Melaleuca Alternifolia 

A History and guide on one of Australia's gifts to the world. 

History

   Melaleuca(commonly known as tea tree) is a plant indigenous to coastal Australian regions, but now grows more abroad from exportation. Used by natives of Australia for ages, it's uses historically seem to mirror its applications today. Australian Aborigines utilized the leaves often to treat topical infection and rashes, as well as using the steam from the soaked leaves to fight off colds. Even today, these are some of the primary uses of tea tree and it's oil. 

   One of the first Western explorers to bring tea tree into popularity was a James Cook, a British explorer captaining the H.M.S. Endeavor which found it's way to Australia in 1770. He was introduced to the plant and it's properties by the Aborigines he encountered. Tea tree as a distilled essential oil as we know it today, wasn't founded until the early 1900s. 

Properties 

   Tea tree boasts an extensive amount of studies starting as early as the 1800s, regarding its properties and what their capabilities and applications can be. Prominent antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal characteristics define its best attributes, but certainly not limited to. Also effective in relieving itch, and aiding in alleviation of respiratory complications. Though some of it's closer cousins seem more well suited specifically for aiding the respiratory system, for now we'll focus on Melaleuca A. in order to avoid great lengths of reading.



Applications & Use

    Tea Tree oil has been studied and applied in a variety of controls and methods. Topically is easily the most frequent, aromatic diffusion also being a large method of use as well. Like all other EOs(essential oils) it's most effective when fresh, age is a factor and can contribute to degradation of the oil so having a reputable supplier is helpful if you wish to utilize it in your health practices.
   Some of the most common applications include acne treatment(in dilution), treatment of dandruff(often added to a shampoo), an alternative to fight tinea.

   Topically it has been known to be useful in aiding the body's natural ability to fight infections, reduce histamine reactions and clean surface abrasions. It can be used in wound care, though isn't extremely gentle but will suffice if you are worried about infection in a surface wound. Rashes, and other skin conditions can benefit from tea tree application. Even ringworm and other tinea infections have also been known to clear up from frequent use of full strength tea tree. Though it is recommended to dilute for sensitive skin, especially young childen. Dilution of tea tree oil is not only recommended, but cited as being more effective for certain types of applications than use at full strength. Many suggest a solution of 2.5-5% to be highly effective against several known bacteria. From personal experience, I find full-strength use to be most effective for athlete's foot, and the feet tend to be less sensitive, with less risk of any irritation.

    Aromatic use is also possible with tea tree. If used for purposes of fighting the spread of bacteria and other general sickness, you'd do well blending it with other potent oils for this purpose. EOs such as clove, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon, etc. also display similar properties than can complement Tea Tree. Though it has the potential to be effective all on it's own. Steamed Melaleuca leaves were a widely used remedy in Australia for aiding breathing difficulties and fighting respiratory infection.

    Adding a few drops to hot or steaming water and inhaled is an extremely potent method of aromatic inhalation. Again, other oils can aid and enhance the desired effect of Tea Tree. 

I hope this brief guide and introductory finds to be useful. There is of course plenty of other reading to further your knowledge of use and application of tea tree oil. Another good source for info can be found at: http://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/tea-tree-oil.asp

Of all the frankincense I've sampled(including a variety of other Frereana), this is easily the most robust I've found!

Scaring Away the Scars

Scaring Away The Scars

Treating Scars with Essential Oils

   Everyone has scars. Injuries, stretch marks, scars can be the story tellers of our lives. BUT, not everyone wants them. Essential Oils are finding more and more uses in my life and scar prevention and reduction is another area they excel at. That's part of the beauty of EOs, is their versatility.

     KNOWN EOs for treating/preventing scars:

• Helichrysum (var. Italicum)
• Frankincense (var. Frereana)
• Lavender (var. Angustifolia) - fantastic for burns.
• Rose (var. Rosa Damascena)
• Myrrh (var. cammiphora myrrha)
• Sandalwood (var. Santalum Album)
• Coconut Oil (actually a carrier oil but a fantastic inexpensive choice for diluting, AND known to prevent scaring on it's own).

     These are going to be your best, and most available choices for making a blend to prevent or treat scaring. 

     Helichrysum is one of the best known oils for skin care, a VERY precious oil and cannot be substituted if you desire real results against scarring. Though expensive, the upside is it's used in high dilution. Helichrysum is effective in as low as a 2% dilution(this is of course considering you are using true therapeutic grade oil that is well kept). A dilution guide will be listed below. But, this is a testament to just how powerful Helichrysum really is.

     Frankincense is also well known for skin care, and fantastic for scar prevention as well. Also a highly precious oil, it can be diluted down to quite a low percentage as well and still be effective. Though both oils covered already are effective in low dilution, our recipes will see slightly higher concentration. 

     Lavender being one of the gentlest EOs, extreme dilution isn't required and cost wise it is most viable. Excellent for both sunburns and contact burns, it is also an effective aid in any anti-scarring blend. 
     Rose quite possibly is one of the most expensive EOs on the market, it's not entirely necessary for scar-prevention but it is definitely an application. I'm listing it for general purpose, on the rare possibility you simply have access to it. It too can be highly beneficial addition in scar prevention. 
     Myrrh acts as a fantastic compliment to frankincense, holding it's own reputation in skin and nail care. This pair has been well known throughout the ages. 
     Sandalwood sees uses in acne treatment but also acts as a great aid to other skincare EOs. I find it performs well with frankincense.

**Brief note on blending. There's much to be said on the art of blending EOs, we will not go into length here for sake of duration of the article. But, a good general guideline to START with and will help with in blending these recipes, EOs from similar sources blend best together first, mixing/blending those, then continuing to further add other complimentary oils. Once all EOs have been blended, THEN add mixture to carrier oil. Example of first recipe; both Helichrysum and lavender are florals, they tend to blend well together, where as frankincense is obtained from tree resin. Frankincense would blend best with myrrh initially. **

Recommended Recipes

Abrasions/cuts/surgeries 

Recipe 1

• 6 drops helichrysum
• 6 drops lavender
• 3 drops frankincense 
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil(fractionated)
• Apply twice daily minimum.

Though this is the most gentle recipe for skin so it's suggested for young children, it can be further diluted if desired. But this is a good guideline to start from. Rose makes an excellent addition to this recipe but isn't necessary.

Recipe 2

• 5 drops Frankincense
• 3 drops Myrrh
• 2 drops Sandalwood
• 1 tbspoon coconut oil(fractionated)
• apply twice daily minimum.

     Not quite as gentle as the first recipe, but still quite safe and chances of irritation are extremely rare. This will be safe for almost any adult/adolescent. 


Burns/Sunburns

Recipe 1

• 5 drops Lavender
• 3 drops Helichrysum
• 1 tbsp Fresh Aloe Gel
• apply as needed.

     This recipe will differ slightly than the others. I do emphasize the use of FRESH, from-the-plant aloe as it seems to not only relief burn but actually aid healing better than store bought gel. Commercial gel also often isn't pure aloe(what a shock). 
     Only difference here than the other recipes will be the lavender and helichrysum will be blended together on their own, then added to the aloe gel to be mixed. Still very simple. 

Recipe 2 (sunburn)

• 10 drops lavender
• 5 drops Roman Chamomile
• 2 drops Peppermint
• 2 tbsp Aloe Gel

     Though some of these ingredients weren't mentioned or list prior due to the fact they're not really beneficial for scarring, they aid this recipe well. Also sunburn doesn't necessarily produce scarring, it can contribute to other skin disfigurements(freckles/moles etc), so I thought it'd be fitting to include this here. 
     Roman Chamomile is a great aid for lavender in soothing the skin of the burn, while the SMALL amount of peppermint here will act as a cooling agent alongside the aloe. Take caution when adding the peppermint because too much might contribute to further skin sensitization. 

Dilution Guidelines

     Everything we've covered has dealt with tablespoon dilutions. You can make larger mixtures but I figured smaller application recipes are best to start with, especially if you're working with pricey oils. I will include dilution amounts for 1 oz of carrier oil as well and you can use that as another guideline(such as halving the portion).

                                            2%           5%             10%    
1 Tablespoon carrier:     6 drops  |  15 drops  |  30 drops  
-            1 fluid ounce:    12 drops |  30 drops  |  60 drops

   Due to how close a tablespoon is to 15 milliliters or half a fluid ounce, we'll just round these being as the dilutions are so low anyhow. These are good guidelines to follow though and should help avoid over application on anyone who might be particularly sensitive. I hope this helps in your ventures in EOs. Good luck! And remember, if there's any questions, feel free to contact us!

Frankincense

   Frankincense; a resin obtained from the Boswellia tree is rich in history, and comes in a great variety of species. Though there are 4 main sources for what we know as frankincense, other species do exist but are less sought after. Even some though are nearly identical in composition, though are cultivated from different regions and of different grades of resin. My aim is to help sort through the options one has! As these are all Frankincense, they shall share various uses, though some varieties seem better suited for certain applications.
   Each Frankincense has a specific compound profile giving them their unique characteristics. I will NOT be doing justice(currently) to every constituent of each variety. Though I have in my pouring over of various resources, found some generalizations to their predominant features, mainly the monoterpenes. I will at very least, note which each Frankincense is notorious for containing. 

   ANOTHER interesting thing to consider in Frankincense for therapeutic qualities is Co2 extraction, which contain a more complex profile of the frankincense itself. Though, these are not TRUE essential oils, they are extracts. Buying a high grade essential oil is going to be more likely to yield therapeutic effects, where as an oil that is merely for fragrance isn't going to be beneficial whatsoever.

Boswellia Carteri/Sacra

   Easily the most common of the frankincense, I list Carteri/Sacra together because they are near identical with only minor differences. The largest is, location. Carteri is a product of Somalia, Sacra of the middle east(Typically Oman), and often of a grade of resin dubbed Houjari. Scent/profile wise they are also very similar. Though from my experiences(and these are subjective, opinions on oils tend to vary among individuals), Carteri has a "spicer" note to it, Sacra seems "cleaner" in scent with a vague ghost of licorice. Both are fantastic oils, I have 1 of each I am in love with. 

   Therapeutically both offer similar levels of constituents. Both are excellent for meditation, bronchodilation, and an excellent enhancer for muscle rubs. Though frankincense carries a world of other claims of applications, one will have to further research for themselves for the sake of space and length of this article. Carteri and Sacra usually display higher levels of a-pinine.

          Uses

• Improve/deepen breathing (great accompanied with Eucalyptus)
• Immune support
• Muscle rub
• Depression
• Inflammation(skin)
• Meditation

Boswellia Frereana 

   A truly stand out variant of the species and a personal favorite. Often referred to as the "King of Frankincese", it is extremely fragrant and a little bolder than its cousins. The location of Frereana has been a topic of interest lately, but my findings are it is a product of Somalia, though distillation is likely to occur elsewhere. It's scent is more broad than the others, very pronounced, carrying a boldly spicy, musky, balsamic, slightly woody scent. This species of Frankincense is less studied than its cousin Carteri, but findings are indicating it is equally if not exceeding beneficial in therapeutic qualities. Feedback and experiences with this oil have been QUITE positive, and is absolutely my personal favorite.  A truly magnificent oil. Frereana seems to be the only species yielding a-phellandrenes.

          Uses

• Skincare
• Cuts & scar prevention
• Improve breathing
• Immune support
• Muscle rub
• Depression
• Meditation

Boswellia Serrata

   Often referred to as Indian Frankincense, this is also a fantastic variety and holds a strong place in Ayurvedic medicine, and rightfully so. Like other varieties of Boswellia, it is fantastically anti-inflammatory. Probably even better suited for muscle/joint rubs than the others. It's use in the treatment of arthritis reaches back in history. Though the resin of Serrata is one of the highest containing resins of Boswellic Acid in boswellia species, it is not present in the oil. Laws of chemistry prevent this, claims of any essential oil containing BA(boswellic acid) have not been confirmed, and if in fact it does it is a strong indication of EO adulteration. Serrata is typical of containing higher levels of a-thujene. 

          

          Uses

• Joint pain. (Particularly osteo-arthritis)
• Stomach ulcers. 
• Depression
• Meditation

Here we are!

   This blog will mark the beginning of a recorded personal journey with essential oils and how one can incorporate them into their livelihood. My experience with EOs(Essential Oils MUST be short handed from here out!) have been quite rewarding and they have developed into a passion of mine. To the left can be found my source for quality oils with true therapeutic qualities, to the right a quick submission for to contact me personally with any inquires regarding EOs, I have compiled quite a nice collection of resources to help anyone with any question you could have! Enjoy!

-Antheia's Keeper