Wednesday, June 19, 2013

First-Aid Kit in a Bottle



I've had this little bottle of Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Altemifolia) up in my medicine cabinet for years. I cannot even remember what I originally purchased it for, or even what I've used it for in the past, but the other night, when I was literally dying from a terrible, horrible, ginormous mosquito bite that I had found on the outside of my left knee that I could not stop scratching and while ransacking the bathroom looking for anything I could find that might provide some sort of relief, there it was staring at me from that thin, top shelf. Since I couldn't find any sort of anti-itch cream (not that those ever seem to actually do anything, but I needed something if even just for my mental well-being, you know, the good ol' placebo effect) and knowing Tea Tree Oil has a strong medicinal smell and comes in that magical, thick brown glass apothecary jar and therefore must have some medicinal uses as well (seemed a logical assumption to me!) I decided to grab it and read the label. To my delightful surprise I found these lovely words on the back: "First-aid kit in a bottle. Dab on cuts, stings, burns, and abrasions..."  I wasn't super hopeful that it meant it would do anything for my white, angry bug bite, but I figured it wouldn't hurt. So after I took a long, hot bath to take my mind off the itch, I grabbed the bottle and applied two drops directly to the bite. And do you know what? It stopped itching. And not only did it stop itching, but the next morning when I woke up, the bite - which had been puffy and swollen and about the size of a dime - was almost completely GONE. I could NOT believe it. I have always had terrible reactions to mosquito bites and they seem to last for days (and get bigger from me scratching them incessantly). This one was gone the very next day. I was so ecstatic about the results I did a little more research and found out that Tea Tree Oil has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic qualities and can pretty much be used (with fantastic results!) on any sort of skin ailment including (but not limited to): cuts, scrapes, burns, bug bites, pimples, and even other dermatological conditions such as psoriasis. It really is like a magical little first-aid kit in a bottle which means not only is it a better natural alternative than chemicals and steroids and other harsh medications used to treat common skin ailments, but now instead of buying a different product for each problem (think Neosporin, Hydracortisone Cream, or other -expensive- prescription creams and drugs) you can just keep a little bottle of Tea Tree Oil (TTO) handy...and use it on everything! I had no idea it worked so well and I am so excited to now be privy to this great secret! And having four little ones around who are constantly getting scraped up, I'm sure this little bottle that has sat unused for several years, will now be used up in a jiffy! 

2 comments:

  1. Hi, just wanted to let you know what tea tree oil also has endocrine-disrupting properties, unfortunately. I was using it also a few years ago, but now I am too scared to do so. It's really strong too, I suggest you do more research and try to get to the bottom of it. Just because it comes from a natural source does not make it perfectly innocuous :(
    I understand your desire to go natural, I've been on the same journey myself for a few years now, and tea tree oil was what my mom and I both praised at first, but when we eventually learned about the hormone-mimicking properties, we both dropped it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Everyone must be aware of the necessity of a first aid kit in their home and car.

    First Aid Kits

    ReplyDelete