20 Great Uses for Tea Tree Oil

In 2006, the world consumed more than 3.5 billion gallons of oil per day. A lot of that oil has caused environmental damage and conflicts between nations. But there is one type of oil that’s green, sustainable, healthy, and–as far as I know–has never been the rationale behind a major military intervention: tea tree oil.

Tea tree oil, explains the UWA Tea Tree Oil Research Group, is the essential oil steam distilled from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia (unique to Australia and native to Northern New South Wales). Tea tree oil is usually clear to very pale golden in color and it exudes a fresh, camphor-like scent.

Kathi Keville of HowStuffWorks.com says this oil is often called a “medicine cabinet in a bottle” and is “effective against bacteria, fungi, and viruses and stimulates the immune system.” Here are 20 ways to use this magical formula for health and for the home.

But first, two important notes, courtesy of Sheila Shaigany:
*Make sure it comes in a dark glass bottle with a dropper. This will prevent light from shining in and reducing the oil’s potency.
*Do NOT ingest it orally.
*Editor’s Note: This article does not replace medical advice.

20 Great Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil

For Health

1. Use a dab to treat acne.
2. An anti-fungal for treating Athlete’s Foot, eczema, various yeast infections, etc.
3. An antiseptic to be used on cuts and burns.
4. An anti-viral: it may lessen the symptoms of colds and flu. Try using a few drops in the bath.
5. Add to a vaporizer to loosen chest congestion.
6. Add a small amount to shampoo to destroy head lice.
7. A small amount added to your bath can help with persistent body odor.
8. Treating sinus infection.
9. For dandruff and dry scalp.
10. In the form of aromatherapy, tea tree oil is used to treat colds, persistent coughs, acne, toothaches, and sunburn.

For Cleaning

11. To create an all-purpose cleaner, combine 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil in 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.
12. Another version would be 14 ounces of water with 1 ounce of Murphy’s oil soap and 10 drops of tea tree oil.
13. Mix the above solution with kosher salt to scrub bathtub and bathroom tiles.
14. Add a few drops to dishwasher dispenser, then fill with a green dishwashing soap.
15. A few drops added to each load of laundry leave your clothes smelling cleaner.
16. Control mold with a tea tree oil/water spray.
17. Remove mustiness with that same tea tree oil/water spray.
18. To keep germs at bay, spray it on high chairs, car seats, and other high traffic spots.
19. 15 drops in a quart of water can be an effective insect repellent.
20. Be sure to take some with you when hiking and camping to put directly on insect bites or blisters.

By Mickey Z., Planet Green

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Su H.

7:36AM PDT on May 13, 2013

Thanks for the list of Tea tree oil uses!

May 13
send a green star

Jenna B.

5:00PM PST on Nov 9, 2012

I've been thinking about buying some for a while and now that I see there's tons of uses, I'm going to get some

November 9
send a green star

Nick S.

5:57PM PDT on Oct 21, 2012

Very useful list, in fact there are few that are so inclusive on the web. Most sites only list a few uses, when in fact there are hundreds of great ways to utilize the strengths in this essential oil. An organization I am working with just started to use tea tree oil products to raise funds for positive projects, if you are interested in helping fund a variety of great projects with your purchases, give us a look here: http://teatreeoilforgood.com

Nick

October 21
send a green star

Tammi L.

4:20PM PDT on Aug 23, 2012

a GREAT way to keep your kids lice free....add just a few drops to shampoo they use...will actually repel lice in school setting!

August 23
send a green star

Alejandro B.

9:59AM PDT on Aug 17, 2012

While I was a massage therapy student our instructor had us hooked using oils such as tea tree oil as well as grape seed oil. Both are great when it comes to massages as there is a much less of a chance for an allergic reaction.