Aromatherapy A-Z : Tea Tree

The swampy flood-prone marshlands in the subtropical coastal areas of northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland, Australia, provide the perfect climate and growing conditions for tea trees, also called paper bark trees. Feathery bright green leaves cover the branches of these small trees, which at maturity rarely reach over twenty feet in height. Clusters of yellow flowers sometimes embellish these trees.

Of the 300 varieties of tea trees, one variety, Melaleuca alternifolia, produces the tea tree oil that is most commonly used for aromatherapy. Australian scientists are currently researching the therapeutic properties of essential oils from other tea trees. All tea trees are members of the Myrtaceae family.

Distilling the needlelike tea tree leaves yields a colorless or pale yellow oil with a characteristic camphorlike odor. The aroma is spicy, strong and pungent. It smells similar to its aromatic relative, eucalyptus.

Beauty Benefits

Tea tree oil works well on a wide range of skin problems, including blemishes, rashes and warts. Clinical studies in Australia have shown that tea tree oil rivals benzoyl peroxide for effectiveness in fighting acne, but without causing dryness, itching, stinging, burning, redness of the skin or other side effects. Men can prevent skin irritation from shaving and the infection of ingrown hairs by applying tea tree oil after shaving. Tea tree oil also provides an effective treatment for fungal infection of the fingernails, an increasing problem that may be linked to the growing use of artificial fingernails.

Emotional Effects

Tea tree oil can restore energy depleted by everyday stress. It is calming and centering during times of emotional shock.

Reprinted from Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health and Beauty by Roberta Wilson with permission of Avery Books, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Copyright © 1995 by Roberta Wilson.

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