Fighting Colds with Tea Tree oil
Tea Tree essential oil has always been used to fight infections and destroy microbes. Ever wonder why?
One of the active components in Tea Tree is called “terpinen-4-ol.†Terpinen-4-ol activates monocytes (a kind of white blood cell) in the body. In response to inflammation, monocytes go to the site of an infection and boost cellular performance for a greater immune response. Read more about it in this blog post!
A great way to use Tea Tree to fight respiratory infections is to inhale it. In his Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Salvatore Battaglia says:
“The Australian aborigines have long recognized the virtues of tea tree. The leaves were simply crushed in the hand and the volatile oil inhaled to relieve colds and headaches.â€
You can get these benefits by doing a steam the moment you feel a cold coming on.
Steam & Stop This Cold Now!
25 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
25 drops Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora ct. 1,8 cineole)
25 drops Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
Drop your oils into a 5 ml bottle with an orifice reducer. This is your “stock blend,†and you can use it many times, since you’ll only be using 1 drop for your steam.
Add 1 drop to a bowl of steaming water, close your eyes, and lean over the bowl to inhale the steam. Repeat several times a day for a week, then pause a few days, then repeat for another week. You can see the steaming technique in a video I made here.
If you’d like to get a look at a tea tree plantation, I have some pictures here. I had the chance to visit one in South Africa. It was such an amazing experience (and as usual, I took pictures)!
Take care,
Andrea