Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil distilled (steam distillation process, not alcohol) from the leaves of the paperbark tree species Melaleuca Alterifolia. The tree is indigenous to the moist, sub-tropical coast of northeastern New South Wales and the southeast Queensland in Australia. Tea Tree has it's own natural defense against disease and its own natural repellant against insects. Tea Tree Oil penetrates the infected tissue, where it will naturally attack and clean the infection that is harming healthy tissue!
Generally, essential oils are volatile oils extracted from the leaves, roots, flowers, fruits, stems or barks of plants, and reflect the fragrance or aromatic constituents of the plant.
*** It is important to note that our Tea Tree Oil, is the species Melaleuca Alternifolia, and NOT any other species of Melaleuca which are being marketed, incorrectly, as genuine Tea Tree Oil***
The early part of the 1990's saw the development of Tea Tree Oil based products for use on horses and ponies. They perhaps, more than many other animal species suffer from extremely sensitive skin and are very susceptible to insect bites and stings. Another common problem with horses is Ringworm and Tea Tree Oil is active against Ringworm lesions. It was natural therefore that Tea Tree Oil products became a significant part of the first aid kit for horses and ponies in Europe.
Tea Tree Oil has been proven to help in such conditions as Sweet Itch, Mud Fever, Rain Scald, Cracked Hooves, Saddle Sores, Thrush, etc. and is a must for anyone involved with the keeping of animals.
*Tea Tree Shampoo and Lotion is safe for most animals but should not be used on cats because of their tendancy to ingest so very much by licking themselves.
How does Tea Tree
oil work?
Terpinen 4
[a major component of Tea Tree Oil] has been clearly identified as a major antiseptic active component of the oil. Tea Tree Oil contains upwards of 35% of Terpinen 4. Other oil components act to enhance the synergism, to act as solvents etc., and are still being researched by Universities and scientific institutions.
The mode of action of Tea Tree Oil is to damage the cell wall and cell membrane and to denature the cell constituents [e.g. protein]. The antiseptic actions of Tea Tree Oil are not impaired in the presence of blood, serum, pus, mucous discharge etc. An acquired immunity of microorganisms to many antibiotics and sulfonamide drugs does NOT occur with Tea Tree Oil.
Substantial microbiological testing of Tea Tree Oil has established typical minimum inhibitory concentrations [MIC's} of the oil against a broad spectrum of micro - organisms [i.e. the lowest concentration of the oil that will inhibit growth of a specified micro - organism - several hundred tests have taken place].
It can be concluded, therefore, that Tea Tree Oil is active against a broad spectrum of microorganisms and performs effectively in stringent efficiency tests.
