Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

The melaleuca alternifolia is the scientific name of Tea Tree Oil and these are the known aliases or other names: the Narrow-leaved Paperbark, Narrow-leaved Tea-tree, Narrow-leaved Ti-tree, or Snow-in-Summer tree. It is native to Australia, particularly in New South Wales.

Tea Tree Oil is removed from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia and processed into an essential oil that boasts a myriad of uses. Read more and find out all about the many uses of Tea Tree Oil.

1. Burns Ear Infections

A combination of both Tea Tree and lavender essential oil is a very effective treatment for burns. When you mix the two essential oils together, you create a synergistic blend that increases the power of both oils. These two oils pair well together for many ailments, including ear infections (otitis media), minor cuts and scrapes, insect bites, etc.

2) Fungal Infection of the Toenails

The tea tree oil was found to be as effective as the topical antifungal, based on clinical assessment and toenail cultures. Another randomized, controlled trial examined the effectiveness and safety of a cream containing 5% tea tree oil and 2% butenafine hydrochloride in 60 people with toenail fungal infection. After 16 weeks, 80% of people using the cream had significant improvement compared to none in the placebo group. Side effects included mild inflammation.

3) Acne

A single-blind randomized trial by the Department of Dermatology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia compared the effectiveness and tolerance of 5% tea tree oil gel with 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion in 124 people with mild to moderate acne. People in both groups had a significant reduction in inflamed and non-inflamed acne lesions (open and closed comedones) over the three month period, although tea tree oil was less effective than benzoyl peroxide.

4) Dandruff

A single-blind study examined the use of 5% tea tree oil shampoo or placebo in 126 people with mild to moderate dandruff. After 4 weeks, the tea tree oil shampoo significantly reduced symptoms of dandruff.

5. Keep bugs away.

If it can kill bacteria and viruses, it can most definitely act as an insect deterrent. Keep mosquitoes, fleas, lice, and flies away by rubbing a bit of tea tree oil mixed with a carrier oil, like mineral or sunflower oil (read the label—too much tea tree oil might be too strong for the skin!). Bonus: it can kill hookworms as well, which can penetrate through the skin.

Safety Concerns:

Undiluted tea tree oil may cause skin irritation, redness, blistering, and itching. Tea tree oil should not be taken internally, even in small quantities. It can cause impaired immune function, diarrhea, and potentially fatal central nervous system depression (excessive drowsiness, sleepiness, confusion, coma).

The tea tree oil in commercial toothpastes and mouthwashes is generally considered to be acceptable because it is not swallowed. Avoid homemade tea tree oil mouthwashes.

Seek medical attention if you experience symptoms of overdose: excessive drowsiness, sleepiness, poor coordination, diarrhea, vomiting. Don’t use tea tree oil if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Keep tea tree oil out of the reach of children and pets.

Wonderful & Natural Face Scrub

Face Scrubs are a brilliant way of exfoliating the skin on your face and neck. Exfoliation is the removal of dirt and dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin and your pores, this helps to keep your skin pimple and blemish free, fresh looking, and healthy, by increasing the blood flow in your face, and removing any dirt particles.

Natural, Organic Face Scrubs are best, as they don’t include harsh chemicals that can eventually damage your skin. Below is the recipe for, my homemade natural Face Scrub (which is also pretty yummy over ice cream!):

Honey and Almond Face Scrub

Makes 1 Face Scrub:

Needed Ingredients:

Local 100% Natural Honey
Ground Almonds or Almond Flour
Almond Oil

Step 1:

Find a large mixing bowl and pour in 3-4 tablespoons of honey. (Honey is famous for its healing properties, it also initiates the growth of healthy granulation tissue, is anti-bacterial so helps prevent spots, pimples and blemishes, is an anti-inflammatory so will reduce any puffiness on your face, and has an anti-irritant effect that can soothe any skin irritation you may have. As well as hydrating your skin to leave it feeling soft and supple, and helping to heal sun damaged skin, it has also bee proven to reduce and clear up cases of mild acne!)

Step 2:

Add 2-3 drops of Almond oil to the Honey, and stir in. (Almond oil is quickly absorbed by the skin, and is a great moisturizer for the skin, many Beauty Therapists, like myself, favour Almond oil as it is not a very greasy oil. Almond oil also helps clear up blemished skin, and is great at re-hydrating dry and chapped skin.)

Quick Tip:

If you suffer from dark circles under your eyes, apply a small amount of Almond oil to the problem area 2 times a day, to decrease the appearance of dark circles, mix the Almond oil with Honey to reduce puffiness as well as dark circles. This makes eyes appear lighter and brighter!

Step 3:

Mix in 2-3 tablespoons of Grounds Almonds or Almond Flour into the mixture. Take care to ensure that the Ground Almonds are thoroughly mixed in, and that the mixture binds together, add more Almonds if the mixture looks too runny.

Step 4:

Apply the mixture on to your face and neck, either with your hands (make sure they are clean) or with a special brush, take care not to get any in your eyes or hair. Rub the mixture on your face in circular upwards movements all over, for 2-3 minutes, and then rinse the Face Scrub off with warm water.

Step 5:

Apply a natural moisturizer to your freshly exfoliated face and you’re good to go!

What is Shea Butter?

Shea butter is an oil used in many bath and body products. While it may be new to those in the United States, it has a long history of use in Africa. Those in Africa have used it for centuries to help their skin and hair remain smooth and soft. Shea butter isn’t just for those of African descent. It has many healing properties for those of all skin types.

Shea butter is also called karate butter. At room temperature it is a solid, but will quickly absorb into the skin. It can vary in color and smell, but is usually cream to yellow in color. The butter is obtained from the nut of the karite tree. The amount of fatty acid in the butter gives it many of the qualities it is prized.

In the traditional methods in Africa it has been used to heal burns, lessen scars and stretch marks. It is a wonderful moisturizer and used to diminish wrinkles and signs of aging on skin. It helps with dermatitis and dandruff as well as any other condition which makes the skin and hair dry and flaky.

It helps fight free-radical damage as well as the daily environmental damages our skin faces. Shea butter shows signs of being antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It contains Vitamins A and E which are well known to improve skin conditions.

Many apply shea butter straight to the skin and hair as a moisturizer or skin treatment. While some do not like the odor, if purchased as refined or ultra refined the odor is minimal. It is important to note the more refined the shea butter the less potent the vitamins and healing properties. While shea butter may have an odor, it soon diminishes when applied to the skin.

Shea butter is also growing in popularity as an ingredient in soap. It is making its way into anti-aging creams as well. If you are looking for a body care product which will help your skin look for one with shea butter as an ingredient.

DIY Toothpaste

We all know that brushing your teeth, in the morning, after every meal, and before going to bed, is an important part of dental care. That’s what our parents and dentist have been telling us.

But most toothpaste in the market contain ingredients such as fluoride, xylitol, enzymes and other components.Typical toothpastes can contain some harsh abrasives and chemicals. Among the worst ingredients to watch out for — propylene glycol — a solvent that is the active component in some anti-freezes, and is used in everything from makeup to mouthwash. Fluoride is also a questionable ingredient for some – it’s used in commercial toothpastes to strengthen enamel, and many dentists recommend using a fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is considered toxic when ingested in high levels and is a controversial additive in water. Accidentally ingesting high quantities of toothpaste — as children sometimes do — can be potentially toxic.

Other artificial ingredients

But, regardless of where you stand on the fluoride issue, there are many other artificial ingredients contained in commercial toothpaste, like sweeteners (usually saccharin), emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial flavors. While they may not be as bad as drinking bleach, they aren’t benefiting your body.
Make your own toothpaste

You can make your own toothpaste at home. It turns out it only requires a few natural and easy to find ingredients. This will seems like one of those projects that may be good to get your kids involved with.

Ingredients needed to make natural toothpaste

Baking soda (works as a natural cleansing agent and it polishes and whitens your teeth as well!)
Table salt
Hydrogen Peroxide (naturally disinfects your mouth)
Stevia (optional as sweetener)
Peppermint oil (optional)
Both 4 and 5 can be found at a health food store

Steps to make your toothpaste

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into a mixing bowl
Add a dash of salt
Add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide
Add 1 drop of peppermint oil
Add a dash of stevia (more if you want it sweeter)
Mix it all up until it becomes paste like. You may have to add more hydrogen peroxide to get the right consistency.

A few notes about the homemade toothpaste:

You can store it in a plastic container to keep it from drying out.
If you’re not into the peppermint flavor, you could try ground cinnamon or vanilla extract.
Another quick and easy option is to get Peppermint extract (1/4 tsp.) from the Spice section of the grocery store and mix it with 1 tbsp. of baking soda. Add a dash of salt, mix it up, and you are good to go.

Rosemary & Salt Bath Recipe

Rosemary is a fantastic herb whether it’s fresh or dried, it has so many uses (not just for cooking) and positive effects. Rosemary is originally native to the Mediterranean region, but can now be found and grown (or bought) almost anywhere in the world.

This body care recipe is great if you need to rejuvenate, recharge and heal yourself, take the time to breath in the delicious aroma and sink into the hot water, while letting the rosemary bath soak work its wonders!

This recipe also uses rosemary oil which is rich in antioxidants, and contains many bioactive compounds such as, camphor, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, rosmanol among others. These all help to strengthen capillaries in the skin and have a rejuvenating effect on the skin and the body, as well as being a mild diurectic which helps to reduce swelling. Rosemary and rosemary oil are also famous for their anti-aging effects.

Salt is another main ingredient as it is fabulous at eliminating toxins from the skin through open pores, improving circulation (which helps to heal sore muscles) and reduces inflammation. It will also help to heal any existing cuts, scratches or grazes that you may have.

Rosemary Relax and Salt Bath Soak Recipe:

What you will need:

2 handfuls of dried or fresh rosemary
4 drops of rosemary oil
½ a cup of salt
A kettle or equipment to boil water

Instructions:

1. To make rosemary infusion, place 2 handfuls of rosemary into a large bowl and pour boiling water over it, all the way to the top of the bowl. Now leave this for half an hour or so to infuse.

2. Once the rosemary infusion is complete, run a bath to your desired temperature, ideally this is fairly hot, sprinkle in the half cup of salt and mix around, until it has dissolved.

3. Then add the 4 drops of rosemary oil into the bath, under the tap of running water, and mix the bath water around again.

4. Now pour in the rosemary infusion, you can either strain the infusion through a sieve to remove any rosemary leaves or you can leave them in, it’s up to you.

5. Lastly sink into the relaxing bath, breath in its healing and rejuvenating qualities, and let your mind drift away to a place of utter harmony.

This bath soak is great to do on a Sunday evening so you’re recharged and ready for the following week ahead, or on a Friday evening to de-stress from the previous hard-working week.

Whatever day you decide to have your Rosemary Relax and Heal Bath Soak, I hope you enjoy it and come out feeling utterly wonderful!! (You’ll smell great too!)

Photo Credit: Meghan Anderson-Colangelo

DIY: Natural Olive Oil & Lavender Moisturizer

Now this truly is one of the simplest DIY moisturizers to make but also one of the most effective. If your skin is thirsty for a deep moisturizing all over body treatment, then this one’s for you!

Olive oil has been used as a moisturizer for hundreds of years, and is the base of many beauty care and cosmetic products. It is so popular within the beauty care industry because it contributes towards a smooth, soft and radiant skin complexion, as well as helping to maintain skin elasticity, and because it contains antioxidants and Vitamin E which help to prevent the ageing effect.

The lavender’s part in this DIY recipe is purely to give the moisturizing oil a beautiful, relaxing fragrance, although Lavender oil is known for its contribution to skin care, such as being great at treating eczema, acne and being a fantastic anti-septic.

So, here are your step-by-step recipe instructions on how to make an amazing Olive Oil and Lavender Moisturiser.

Olive Oil and Lavender Moisturizer Recipe:

What you will need:

A large bowl
A spoon
250ml of Natural Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 drops of Essential Lavender Oil (Take care not to swallow)

To Make The Moisturizer:

Step 1:

Take a large bowl and pour in 250ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil that has been kept at room temperature, and is a as fresh as possible.

Step 2:

Add in 4-5 drops of Essential Lavender Oil.

Step 3:

Mix the 2 oil’s together in the bowl, cover the bowl with cling film and leave at room temperature until you are ready to use it.

How To Use The Olive Oil and Lavender Moisturizer:

Step 1:

Have a nice hot, relaxing bath or shower, and let your skin soak for a while, when you are ready, use a skin exfoliator to remove any dead skin cells or dirt particles from your skin.

Step 2:

Once you have finished in the bath or shower, uncover your Olive Oil and Lavender Moisturizer, dry yourself off and then apply a light sheen of the oil all over your body.

Step 3:

Massage the oil into your skin using slow but firm circular motions, this will help to relax you as well as moisture your skin healthily and naturally.

Try to repeat this once a week for maximum skin benefits.

Or…

Alternatively you could try this instead:

Step 1:

When running the hot water into your bath pour a small amount of the Olive Oil and Lavender Moisturizer into the bath water.

Step 2:

Lay back and relax and enjoy the calming fragrance as the oil soaks into your skin and gives you a deep moisturizing treatment.

Whichever one you try, remember to relax and enjoy the treatment as mother nature does her work!

DIY Deodorant

One thing I wanted to do in 2012 was to switch from commercial deodorants to homemade deodorants. The aluminum ingredient is known to cause numerous health issues. I’ve been looking for an alternative deodorant that did not have it & all the other paraben crap in it. I’ve tested numerous “natural” commercial deodorants out there and I just could not find anything that deodorized.

Was I surprised to find how simple it was to make natural deodorant at home. When I came across this simple recipe for homemade deodorant I was a bit skeptical but intrigued. So of course I made it and I’ve been wearing this homemade deodorant every day for about two months now. It’s been a huge success so far. What surprises me even more is how simple the recipe is. There are just three main simple ingredients….that’s it! Only three ingredients! And you’ll most likely have all of them in your kitchen already and if not, they are very easy to obtain. So are you ready? Drumroll please……

Here’s the recipe!

DIY deodorant

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup organic cornstarch
2 tbsp organic & virgin coconut oil (melted)
empty deodorant bottle
1-5 drops of essential oil (optional, don’t use any that can cause skin irritations, do your research)

Mix the baking soda and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Then add the melted coconut oil. With a fork, mix thoroughly & continuously until the mixture turns into a paste/gel like consistency. (Feel the mixture if it seems too oily add 1/4 tsp of cornstarch.) When the mixture is done, then gently fill the empty deodorant bottle with the mixture. Put the bottle in the fridge for 2-3 hours so it will set. Then remove and let it sit in room temperature for another hour. When it’s done, you may use it. 1-2 applications per underarm works great.

Simple right? I was amazed at how simple it was. Baking soda neutralizes the odor. Cornstarch absorbs some moisture. Coconut oil is great for it’s anti-bacterial properties. Note that this is not totally anti-perspirant, just a deodorizer. It’s also possible that you can get irritated by the baking soda, so if you do just add more cornstarch to the mixture and less baking soda. Also remember it’s “baking soda” and NOT “baking powder”. Those are two different things. If you don’t have virgin coconut oil you can get it at your local grocery store. It comes solid in a jar. Virgin coconut oil is great because it has the nutrients still intact. Overall, this is a great non-toxic deodorant!

Did you make this deodorant? If so tell us what you think about it so far by leaving us a comment below.,