Description

No house should be without this essential oil, as it is one of the most powerful immune system stimulants and sorts out most viral, bacterial and fungal infections in a snap, while it is great to clean wounds and also relieves muscle aches and pains.

It has a light spicy, rather pungent smell and is very pale in color with a watery viscosity.

It is a small tree from New South Wales in Australia, similar to Cypress, with needle-like leaves and heads of sessile yellow or purplish flowers and grows to about 7 meters (*0 feet) high and thrives in marshy areas, though it is now cultivated in plantations.

Even when this tree is cut down, it flourishes and is ready for cutting again in two years. The oil is only produced in Australia where the Aborigines used it for a long time for a variety of medicinal purposes.

In World War II, the producers and the cutters were exempt from military service until enough essential oil had been accumulated. Each soldier and sailor was issued with some as part of their kit, to treat tropical infections and infected wounds.

Tea tree oil is an ingredient of soaps, creams, lotions, deodorants, disinfectants and air fresheners. 

It is extracted from the leaves and twigs by steam distillation and the yield is about 1.8%.

The main chemical components of tea tree oil (also referred to as ti-tree oil) are a-pinene, b-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, a-phellandrene, a-terpinene, limonene, 1,*-cineole, y-terpinene, p-cymene, terpinolene, linalool, terpinen**-ol and a-terpineol.

Tea tree oil is considered a safe oil, as it is non-toxic and non-irritant, but some individuals so show sensitizing to this oil, and it should be used with this in mind. It should not be used on deep wounds or near the eyes, ears, nose or internally. Please remember that it is a most powerful oil, but using it unwisely could result in problems.

The therapeutic properties of tea tree oil are antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, balsamic, bactericide, cicatrisant, expectorant, fungicide, insecticide, stimulant and sudorific.

Tea tree oil is very important in the health of the immune system, as it acts as a immuno-stimulant and increases the body\'s ability to fight off any infections, while it also is used to revive the mind and body after shock.

The world over, this oil is used with great effectiveness to ward of infections of any kind, and it is active in all three varieties of infectious organisms:

• bacteria
• fungi and
• viruses.