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Lesson Three

Aromatherapy Lesson Three

This too seems to be rather long, I DO try and contain myself but am not very good at it! ;-)

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Tea Tree’s essential Oils is derived from the branches of the tree and is steam distilled. (For those of you who studied the Lavender material, I did forget to mention that Lavender is also steamed distilled).

Tea Tree is the other oil that is safe to use undiluted. This does not mean that one should go diving into a tub of it, or use it every day as it is a known sensitizer. Tea-Tree has become the panacea for everything, from fleas, to head lice to pimples and athletes foot. Increased use of this oil leads to increased risk for becoming sensitized or ALLERGIC to it. It is a VALUABLE oil and it use should be minimized to lessen the risk of sensitization.

Okay, Q-tip time. Time to smell your oil and judge whether or not it’s a top note, middle or bottom or all three. What do you think of the smell? It’s a very STRONG smelling oil, one that I liken to Turpentine, which is not surprising.

TIP! What do you do with all this information? Do you print it off and stick it in a folder, lay it by the side? MY suggestion (and this has worked VERY well for me) is to put it all down on a 3x5 card. Start at the top with the common name and the botanical name. Put either the words steam distilled (or SD), then put in whether it’s a top note etc. and safety information in RED so it stands out, which in this case is a "Possible skin Irritant, and Sensitizer."

The rest of the card will contain the main chemical contents, the technical terms of use, and then followed by the different systems that it affects and how.

It’s so much easier to carry your information around on cards than it is on big ole floppy pieces of paper!

Now. Back to Tea-Tree.

Remember I said that if you only had ONE oil around the house it would have to be Lavender. Well, following CLOSE behind is Tea-Tree. I use it on my kids many dirty scratches, I’ve used it on chickens who were ripped open by a dog. And if anyone knows anything about chickens, they will know how delicate they are. Well, my tea-tree not only saved their lives, but they started laying again.

One DOES have to be careful with it however. I will give you one example through someone's untrained advice, how someone CAN become sensitized to it.

I had a client who came to me after the birth of her baby who told me that she was now allergic to tea-tree. Before her baby was born, she had gone to see a supposed Aromatherapist, who told her that when the baby was born, to help heal her perineum if it became torn, she was to sit in a tub of warm water with 20 drops of tea-tree.

Well, after the birth, with a tear, she did as she had been instructed, and all went well. Or so she thought. The next day when she went to repeat the procedure, she said she was in AGONY! Her skin felt like it was on fire, and she was quite uncomfortable for several hours after the episode.

Point of information. NEVER put more than 9 to 10 drops TOTAL in a bath. If you are using one oil or 3 oils, never more than 9 or 10 drops. Why? Because the oil floats on the top of the water and adheres to your skin.

And of course depending on the oil, will also decide how MANY drops to be used. In the case of Tea-Tree, it’s 2 drops in 15 mls (or a tablespoon), or 2 drops in a tub of water. That’s IT. No more. Always remember "MORE IS NOT BETTER." In fact "LESS IS BEST."

Chemically, Tea Tree leans heavily towards Alcohols and Terpenes , which makes it a gentle oil.

It is: analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiviral, anti-infectious, bactericidal, antifungal, cicatrizant, decongestant, expectorant, immune stimulant, insecticide, sudorific.

It’s Uses are:

Skin and Hair: acne, abscess, athlete’s foot, herpes, oily skin, rashes warts, wounds, radiation burns, ringworm.

Respiratory system: asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs, sinusitis, whooping cough, ear, nose and throat infections.

Cardio/Lymphatic systems: circulation, hemorrhoids, lymphatic circulation.

Immune system: Immune stimulant, colds flue fever, chicken pox, strep throat.

Digestive system, abscesses in the mouth, gum disease, sore throat, intestinal parasites.

Genito-urinary systems, thrush, vaginitis, cystitis, genital infections.

Nervous system and the mind: Depression, nervous exhaustion, stress.

I hope you are looking up the terminology. It will be a great aid in the future. If you are wondering where my information is coming from, as obviously I can’t hold ALL this information in my head, it’s coming from 5 different sources.

One. My Own 3X5 cards that I made up when I was taking MY course, The Aromatherapy Workbook by Shirley Price, Advanced Aromatherapy by Kurt Schnaubelt, Plant Aromatics by Martin Watt and The Aromatherapy Practitioner reference Manual by Sylla Sheppard-Hangar.

The last two mentioned are the BEST books/manuals/reference material that I have read, although I find the others valuable as well.

And this is the end of Lesson three. Cheers!

Final Exam Question: What is an Aromatherapist? Easy Question? We'll see. Remember, I would like to see your answer at the END of the course.

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