TEA TREE LEAF OIL
- Tea tree (ti-tree) oil is distilled from the needle like leaves of the Malaleuca alternifolia tree, which is native to Australia. The leaves were first shown to Captain Cook, his seamen and the settlers in 1700’s by the Bunedjalong tribe. The “tea tree” name came from the seamen finding the leaves made a very refreshing drink. The tribesmen also taught the early settlers about the healing properties of the leaves.
- In the 1930’s much research was done on the leaves and their oil and one of the major benefits found was the power of clearing pus from wounds and speeding up healing time and was found to be 100 times more powerful than carbolic acid and yet safe to use directly on the skin.
- Safe for external use tea tree oil has antiseptic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, and antiviral activity on the skin and recently has even been found to be effective against the antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus.