Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Melaleuca Oil


This is tea tree oil. It's meant to be applied to the skin (topically) to treat minor wounds. The chemicals in tea tree oil are supposed to work by killing bacteria and fungus.

Melaleuca claims that this essential oil has 6 properties. I have quoted the 6 properties listed on their website word for word. I'll review each property (claim) in green.

     1.   "Naturally Antiseptic: Helps reduce infection."

  • I don't like using antibiotic creams unless absolutely necessary. I certainly don't like using them just to prevent infection. I've only tried it on minor wounds a couple of times because it's hard for a somewhat inactive person like myself to sustain injuries. Based on my experience I would say that Melaleuca Oil is a good natural alternative to antibiotic cream for minor wounds.


     2.   "Soothing: Helps relieve stinging and itching from bites, minor wounds and irritated skin."

  • This stuff is very soothing for use after shaving (especially if you end up cutting yourself), but I must warn you that it can sting. I find it works great for preventing shaving rashes. 


     3.   "Safely penetrating: Quickly delivers relief deep into the source of discomfort."

  • I applied some to my shoulder this morning. It does have a soothing feeling a bit like 'Deep Heat', but not as strong. It's also more natural and smells better. 


     4.   "Non-caustic: No caustic or harmful chemicals reactions."

  • I know tea tree oil is more natural than many remedies out there on the market, but the above claim seems to be a big claim to make in this lawsuit-happy nation. I don't know if it's true, all I can do is speak from my own experience. I happen to be very sensitive skinned and I haven't had a bad reaction to it. 


     5.   "Effectively solvent: Safely dissolves many different substances like gum, resins and dirt."

  • I don't know about this one. I have some kind of nasty residue on one of my counter top that I can't shift with anything. Guess what: This stuff didn't work either. In fairness, Melaleuca oil claims to dissolve gum, resins and dirt and I don't know what the nasty substance is on my counter. This stuff might work on something else like gum on clothing, but I haven't tried it yet. I'll have to give an update on this post when I find something Melaleuca Oil can dissolve.  


     6.   "Pleasantly Aromatic: Refreshes the senses with a naturally pleasing scent."

  • I don't know about this one. I'm not overly fond of the smell of tea tree oil. I guess it's still better than the chemical smells of alternative products. 

I'm mainly using this stuff to prevent infection in minor wounds. I'm originally from the UK and people there typically don't treat minor, clean looking wounds with antibiotic cream. TCP is a popular remedy in the UK, but it's not widely available in the states. I've even read that the FDA will never approve TCP because it contains toxins (like the FDA has never approved anything containing toxins before). Anyway, this post isn't supposed to be a vent about the FDA, it's meant to be a review of Melaleuca Oil.  

In conclusion: I've found this stuff to be a good natural alternative to antibiotic cream and TCP for the minor stuff. It also appears to be a good and cheap alternative to some of the heated products used to treat muscle pains. 

Will I buy this product again? YES!

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