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Tea Tree; Melaleuca alternifolia

Proposed Uses: Athlete's Foot; Dandruff; Acne; Oral Herpes; Periodontal Disease; Thrush; Vaginal Infections

Tea tree oil can kill many bacteria, viruses, and fungi on contact. This makes it an antiseptic, like betadine, hydrogen peroxide, and many other essential oils. It is not an antibiotic in the common sense, because an antibiotic is absorbed throughout the body.

Preliminary studies suggest that tea tree oil might be useful for athlete's foot and other fungal infections of the skin and nails and dandruff.

Tea tree oil has also been proposed as a treatment for acne. However, it has not yet been proven effective for this purpose.

One study found that tea tree oil gel may reduce gum inflammation in people with periodontal disease.

Dosage
Tea tree preparations contain various percentages of tea tree oil. For treating acne, the typical strength is 5 to 15%; for fungal infections, 70 to 100% is usually used; and for use as a vaginal douche (with medical supervision), 1 to 40% concentrations have been used. It is usually applied 2 to 3 times daily, until symptoms resolve. However, tea tree oil can be irritating to the skin, so start with low concentrations until you know your tolerance.

The best tea tree products contain oil from the alternifolia species of Melaleuca only, standardized to contain not more than 10% cineole (an irritant) and at least 30% terpinen-4-ol. Oil from a specially bred variant of tea tree may have increased activity against microorganisms, while irritating the skin less.

Safety Issues
When used topically, tea tree oil is fairly safe. However, it can cause allergic inflammation of the skin.

Like other essential oils, tea tree oil can be toxic if taken orally in excessive doses.

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