The first step I made in living a greener crunchy life style was switching from disposable diapers to cloth roughly two years ago.  Since then I have been making every effort I can to learn new ways to make our household as ecofriendly and natural as possible.  I was truly surprised to learn how many uses essential oils have that can replace chemicals in our homes – for example in cleaning products – as well as the use of over the counter medicines.  One truly impressive essential oil is Tea Tree Oil.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Tea Tree Oil it is a nearly colorless essential oil that is taken from the leaves of the Narrow Leaved Tea Tree which is native to the north east coast of Australia.  When applied topically it has numerous beneficial medical qualities including antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic – not to mention cosmetic properties.

Here are some ways to use Tea Tree Oil…

1.)  Fade Stretch Marks!  Yup, you read that right.  You can use Tea Tree Oil to help fade your stretch marks.  Simply apply a small amount of the Tea Tree Oil to your stretch marks each evening and rub in very well. 

2.)  Treat Pimples.  A small dab is all you need to deal with stubborn acne.

3.)  Cure Toenail Fungus.  Topically apply 100% Tea Tree Oil twice daily for six months to cure fungal toenail infections.

4.)  Kill Lice.  Add a small amount of Tea Tree Oil to your shampoo to destroy head lice.  With Alleigh in school now I dread getting that note sent home that an outbreak of lice had occurred, but if it does at least I know what to do.

5.)  All Purpose Cleaner.  Mix 2 teaspoons of Tea Tree Oil in 2 cups of water then pour into a spray bottle.  Another version would be to mix 14 ounces of water, 1 ounce of Murphy’s Oil Soap, and 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil.

6.)  Fresh Laundry.  Add just a few drops to your washing machine when washing clothes to leave them smelling cleaner.

7.)  Soothe Insect Bites.  Apply a dab to insect bites to soothe the pain/itchiness.  This is great to keep on hand when hiking.

8.)  Dandruff.  Combine 4 to 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil to a tablespoon of Almond Oil and massage into the scalp.

9.)  Poison Ivy.  Add two teaspoons to 1/4 cup almond oil then dab onto poison ivy repeatedly until blisters heal.

10.)  Remove Ticks.  Apply a drop directly to the tick then gently remove tick with tweezers. If tick doesn’t let go, apply another drop of tea tree oil.

And that was just ten amazingly awesome uses for Tea Tree Oil – there are plenty more!  Seriously, just google it and you will be utterly amazed. 

And in the concern of safety I wanted to mention that Tea Tree Oil should only be used topically.  It can be toxic if swallowed and has been reported to cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, coma, unsteadiness, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach upset, blood cell abnormalities, and severe rashes. It should be kept away from pets and children.