Organically speaking, ginseng, ginkgo biloba and St. John's wort
might have to share the spotlight.
Given Americans' continued fascination with all things natural,
Australian tea tree oil has the makings to become nature's next
trendy extract, for its therapeutic benefits, affordability,
versatility and increasing availability in American marketplaces.
Proponents tout the oil - a natural topical antiseptic - as
something of a cure-all for everything from acne, toe fungus, head
lice and gum disease to Legionnaires' disease and even germ-riddled
bathrooms. You can buy it in its pure oil form or in a dozen
hygiene products including soap, shampoo, acne lotion, dental
floss, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant and foot balms.
Tea tree oil won over American consumers from the health food
and alternative medicine markets in the 1990s, but only recently
found shelf space with such ``mainstream'' retailers as nationwide
department stores and specialty chains.
Suzanne Dean, an Australian plantation owner who has amassed 15
million tea trees on some 2,000 acres near New South Wales, opened
Tea Tree Therapy in Ventura three years ago to push the product in
the United States. (Her products are made stateside, but the trees
stay Down Under for the wet, humid climate and slightly volcanic
soil there.)
``When I came here 10 years ago, very few people even knew what
it was,'' recalled Dean, a Santa Barbara resident whose Aussie
accent remains intact. ``Even few people in the health food
industry knew what it was. And only now do we see it moving into
the mainstream here in America.''
The trend, she notes, is consistent with Americans' expanding
attitudes toward health and wellness options.
``Sometimes it just takes a while for even a good thing to gain
notoriety,'' says Dr. Michelle Levan, who runs Capital Drugs
pharmacy in Sherman Oaks, a place where traditional pharmaceuticals
are sold alongside alternative medicines and aromatherapies.
A more popular tea tree product, head lice shampoo, has its
highest sales when kids return to school every fall.
``We've been selling this stuff for years and people swear by
it,'' said Levan. ``I think maybe we're seeing more (tea tree oil
products) now because of more competitive marketing.''
Australians have embraced tea tree oil for decades.
Which shouldn't be too surprising, considering the paperbark tea
tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, thrives primarily in northeast
Australia.
Aborigines used tea tree oil for hundreds of years before
European settlers and scientists discovered its antiseptic uses in
the 1920s, after distilling it from the prunings of small, narrow
leaves.
The Australian government relied on tea tree oil so much during
World War II for treating soldiers' minor wounds, burns, head lice
and trenchfoot that it exempted tea tree growers, sellers and
plantation workers from serving in the armed forces.
After hitting mainstream markets of Australia in the 1970s,
notes Dean, Tea Tree products today are as commonplace in
Australian drug and grocery stores as aspirin.
It has a few other notable uses as a bathroom sanitizer, air
conditioning cleanser (to control the spread of Legionnaires'
disease, a contagious pneumonia) and pesticide to remove ticks and
leeches.
Manufacturers like Dean would love to see the oil hit a similar
stride in the United States.
But although medical professionals recognize tea tree oil's
antiseptic benefits, they advise users to take precautions.
First of all, tea tree oil should not be swallowed, as it's
slightly toxic. In its pure form, it's best used topically on mild
infections after diluting it in mineral or olive oil.
Secondly, everyone has a one-in-five chance of being allergic to
Tea Tree Oil, warns Dr. Michael Hirt of the Center for Integrative
Medicine in Tarzana, which uses natural treatments with Eastern and
traditional Western medicine.
``It has been shown in clinical studies that 20 percent of
people can develop an allergic reaction,'' he said. ``That's
considered on the high side.''
To test for allergic reactions, like a bad rash, he recommends
dabbing a drop on the forearm and letting it sit for three days.
``If the person develops a few small bumps there or a raised area,
at least they don't smear it all over their face and find out, that
way, that they're allergic.''
Thirdly, Hirt says tea tree oil should not be used on anyone
with a ``serious'' infection or weakened immune system, such as a
person undergoing chemotherapy or with HIV (human immunodeficiency
virus).
He also warns that using tea tree oil too often could reduce its
bacteria-killing powers with some individuals, as certain bacteria
can become resistant after frequent exposure.
With those exceptions, Hirt says tea tree oil is an effective
treatment for conditions like mild skin infections or acne, and
less caustic to skin than other chemical antiseptics.
And Levan, also a homeopathic practitioner, strongly advises
anyone undergoing homeopathic therapies to NOT use tea tree oil,
because its odor conflicts with homeopathic aromas.
