tea tree oil

I put it in my shampoo in the summer time. Cleans the scalp really well after getting all sweaty in the heat.

Also put it in my homemade laundry powder to deodorize and keep clothes fresh.

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"For if you start dancing on tables, fanning yourself, feeling sleepy when you pick up a book... making love whenever you feel like it, then you know. The south has got you.”

Be careful....it's estrogenic and has been known to cause breast growth in boys.

Please elaborate.

Okay, so I did a little expiriment last year when the ticks were really bad around here... (speedy back story - I've been researching naturopathic and aromatherapy for about 12 years now and have a pretty big collection of essential oils to chose from these days)

So every time we captured one of the little nasties we'd put it on a plate and make circles of various pure essential oils around them so they'd have to trudge through the oil to escape (of course there was no escape - he he he - evil laugh). Our results were actually quite depressing.

Manuka / tea tree - no hesitation or effect (bummer, I know)
Lemon, clove, eucalyptus, citronella, lemon grass... little to no hesitation at all
Rose geranium - there was definitely hesitation, but not enough for my taste
Cinnamon bark - hesitation, then went through, then flailed around in it for about 10 min. before we finally dispatched the tick
Oregano and thyme didn't seem favorable to the little monster, but further study is definitely needed.

I know, its kind of horrible, and I felt cruel, but putting poison on my dogs every month to prevent ticks seems inhuman... so it was a necessary evil I believe.

Somehow, miraculously, we haven't seen a single tick this year to expiriment on, so that was as far as we got, but our hypothesis from this very non-scientific expiriment was that while essential oils might help repel ticks somewhat, no known single oil would repel or kill them alone, at least not in a concentration that was safe for topical mammalian use.

If we capture any more, the next phase will be blending, as many oils work synergistically. My plan is to try a blend of cinnamon, clove, rose geranium, manuka, and thyme and see what happens... Yes, I know it will stink to high heaven, but if it works...

As for tea tree alone. Its a must in the medicine cabinet. For ordinary fungal infections (i.e. athletes foot, dandruff, etc) it is invaluable, though I prefer its cousin, Manuka. Do NOT use it on cats, however. Long story why not, but suffice it to say, it (and most PEO's) are poisonous to kitties. Its generally safe used topically and well diluted for dogs and humans, but as with anything, use in moderation.

Be sure to get a therapeutic grade of any oil. I've used Young Living with great success in the past but they're pricy. Now brand totally failed, at least in my applications, though for strick aromatherapy use, its okay (I use NOW when its for simple deodorizers that you need a lot of oil for... laundry, air freshener, etc. Larks Herbs has some really good oils, and I've heard that Mountain Rose is good quality, but I haven't tried their products yet, so no promises.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

I've put it on dogs many times, and none have died.

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Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

It is toxic to dogs, but it depends on the dosage. I use tea tree dog shampoo on dogs all the time with no ill effects. However, an HT member recently lost his dog due to tea tree oil exposure on a higher level.

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"For if you start dancing on tables, fanning yourself, feeling sleepy when you pick up a book... making love whenever you feel like it, then you know. The south has got you.”

Dogs have a different metabolism than people. Not everything that is good for people is good for dogs. Tea Tree oil is toxic for pets and, depending on the dose, can lead to liver failure, among other problems. This happens when ingested or when absorbed through the skin from a topical application. Just use caution.

On PEOPLE, however, it does repel ticks and is what I classify as "mostly harmless" in that it can occasionally irritate the skin in sensitive people. But there are so many wonderful uses for it (as indicated in several above posts) that I highly recommend it for people...just not pets.

Sarah Johnson
Certified Herbalist
Veterinary assistant/receptionist

How, if they drink it? I've used tea tree oil on hotspots on dogs and it works great. Better than that medicine they sell for it.