Tea Tree Oil
I love tea tree oil!!! If you aren’t using it, you are really missing out. It’s a great product to keep on hand for your household. It can be used in every single room in your house. It’s a miracle! We’ve been trying to cut back on the amount of stuff that we buy, especially stuff with tons of chemicals. I’m attempting to find a few products that can do it all….hence the articles about white vinegar, baking soda and homemade laundry detergent. Next time you’re out and about, grab a bottle of tea tree oil. It might seem a little expensive (about $7), but you’re only going to use a drop or two at a time….so the bottle lasts forever. I got mine at our local natural food store.
Tea tree oil is natural, but you still need to be careful with it. It’s POTENT…..don’t take a huge whiff, or you’ll lose your nose hairs. You’re only going to need a few drops for whatever you do, so that should let you know how strong it is. Any essential oil is pretty strong. It should only be used externally and never ON a baby. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s have some fun with it!
First off, tea tree oil is a great medicine. You can use it on acne or cold sores, applying as needed. It smells way better than most of that other junk you have to put on your face. You’ll smell nice, instead of like a nursing home. If you have sensitive skin, you need to dilute it with a little olive oil. It’s also a natural antiseptic, so you can use it on cuts, scrapes, and scratches. You should not, however, apply it to deep wounds – you should, however, visit the ER. Memorize the number for 9-1-1. It’s good for ringworm, bug bites and athlete’s foot. If you put a drop or two in your shampoo bottle, you get rid of dandruff. For more information on these uses, visit Health Mad.
Because it’s a natural antiseptic, you can use it in your cleaner. When I’m making homemade household cleaner, I put several drops in it. Not only is it good for getting rid of germs, it’s smelly! I like my stuff to smell nice, so this is a big plus for me. Only a few drops are needed. If you’re making homemade laundry detergent, the liquid version, you could put a few drops in for smelling power and also to kill nasties in your laundry. If you use store-bought detergent, you can put in one teaspoon of tea tree oil to disinfect. This is a big plus for those who use cloth diapers. I prefer to use white vinegar for this purpose, but I like knowing I have this option. Here’s another great resource for tea tree oil uses: The Herbs Place.
One time Dottie had fleas. It was awful…..AWFUL. She and I itched and itched……yes, it was all in my head, but those little creepy, jumpy things really got to me. Yuck. Tea tree oil works on fleas too. Add 10 drops to 8 ounces of water and put it in a spray bottle. Spray your pet down with it daily until the problem is gone.  Spay and neuter….and kill the fleas.
This is my favorite use for tea tree oil…..Annie’s diaper pail. Folks, diapers stink. Period. It doesn’t matter if you use disposables or cloth. Poop stinks. So, I take a reusable wipe and put two drops of tea tree oil on it. I drape that cloth over the side of the pail and then close the lid. It really helps with smell. You can do it with cloth or disposables.*I am not an affiliate for tea tree oil…..I just really like it. However, I would be an affiliate if they asked me! :-)

 

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About Stacy

Stacy is the author of Crock On: A Semi-Whole Foods Slow Cooker Cookbook and a stay-at-home mom to her two children, Annie (3) and Andy (newborn). After an “awakening” in March 2011, her family switched to a more natural, whole foods diet. She likes to blog about how to live on less than you make and how to eat good food while doing it. Her passion is teaching others how to save money and she tag teams with her husband in this endeavor. At Stacy Makes Cents you’ll find information on how to save money in the kitchen, how to have fun with your kids, and how to be thrifty in all areas of life. Her passion is teaching others how to live debt free. Make sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with her daily antics.

  • Mary

    I have used Tea Tree Oil for years and I did not know it did all this. I am glad you took time to tell us this. And it does work with lice as well as fleas you just put some in your shampoo (if you ever have a lice infestation)It kills the lice and the eggs and it is safe to use not like all the expensive harmful chemicals that only halfway work.

  • Haley

    I used Tea Tree Oil to get rid of lice when we got it. All I had to do was shave the boys heads, but it was much harder to get it out of my hair! I just applied the oil directly to my scalp, put a shower cap on, and left it on for 30 minutes. I did, however, have to shampoo, rinse and REPEAT! I know that makes you cringe ;)

  • Anabelle

    Hey, Stacy! Is there a particular brand of tea tree essential oil that you like best? Thanks!!! :)

    • Stacy

      We like Thursday Plantation and Aura Cacia. Hope that helps! :-)