Travels with tea tree

Natural Health, May, 2005 by Rachel Dowd

AFTER YEARS OF OVERSTUFFING your luggage, you've mastered the art of the mix-and-match vacation wardrobe: a versatile sarong, a simple tank top, a pair of espadrilles. Now, consolidate your first-aid kit: Replace those innumerable balms, salves, and treatments with one space-saving bottle of tea tree oil. This cooling Australian elixir is a proven antiseptic that can stand in for bacitracin, hydrocortisone, calamine, skin toner, and even mouthwash.

Several studies conducted at the University of Western Australia have found that tea tree kills a wide range of bacteria, viruses, and fungi; fights recurrent cold sore outbreaks; promotes oral hygiene; and suppresses inflammation. In a study in the British Journal of Dermatology, 25-microlifer applications of tea tree significantly reduced histamine-induced welts.

"Tea tree is versatile," says Michele A. Miller, president of the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy. "You can apply it to cuts and scrapes to defend against pathogens. And it activates cells for healing."

This is good news if you're faced with mosquito bites, sunburn, heat rash, or on-the-road breakouts. "Tea tree prevents redness and swelling, and it stops the itch," says UWA research fellow Christine Carson, Ph.D. "The relief is almost instantaneous."

Many commercial products are available as pure oil, so Miller advises diluting 15 drops in 1 ounce of water. A little goes a long way. "Concentrations of 0.25 to 0.50 percent do the job," says Carson. "Higher concentrations may cause irritation or an allergic reaction." Apply tea tree topically anywhere skin might benefit from its healing powers. For a mouthwash, add two to three drops to 1 ounce of warm water and gargle--but be sure to spit; it's not meant to be swallowed.

"Tea tree is something I carry all the time in my purse," says Miller. "I don't even have to be on vacation."

Photography by PORNCHAI MITTONGTARE