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

 

 

 

 

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.