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Dear Betsy, I read an article of yours some months ago regarding Tea Tree Oil. I have been given a gift of some of this oil and Manuka honey. Can you tell me the best ways to use my gifts?
Charlotta H.
Dear Charlotta,
Tea Tree oil is one of the most potent natural anti-viral, antiseptic, anti-biotic essential oils.
It is indigenous to
The Aussie soldiers were known for sharing their natural cure-all and, in the dark days before modern antibiotics, tea tree was worth its weight in gold and saved many a soldier from severe illness and even death.
The leaves of the bush contain the important essential oil and it is generally extracted by steam distillation. Relatively low in price, tea tree has a myriad of uses in the modern home and extensive studies are being carried out in realtion to its ‘bug-busting’ properties as there is evidence that it can kill off some of the super bugs that seem to proliferate in modern European hospitals, including necrotising fasciitis, the deadly flesh-eating bug.
In Australia some surgeons use concentrated tea tree oil as a pre-operative scrub and many modern skin-care preparations that are effective in treating acne, contain pure tea tree oil as it can be a powerful anti-inflammatory as well as its other curative and purifying properties.
It is also one of only two pure essential oils that can be applied neat to the skin. One drop on a cotton bud applied to active pustules at night, can produce dramatic cleansing and anti-inflammatory results by morning.
I like to use one drop of tea tree on my toothbrush each day before I brush my teeth. It helps to remove and prevent the build up of plaque and using it to gently brush your tongue will also help keep those throat and upper respiratory tract bugs at bay.
If you have a sore throat, then gargling with a glass of warm water with 10 drops of tea tree added to it will soothe and calm and heal in record time.
If you have a dog, then adding a few drops of tea tree to his doggie shampoo will help cleanse his coat beautifully and keep any unwelcome visitors at bay!
For humans, adding a few drops to your detergent-free shampoo can help promote a healthy scalp and reduce dandruff.
In a bath, add a cup of full-fat milk with five drops of tea tree oil to help soothe those aches and pains and if you are athletic, use the same remedy pre-event to help heighten your performance and again post-event to prevent build up of lactic acid and those resultant aches and pains.
Athlete’s foot hates to come face to face with malealuca alternifolia, to give tea tree oil its botancial name, as its anti-viral properties can cure tinea pedis in double quick time.
Adding a few drops of tea tree, lemon and grapefruit essential oils to a spring water spray makes a great environmentally-friendly kitchen and bathroom cleanser. Use it on worktops, in the fridge, the bath and shower and even to clean the toilet bowl. Chemical free, and 10 times more powerful than any commercial cleaning product, it is also much more economical and smells wonderful.
When travelling, I always take tea tree oil to sprinkle on the mattress, bathroom and carpets to cleanse and purify my environment.
On an aeroplane, a notorious breeding ground for viruses, adding a drop or two of tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus essential oils to a kleenex and inhaling deeply throughout your flight will go no small way to protect you, relax you and clear your sinuses and keep your ears unblocked.
The same blend used in a bowl of hot water as a steam inhalant will reduce nasal congestion and help relieve those irritating common cold symptoms.
I also recommend putting a few drops into your air-conditioning system to purify the air and reduce those airborne viruses.
In the car air-conditioning system, you can put a couple of drops on a tissue and push it through the vents to purify and refresh the air.
Ant or insect bites, cuts, abrasions and even post-razor rash will all benefit from a drop or two of tea tree, but be cautious if you have sensitive skin.
Manuka honey, made from a natural plant, in the same way as heather honey, is known for similar healing and antibiotic properties. It has a particularly unusual flavour and a spoonful a day will help boost your immune system. Used on open wounds it can speed up healing dramatically. A small teaspoonful will sweeten the most bitter cup of coffee and many cooks swear by it instead of sugar.
Munuka honey comes in different strengths so look out for the +5, +10, +15 etc with the higher the number the stronger the concentration of Manuka, which is said to increase its curative properties.
BETSY SAYS RELAX
Hug a pet today. If you don’t have one then borrow one or visit the BSPCA where they are always happy to have genuine visitors who want to help support or adopt a pet. Animals can teach us humility, they can teach us to be selfless and medical research has shown that stroking a pet can reduce blood pressure and release those happy hormones. It apparently works both ways for humans and for the animal too.
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING THIS WEEK
Write it down – your anger, your frustration, your joy, your passion, your plans, your fears and your dreams. Writing it down makes it all so much more real. For negative thoughts, it will help you dispel them – for positive thoughts, it will help you focus on them and bring them through to reality.
