral, anti biotic, anti septic. 'Bout the only thing it's _not_ is anti human . There's a bottle in the medicine cabinet and one in each of the first aid kits (one for the house, one for camping). Soon there will be one in each of the bug out bags, as well (still working on the comprehensive versions of those ).

~Falcon


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

I decided to look online about using it on cats and dogs. There were some sites that said it can kill them ! Perhaps it is a good thing I didn't try it on him, just to be sure.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Lucy, it's good that you decided to educate yourself on this: many people can't be bothered to do so and therein lies tragedy-in-the-making.

From one site:


> *In most cases, the oil had been used at inappropriately high doses, causing acute poisoning.*


In other words, people don't bother reading directions or using anything approaching common sense. Further in the studies it relates that adverse reactions also have been reported when the tea tree oil bearing shampoo is not diluted properly. Well, duh.

Education, folks. That's what's so great about places like HT. If someone needs to ask a question, there's either someone else who has a reliable answer or we all get to go searching. Kudos to us all!

~Falcon


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I keep tea tree oil around as an antisceptic and topical antifungal. It's worked well for me, too. 
I also keep oreganol oil around for small wounds as an antisceptic.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Hear! Hear! I agree totally. I am never without some tea-tree oil. Marvellous for a whole range of things: 

The essential oil is used in the treatment of sinusitis, the common cold, laryngitis, coughs, boils, cuts, bites, sunburn, malaria, head lice, herpes simplex (cold sores), impetigo, psoriasis, ringworm, tinea, fungal infections of the nails, thrush. It is also used for chronic lethargy, shallow breathing, palpitations and poor circulation. 

Medicinal Actions: Antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, analgaesic, antiparasitic, cardiotonic, immune system tonic, vulnerary.

You might like to dilute it, rather than to use it full strength. It can sting like blazes! But only for a few seconds. I wouldn't recommend spraying it on the genital area, for that reason, either. Could be quite ouch-y.

Use it externally only.


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## Jeff54321 (Jan 26, 2005)

Even that slightest amount of Tea Tree Oil on my face will cause a red itchy rash, other than that no problems and it does not have that effect anywhere but on my face.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

My house is never without a bottle of tea tree oil.


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## reese (Jul 6, 2004)

Jeff54321 said:


> Even that slightest amount of Tea Tree Oil on my face will cause a red itchy rash, other than that no problems and it does not have that effect anywhere but on my face.


It not only rashes us up, but causes us to all start in on heavy sneezing fits. And, yes, that is with it properly diluted. It's not a welcomed EO in our house. Just like with everything, some are more sensitive to it than others, we just seem to be one of them. 

Reese


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## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

I make a TTO & Lavendar EO soap that we really love. Hubby Joe uses a TTo spray for althlete's foot and we have a lip balm with it. Good stuff!


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## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

Never without it. Also works great on catfish "stings" where you get stuck a little taking them off the hook.

galump


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## Rory (Mar 12, 2007)

Yep, we use it for everything too, even on our babies. Lavender for burns, and peppermint for headaches, sore muscles and itch.

Thyme oil is also a great antibiotic for cleaning/sterilizing surfaces. They use it at Mayo I understand. But the smell is stroooooooong.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

The thing about Tea Tree Oil is, it _IS_ an essential oil, and therefore very strong. You can use it anywhere (and I have used it on my animals!) Use good sense is all, dilute it with olive oil. You can put it in shampoo, hand soap, everything. In fact, the Melaleuca Company does just that, and the best thing I have found is called "melagel" made by them. It is a healing gel with tea tree oil in it, and will literally heal wounds in no time. I have used it on everything from burns to cuts. Great for earaches, ear mites, etc (BE SURE TO DILUTE IT!!! ONE DROP OF TEA TREE OIL TO 1/2 oz of OLIVE OIL!!!)
It is just a high potent, fantastic, all-around essential oil. I love it.

Of course you have to do what your comfortable with.


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## edna74 (Nov 27, 2004)

I keep it too use it for alot of things but my favorite is ticks put on cotton ball and hold it on the tick for about a minute and it cames off so easy and most of the time no red marks like when you take off with out. Gave a bottle to my girlfriend for planter-warts and they are going away she puts it on about 2-3 times a day.
Edna


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## MamaVolpe (Apr 24, 2007)

Me too! Love the stuff, one of my homes must haves.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

Same here! If I had to give up all my herbals except one, I'd keep the TTO. 

My brother, who is the worst nay-sayer of herbal remedies and homeopathy, last week got an itchy rash on his arm after working outside clearing shrubs. Kind of looked like poison ivy, but more like a bunch of small bug bites. He must have spent $30 trying every ointment and lotion in the store. I kept telling him TTO! He refused until he decided it was time to go to the doctor. I told him, just try it for a couple of days and if it didn't do the trick, I'll never bug him again about my herbal remedies and I'll even pay for the doctor visit. He figured this was his big chance to get me off his back about herbals.

Well, the first thing he had to complain about was the he smelled like a turpentine can. BUT....in a single day the itch was gone. Next day it looked better; and on the 3rd day was almost entirely gone. You could have knocked him over with a feather he was so stunned it worked! I do thing he's beginning to believe. He came over today to ask what I had for what felt like a cold coming on.


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## lenii (Dec 31, 2005)

Do they have it in drugstores, or must you order it from the internet?


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