The Wonder Oils: Tea tree, Neem and Oregano are potent, all-purpose healers

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The Wonder Oils: Tea tree, Neem and Oregano are potent, all-purpose healers -

antiseptic and antibacterial remedies from tree leaves Vegetarian Times, August,

1998 by Norine Dworkin

 

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_n252/ai_21052116

 

Tea tree, neem and oregano are potent, all-purpose healers.

 

The plant kingdom offers natural remedies for nearly every ailment. But why

juggle a dozen herbal oils when a jack-of-all-trades works just as well. The

following essential oils, tea tree, neem and oregano, are true multitaskers.

And because they're highly concentrated--just one drop of essential oil equals

about 30 cups of herbal tea--a small bottle goes a long way.

 

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 what three-quarters of the items in a drug store could

do with one bottle of tea tree oil, " says Cynthia Olsen, author of Australian

Tea Tree Oil Guide (Kali Press, 1997). " I won't go anywhere without it. "

Used by Australian aborigines for centuries, tea tree oil began attracting

wider attention when the 18th-century explorer Capt. James Cook discovered the

lush Melaleuca groves in New South Wales. He dubbed them " tea trees " for the

spicy tea brewed from their leaves and brought samples back to England.

 

Australian medical journals have documented tea tree oil's antiseptic and

antibacterial properties since the late 1920s, and the pungent oil was

standard issue for all Australian military first-aid kits until the 1930s,

when synthetic antibiotics began to eclipse this natural healer. Today, with

many " supergerms " resisting even the strongest antibiotics, tea tree oil's

popularity is again on the rise. (Plant oils are believed to suffocate

bacteria, which is why they don't become resistant.) Microbiologists at the

University of East London are studying its effectiveness against Staphylococcus

aureus, a dangerous pathogen found in hospitals. A study published in 1995 in

the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy found that a dilution of 0.5 percent

tea tree oil killed this bacterium in test tubes.

 

For at-home use, tea tree oil is great for disinfecting minor cuts, abrasions

and burns. Parents should keep a bottle of pure oil handy when school starts

because it makes a highly effective, nontoxic lice remedy. Just mix 5 drops of

tea tree oil with 5 drops of eucalyptus oil and 6 drops of lavender oil in 2

ounces of almond or olive oil. Saturate hair and Scalp, cover with plastic and

let sit for 2 hours. Then comb hair with special nit comb and wash. Repeat

daily until lice are gone.

Gargling twice daily with a few drops in warm water relieves sore throats.

Rubbed on the nose and forehead, it alleviates head congestion. A few drops on

the chest and back breaks up a phlegmy cough.

 

But tea tree oil is known as 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, with less drying, stinging and redness. Use a commercially

prepared ointment, available in natural health stores, or dab undiluted oil

right on pimples.

 

Tea tree oil's antifungual properties also are well-documented. A double-blind

study published in the 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. Dilute a few drops of tea tree oil in a spoonful of water,

put it on a tampon and leave inserted for 24 hours.

You'll find tea tree oil in plenty of commercial first-aid and beauty

products. You also can use the undiluted essential oil or make your own

preparations. Before treating yourself, rub a small amount on your inner arm

to be sure you're not allergic.

 

NEEM (Azadiracta indica)

 

Affectionately called " the village pharmacy, " India's neem tree is practically

a first-aid kit in itself. Packed with the antibacterial, antifungal,

antiviral, antihistamine, antiseptic, spermicidal and immune-system stimulating

components nimbin and nimbidin, neem is said to do everything from repelling

insects to preventing pregnancy. " It's a great family first-aid herb, " says

Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, a Seattle-based herbalist and co-author of Herbal

Defense (Warner Books, 1997).

Neem's role in medicine predates the codification of India's natural healing

system, Ayurveda; indeed, its uses were well-documented in the ancient texts

on which Ayurveda is based. Perhaps because they are so versatile (and they

thrive under the harshest conditions) neem trees are cherished in India. Hindu

folklore holds that one who plants three neem trees lives for three epochs in

the " sun world " and never goes to hell.

 

Neem oil is found primarily in topical health and beauty products, where its

strong scent (akin to raw garlic or burnt coffee) is often masked by more

pleasant oils. Although few studies have been done on neem oil, 4,500 years of

continued use bear out its efficacy: Added to toothpaste and mouthwash, it

prevents cavities and gingivitis; in creams (containing at least 25 percent

neem oil), it combats vaginal infections and sexually transmitted diseases; in

soaps and shampoos, it kills lice, ringworm and scabies; mixed with equal

parts vegetable oil and water, it makes a healing soak for athlete's foot;

undiluted, it repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and flies. And test tube and

human studies done at India's Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied

Science found that neem oil mixed with Indian soap nut extract and quinine was

nearly 100 percent effective as a spermicide.

 

But neem oil is a real standout for skin care. Ayurveda believes that skin

conditions are the result of excess sugar in the body, so neem's bitterness is

used to restore balance. The oil also contains fatty acids, which build

collagen, promote wound healing and maintain skin's elasticity. According to

John Conrick, author of Neem--The Ultimate Herb (Hopeful Communications,

1994), neem is as effective as cortisone for psoriasis, Wash the affected area

with neem soap, then apply a cream with at least 1 percent neem oil. This same

recipe can be used for acne, eczema, cuts and scrapes, minor bums and

ringworm. For lice and scabies, use neem shampoo, then add a neem cream to the

hair and scalp, leave it in overnight, and comb through with a nit comb before

washing it out. (Try the same routine, minus the nit comb, for dandruff.)

Although other parts of the neem tree can be safely consumed (tea is regularly

made from the leaves and bark), it's best not to ingest the oil--long-term use

has been linked with liver dysfunction.

 

OREGANO OIL (Origanum vulgare)

 

Not the herb you put on pizza and pasta, wild mountain oregano (a highly

aromatic member of the mint family found only in the Mediterranean) is a

potent remedy for skin and fungal conditions, chronic pain, insect bites, even

nasty summer colds. Its powerful antiseptic, antibacterial, antiparasitical,

antiviral, analgesic and antifungal properties are attributed to the active

ingredient carvacrol.

 

For most skin problems, Cass Ingram, D.O., author of The Cure is in the

Cupboard: How to Use Oregano for Better Health (Knowledge House, 1997),

recommends applying 1 drop of oil to the affected area or soaking a cotton ball

with oil and taping it in place overnight. You also can treat fungal

infections, insect bites and minor bums this way. " I've never seen anything

reduce inflammation or swelling for burns so quickly, " says Ingram. " For

Sunburn, it's a total lifesaver. "

Oregano oil also makes a good topical analgesic. According to a study done by

the Anadolu University in Turkey and published in the journal Phytotherapy

Research, topical applications of oregano oil worked better than ibuprofen and

nearly as well as morphine for controlling chronic pain. Rubbed into the

chest, oregano oil breaks up mucous during a cold. Applied to gums, fights

plaque and gingivitis.

 

For yeast infections, a 1995 study published in the Journal of Applied

Nutrition found that the carvacrol contained in a 1 percent concentration of

oregano oil effectively killed the bacteria Candida albicans. One caveat:

Oregano is very warming. " When the plant's phenols [a type of flavonoid],

which are rich in oxygen, hit water, they create a hydrogen ion shift and

produce heat, " explains Ingram, who points out that oregano owes its

germ-fighting prowess to the heat. " The heat reaction dehydrates germs and

kills them, with no harm to the human tissues, " he says. " Although it could be

uncomfortable. " When applying oregano oil to sensitive areas, like the vagina

or face, dilute 1 to 2 drops in a teaspoon of olive oil first.

 

While many herbal companies tout oregano oil's internal use, other herbalists

say it's best used topically.

" It contains harsh phenols, " explains Mindy Green, director of educational

services at the Herb Research Foundation in Boulder, Colo. " A skilled

aromatherapist wouldn't encourage internal use or long- term use of oregano

essential oil--oregano as an herb is fine. The oil is potentially damaging to

the liver and kidneys when taken at high doses for long periods of time. "

 

Used wisely, however, tea tree, neem and oregano oils can become indispensable

to your first-aid kit. When it comes to those minor mishaps and beauty

emergencies, remember, a little dab'll do ya.

Norine Dworkin is senior articles editor of Vegetarian Times.