I use the term “medicine cabinet” lightly, as medicine is usually thought of as the modern medicine currently pushed upon us. Don’t get me wrong, modern medicine has its place at times, but unless we are dealing with an extreme circumstance, I find that there are better ways to treat my family’s ailments.
The two items in my cabinet, and in just about every room in our house: Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil.
I have been using tea tree oil for well over 20 years. In my family, extended included, it has been used as an antiseptic on cuts and bruises, added to my shampoo bottle to help cure psoriasis on my scalp, mixed with olive oil and put on my baby’s scalp to treat cradle cap, put on a cotton swab and brushed over cold sores, used to treat fungal infections such as toe nail fungus, used to dry out warts, added to my general kitchen and bathroom cleaning products to kill mold and germs, used to dry out and kill the infection behind pimples, and used in a blend with lavender and put on the bottom of the foot and under the nose to help ward off other people’s germs when we are around sick people. I have even mixed a couple drops of tea tree oil with some laundry detergent and used it in a load of wash when my husband has forgotten to take his wet towels out of his swim bag!
Tea tree oil has also been used in the treatment of the MRSA virus, athlete’s foot, toothaches and ringworm. “The antiseptic action of tea tree is thought to be one hundred times more powerful than carbolic acid – and yet it is non poisonous to humans! The Aborigines have been using this indigenous Australian tree in their medicines for centuries”(Worwood).
And my sweet lavender: I keep a bottle in the kitchen in case of a small first degree burn – heals it right up with no scar! We use it at bedtime to help calm the kids before bed (we often mix it into the bath soap). I’ve rubbed a little on my breasts to cure a clogged milk duct and to get rid of the start of a breast infection while nursing. I’ve also rubbed it on my newborn’s tummy when she had trouble with gas. In addition, we’ve used lavender oil to treat headaches, insect bites, and have added it to lotions to help sunburns and rashes.
Lavender oil “is a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant, sedative, and detoxifier which promotes healing and prevents scaring, and also stimulates the immune system and contributes to the healing process by stimulating the cells of a wound to regenerate more quickly”(Wordwood).
When buying these oils, make sure you are getting it from a good source! If it seems too cheap, it probably is! You get what you pay for to some extent. However, there are some bigger companies that claim their oils are the best and charge ridiculous prices – watch out for this too. The brands that I use are Poofy Organics, Rocky Mountain Oils, Essence of Vali, and VG Essentials (I am not connected to these brands in anyway, though I do buy them from a store my mother owns – Healthy Alternatives!)
Resources
Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy. Novato: New World Library, 1991. Print.
My grand daughter has pretty bad diarrhea from antibiotics. Please tell me how many drops of lavender or tea tree I should mix with carrier to use on her!!!! Which oil would work better . Do I put it on feet and belly area??? Need answer ASAP
I have never used either specifically for that. generally when using, maybe 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil to 2 drops tea tree or lavender.
Also love lemon along with lavander,tea tree oils. Great for cleaning around especially in kitchen and bathroon!
It there any way to add a link for emailing at the end of your articles> I would LOVE to be able to email this.
I don’t think so, but will check. You can copy and paste the url so that your friends can open it themselves. Actually, there is a way, I think – If you enter you e mail address to subscribe to the blog, you will get e mailed each new blog post – you can then forward them to people. Won’t apply to previously published posts though.
I love this site and it’s really the main reason I bother keeping a Facebook account. I have a few questions. It would be great women people post home remedies, to also state how long they can keep in the refrigerator etc. For instance I just made my 4mnth old a garlic and olive oil remedy for her ears..just in case but have no idea how long to store it. Same with elderberry sryup. I got a recipe that says to use raw honey but I was under the impression children under one can’t have honey. Lastly..hives and rashes. After doing food elimations, external factors what is good to put on either? Tea tree with olive oil? Lavender? Best defense against whooping cough? New mom. I breast feed on demand, co-sleep, stay at home, carry dairy free gluten free.
She also goes to chiro. I know not to give her anything to ingest now..I’m asking for when the time comes..erc.thank u 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions! If you sign up for e-mail updates on this page, you will get notifications of news posts without needing to rely on the facebook page.
I have read somewhere that you shouldn’t put essential oils directly onto your baby/toddler (ie. without mixing them with something else first). Is this true? My one year old seems to have picked up a bug or possibly seasonal allergies and has a runny nose and is sneezing. Was thinking of using essential oils somehow but am feeling a bit clueless. Is there is “cheat sheet” out there somewhere that gives symptoms and the remedy? Thanks much!!
It depends on the oil – a bit of lavender is safe – there are some great books and info out there – if you ask this on our facebook page you will get a lot of good info!
Great article, I will definitely be adding both of these to my shopping list. Just had a couple questions, because I’ve been back and forth to doctors for years with migraine and sinus headache problems and they have never been any help. All they’ve ever done is prescribe new medicines and I hate taking pills, so I usually just suffer through. How do you use the lavender oil for headaches and will it help with those types of headaches? Any tips appreciated and any other natural remedies, I will be shopping at your Mom’s online store soon as I can.
Sorry it’s taken me so long to get bacc to you! Headaches – ahhh! do you know what causes them – stress, sinuses, foods that you eat and may not realize are affecting you? My grandmother would get terrible headaches after eating chocolate. keep track of what you have eaten before they come on (anything within a 24 hour period). Do you get adjusted by a chiropractor – this really helps!!! You can also try acupuncture. You can put lavender on your temples. I have other suggestions, but it really depends on the cause – let me know!
Causes are multiple. The standard headache is probably stress, I have kept a food journal before, back when I was being treated for migraines and there were a few things that seemed to contribute, but since doctors just throw pills at you and the pills made me worse, I’ve come to the conclusion on my own, through some research and observation, that hormones were a large contributing factor. Luke was actually diagnosed for his migraines with excess blood flow to his head, but we have both been migraine free for years. The sinus headaches are the worst this time of year, again the doctors threw prescriptions at it but basically my sinuses over produce mucus, which causes pressure and occasionally infections. I use hot compresses and saline to keep from getting backed up and it helps but doesn’t get rid of the pain. Sorry I feel like I’m writing a novel, but headaches have been life long, and like I said I’m stubborn about taking pain killers. I have been to an acupuncturist before for another issue and wouldn’t mind going again, never been to a chiropractor. Thanks so much for letting me pick your brain.
What about using a neti pot 2 to 3 times a week to prevent sinus headaches. Also, my dad religiously takes Nature’s Sunshine Seasonal Defense and swears that when he takes it, it’s the reason he doesn’t get headaches due to sinuses and weather changes! And I would do the chiro!
I love using tea tree oil. My infant son has cradle cap and I would love to use a natural remedy to get rid of it. Please tell me how much tea tree oil and olive oil to use. Thanks!!
Hi Maria! I would use about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of olive oil and tow drops of tea tree oil – just put on a light coating, comb it in and let it sit for a couple of hours. I would so this for a couple of days – could do every other, depending on how aggressive you want to be. Erbaviva also makes a cradle cap oil and I would add the tea tree to that sometimes as well!