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Article: Healing properties of tea tree oil.
- Article from:
- Natural Life
- Article date:
- November 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Life Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Belonging to the same family of plants as the eucalyptus tree, the Melaleuca alternifolia or tea tree, was discovered in the 1770s by Captain James Cook when he witnessed native Australians brewing tea from its leaves. Growing 20 feet high, the tree resembles a shrub. The tree's leaves are collected twice a year and passed through a distillation process in order to expel the oil.
The active ingredients of Melaleuca alternifolia (or tea tree) oil are terpinen and cineole. Terpinen is the ingredient responsible for the healing properties. Cineole contributes the disinfectant properties. In large amounts, cineole is caustic to human tissue. In order to obtain the ...