The Most Essential Oils
To build a toolkit of natural remedies, start with neem, oregano, and tea tree oils
January-February 1999
by Norine Dworkin, from Vegetarian Times
Clear up your pimples. Soothe a sore throat. Banish a yeast infection. Delouse.
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It's hard to believe that three simple oils can do all that, but recent research (combined with centuries of use) has found that tea tree, neem, and oregano oils fight a number of maladies, from the serious to the mundane. And because they're highly concentrated—just one drop equals about 30 cups of herbal tea, for instance—a small bottle goes a long way.
No wonder they're called essential oils.
TEA TREE OIL
Melaleuca alternifolia
Derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca tree and packed with the active ingredient terpinen-4-ol, tea tree oil is highly prized for its versatility. "I realized that I could do with one bottle of tea tree oil what three-quarters of the items in a drugstore do," says Cynthia Olsen, author of Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide (Kali Press, 1998). "I won't go anywhere without it."
Australian medical journals have documented the pungent oil's antiseptic and antibacterial properties since the late 1920s; it was standard issue in Australian military first-aid kits until World War II, when synthetic antibiotics took over. Today, with many "supergerms" resisting even the strongest antibiotics, tea tree oil is popular again. (Plant oils are believed to suffocate bacteria, which is why they don't become resistant.) University of East London microbiologists are studying its effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus, a dangerous pathogen found in hospitals; a 1995 study found that the oil killed the bacterium in test tubes.
For at-home use, tea tree oil is great for disinfecting minor cuts, abrasions, and burns. And it makes a highly effective, nontoxic lice remedy. If your kids come home from school with the tiny buggers, use 6 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of eucalyptus oil, and 6 drops of lavender oil mixed in 2 ounces of almond or olive oil to saturate their hair and scalp. Cover with plastic for two hours, then comb with a special nit comb and wash. Repeat daily until the lice are gone.
Gargling twice daily with a few drops of tea tree oil in warm water relieves sore throats. Rubbed on the nose and forehead, it alleviates head congestion. A few drops on the chest and back break up a phlegm cough.
Tea tree oil is also an effective acne fighter. A 1990 study by Lederle Laboratories and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Great Britain found that a 5 percent tea tree oil gel was as effective as benzoyl peroxide in treating acne and that it caused less drying, stinging, and redness. Use a commercially prepared ointment, available in natural health stores, or dab undiluted oil on pimples.
Tea tree oil's antifungal properties are well documented. A double-blind study published in Journal of Family Practice (June 1994) found that pure tea tree oil relieved nail fungus as effectively as 1 percent clotrimazole, a topical antifungal drug. And in 1985, researchers at the University of Paris studied 28 women who used tea tree oil suppositories to combat Candida albicans, the common yeast infection. After one month, 21 women showed a complete recovery. To try it yourself, dilute a few drops of tea tree oil in a spoonful of water, put the mixture on a tampon, and insert it for 24 hours. First, though, rub a small amount of the oil on your inner arm to make sure you're not allergic to it.
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