Herbal Legacy Articles

September 24, 2008

by Master Herbalist Susie Ransom

Migraine headaches have plagued me most of my life.  When I was happy, when I wasn’t happy, when I ate well, when I ate wrong, when the sun shone, when it was cloudy, I would get miserable headaches.  Nothing takes the fun out of going for a summer drive with your family, when you know you’ll come home with a headache and spend the rest of the day in bed.  I looked for some common denominator that would explain why these headaches would come on, but I couldn’t seem to find an answer.

When I married and started my own family, these headaches would take days out of my life and my ability to care for my children suffered.  (Thank goodness for thoughtful neighbors who would entertain my kids during those miserable days.)

Not being a person who trusted the medical profession, I knew there had to be an answer that wouldn’t lie with drugs that couldn’t address the real cause of the pain.  I kept reading nutritional articles and magazines and began to think these debilitating headaches might be caused by allergies.

Armed with paper and pen, I began to journal the happenings around each headache.  As patterns began to develop, I thought that maybe I could get a handle on this.

Meanwhile, my best friend, who also had as many headaches as I did, tried to convince me that the medicine her doctor had given her was the answer.  We talked and commiserated with each other glad to know that someone else really understood how painful these headaches were.  But I just couldn’t justify that the first side effect from her prescription medicine was “headache.”  I thought that was what we were trying to get rid of.

I kept on journaling and noticed that I did have more control over the frequency of my headaches if I watched what I ate.  I also did better if I stayed out of the wind.  Feeling like I was getting on top of this problem, I asked my friend if she would be interested in doing some detective work into her headaches.  She said no because she knew her doctor was taking good care of her and doing what should be done.

The older (and wiser) I got, the fewer headaches I had, while hers seemed to remain the same.

I had the opportunity one day to attend a class on essential oils.  The teacher talked about how she used peppermint oil for her headaches.  If she got a headache at home she would make herself a cup of peppermint tea besides rubbing the oil on her forehead.  Boy, was I excited!

Of course, I purchased the oil and anxiously awaited my next headache!  When the familiar blurring of my vision started I wasn’t at home so I couldn’t make any tea, but I got the oil out of my purse and rubbed it straight onto my forehead.  It stung and my eyes watered, but I knew I would be okay, and I was.  I was able to finish my tasks and drive home because I could see.  My vision had cleared up in a lot shorter time than usual and my stomach wasn’t quite so queasy.

I promptly told my experience to my friend, but she still wasn’t interested in anything as simple as one single herb doing what prescription medicine couldn’t.

Years have gone by and I have a handle on my migraines now.  The minute I feel the familiar warning signals start, I grab the peppermint.  It has allowed me to stay at my work to finish the day after a headache begins.  The happy ending to this story is that my friend finally became convinced of the effectiveness of this herb and has her own arsenal of oil and tea.

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by Master Herbalist Lindsay Wolsey

How Do I Use Tea Tree Oil?

Even if you are not an herbalist, and don’t have any experience making your own formulas, you can easily add Tea Tree Oil (or any other essential oil, for that matter) to an ointment or a massage oil.  The massage oil is the easiest-just add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil, close the bottle, and shake it well.  Then smell it to see if you have the right amount of Tea Tree Oil-if not, add a few more drops.  To add Tea Tree Oil to an ointment, you may need to heat up the ointment a little bit, depending on its consistency.  Complete Tissue and Bone ointment is sometimes set quite well, especially if it is a new bottle.  While I personally don’t have a problem with putting the formula in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it, you could also remove it from the container, and heat it up over the stove if necessary.  I have found that it is extremely easy to add essential oils to the Beauty Facial Cream formula, as it tends to be pretty soft.  Sometimes, it is so soft you need to put it in the refrigerator for a few hours to harden up.

One of the easiest ways to use Tea Tree oil is to add it to olive oil or almond oil, and then apply to the skin.  If you are using this for a rash, add a few tablespoons of this oil combination to the bath, and have the person soak in the tub for a bit.

Tea Tree Oil doesn’t have the most pleasant odor (camphor-like), so you might want to combine it with some other essential oils to help diminish the smell.  It is best used with wood and herbal oils-it does not blend well with fruits and florals.  For example, for dandruff Tea Tree Oil could be combined with cedarwood, patchouli, rosemary and sage. 

My personal favorite is buying one of the many sprays available with Tea Tree Oil.  You could make this yourself using vodka and Tea Tree Oil-but Tea Tree Oil can be pricey, depending on the brand, and $10 for an already made up spray can be worth it.  You can also find Tea Tree Oil in soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and other commercially available products.

For a vaginal infection, a few drops of Tea Tree Oil can be added to a douche.

Conclusion

Even if you don’t have any other essential oils in your home, Tea Tree Oil is one to add to your medicine cabinet.  I use Tea Tree Oil all the time-adding it to herbal preparations, aromatherapy preparations, and directly on the skin to deal with warts.  This is something that anyone who is interested in natural healing needs to get better acquainted with.

Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/Tea_Tree_II.pdf

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by Lindsay Wolsey, MH 

It seems like there has been a rash (literally) of people lately breaking out with various skin conditions.  In addition, they’ve usually had it for several months before telling me about it – as if by ignoring it, it might go away.  Instead, it gets worse and travels to different areas of the body, and gets harder to treat.I have been telling people to think about using Tea Tree essential oil in addition to the other therapies that they are trying.  Tea Tree Oil can easily be added to ointments or oils that would be beneficial for the skin condition that needs treating.  For example, Tea Tree Oil is easily added to Complete Tissue and Bone ointment, and gives it an anti-bacterial edge.Why Tea Tree Oil?

Tea Tree Oil is the essential oil steamed distilled from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia.  This oil is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-biotic, anti-microbial, anti-septic and anti-inflammatory.  This is definitely something you want to add to your first aid kit.  Tea Tree Oil seems to be one of a few essential oils that can be applied directly to the skin, although we generally recommend using a carrier with all essential oils.

Tea Tree Oil once healed a persistent infection that had been treated with conventional anti-biotics for 12 months!  It is a very potent oil.

History of Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil has been around for a long time.  Thousands of years ago, Australian aborigines were crushing the leaves and using them for medicine.  During World War II, the Australian Government commandeered all of the Tea Tree Oil for the use of the military.  The soldiers in the Pacific carried Tea Tree oil in their first aid kits.  After the war, Tea Tree Oil fell out of fashion for awhile, as everyone embraced anti-biotics.  Fortunately, in the late 70’s interest in Tea Tree Oil started up again.

What Do I Use Tea Tree Oil For?

Tea Tree Oil is an excellent alternative to topical anti-biotics that may need to be used every day.  This oil has been used with great success for psoriasis, sores, eczema, rashes, thrush, foot odors.  It is also used for cuts, stings, burns, bites, acne, vaginal infections, sore throats, cold sores, and warts.  It can be used for infected or ingrown toenails.  You can use it in shampoo to treat dandruff.  Tea Tree Oil works well for athlete’s foot.  It can be beneficial for chicken pox.  New uses are being discovered all the time.

Printable Version:  http://www.herballegacy.com/Tea_Tree_I.pdf

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