This information is not going to be popular. I know how the cloth diapering community loves its tea tree oil. If only I had a nickel for every time I read the phrase, “Just add a couple of drops of TTO to the wash…”
When I was a child, we were fairly pediatrician dependent. There was a prescription for every ailment. These days, my belief is that Mother Nature provided us with a natural remedy for every possible ailment we could encounter. When you mix my upbringing with my new natural persona, what you have is a “SCM” or a Skeptical Crunchy Mom. I believe in the potential of natural remedies, but I don’t automatically accept them just because another mom claims something to be true on Diaper Pin. When I hear of a new method, I research the crap out of it from every angle. I read the hippie sites, the crunchy sites, the manufacturer’s information, customer reviews, but also I search medical journals and try to learn the science behind it, which also includes the critics’ evaluation.
Let me explain to you the science behind tea tree oil as an antiseptic. TTO will kill most normal bacteria at even 1 percent dilution. However, thanks to western medicine, most bacteria is no longer “normal bacteria.” These days our every day run of the mill bacteria is the super strong and resistant to nearly everything. Unfortunately, tea tree kills most staph it touches, but not all of the staph that it touches when it’s diluted. This is the same recipe for disaster that antibiotics have caused. If a weapon against bacteria touches it, but only maims it, that bacterium rebuilds itself and then goes and tells all its bacteria friends how to defeat that weapon. (If anyone watches Star Trek, bacteria is like The Borg.)
So, when you add a couple of drops of TTO to your wash of diapers, you are using far less than even 1% dilution. With that, you’re not even killing the weak bacteria. So you’re creating super strong staph in those diapers and in your home. If you could get a 4% dilution in your wash, you could kill everything, but picture how much tea tree oil constitutes 4% of a whole washing machine.
I love TTO. That doesn’t mean that I misuse it though.
If you want to add something to your wash to kill bacteria, add Oil of Oregano or Colloidal Silver. They do kill every single bacterium that they touch. So even if they don’t kill all the bacteria in your wash, if they touch it, they kill it. No one left to relay the weapon’s strategy.
This doesn’t mean your bottle of TTO is useless though. TTO is an amazing weapon. It’s one of only two medicinal oils that are perfectly fine to use straight on the skin. If your baby gets a patch of eczema, a cut, a boil, a mosquito bite or a pimple, one drop of straight undiluted TTO will annihilate any bacterium that wants to wage a war against your baby’s skin. You can use one drop to clean tweezers or the nasal aspirator. You can even use it on your nipples when breastfeeding because tea tree oil is safe for ingesting. My personal favorite though: I like to take one drop and wipe it along my baby’s fingernails when she has an itch that she won’t stop scratching. That way, I don’t have to worry about infection.
For more information on the 4% rule and how to properly use tea tree oil, please refer to these books:
Prescription of Herbal Healing by Phyllis A. Balch
Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide by Cynthia Olsen
-Dawn
Filed under: Cloth Diapers | Tagged: Cloth diapers, tea tree oil |
Everything Birth's Blog 
I keep a bottle of tea tree oil in my makeup bag for the occasional pimple. I love it for that purpose. I honestly never thought to use it on anything else, so your article has really given me a great deal of thought as to what other purposes it may serve. I purchased my bottle at The Body Shop, any idea if it’s straight, undiluted TTO?
I’ve heard of Oil of Oregano before also, but don’t know much about it. I am going to research it a bit more now that you mention it’s bacteria killing properties.
Thought I’d mention that I found your blog via your husbands post on facebook (gotta love facebook :)). Darl and I grew up in the same church together. His family and mine were very close back in the day, but have since sort of lost touch. It’s so nice to see he’s doing well, married and with adorable children! Congratulations to you all!!!
DO NOT LET YOUR BABY INGEST TTO!!! IT IS VERY DANGEROUS.
Tea tree oil (melaleuca oil) is HIGHLY TOXIC WHEN INGESTED!! Do NOT use on nipples or anywhere it could come in contact with your baby’s hands or mouth (hands so often wind up in their mouths)
For having the truth about tea tree oil, it’s surprising you’re lacking that one obvious, potentially fatal fact.
Facebook IS amazing! The only Tea Tree Oil offered by The Body Shop on their website is not straight tea tree oil. For about the same price as what they label tea tree oil, you could get some actual tea tree oil, it would be easier for you to figure out the proper dilution that way, and would work quicker on pimples anyway…
Here’s what The Body Shop’s “Tea Tree Oil” is:
Water, Alcohol Denat., PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polysorbate 20, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Limonene, t-Butyl Alcohol, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Citral, Leptospermum Petersonii (Lemon Tea Tree) Oil, Denatonium Benzoate, Tocopherol.
If you are the Dawn who wrote the article, please PLEASE update it with a warning that the oil should NOT be used on breastfeeding nipples, or anywhere it could be ingested. It is poison when consumed!
Please help keep babies safe!
Yikes! I feel dooped for paying for water + TTO! :). Thanks for the info. I’m just getting into adding the natural and crunchy life to our home. One healthy step at a time :).
Yikes! I feel dooped for paying for water + TTO! :). I’m just getting into adding the natural and crunchy life to our home. One healthy step at a time :). Thanks for the info!
Don’t feel bad, that’s why I wrote this. It’s a VERY VERY commom misconception and I feel quite certain that who ever sold it o you thought it was the very best choice. The studies were only a couple of years ago, so these things take time. Spread the word though!
Hi Dawn,
I came across this entry when trying to find info on TTO and baby wipes solutions, and I’m wondering where you got some of the info – everything I’ve found says that TTO is NOT safe to be ingested at all, and also not to use on baby’s skin – even though every diaper wipes solution recipe says to add TTO.
No problem!
I wrote two of my most significant sources on this information directly at the end of the blog. Those are the two books that have the studies that you can then check out depending on what your main concerns are. If you have any questions besides what I can answer, those two books are a wealth of information and they cite their sources and studies. In addition, when I am learning about new information, I always run it through http://www.pubmed.com first which will give you the rundown of all of the medical studies published in most of the medical journals in the world.
As far as TTO directly on the skin, you can learn more information on that by reading/googling/or taking a class about aromatherapy and essential oil use. In an aromatherapy and essential oils safety class, one of the very first opening statements is always, “With the exception of tea tree oil and lavender, you must always dilute.” I used to have a professional aromatherapist and essential oil use instructor that taught classes at the natural living store that I owned.
As far as tea tree oil being safe for ingestion, TTO applied directly to lip sores like herpes or canker sores within the mouth is a VERY COMMON practice. TTO is a common ingredient in throat lozenges. You can find many if you look on the website of one of the industries leading vendors, Lotus Light. Probably just a google search for Tea tree oil and honey lozenges would produce the same results.
It is very common for people who heal with essential oil to apply tea tree oil to a tampon that has been moistened inside of it’s applicator and insert it into the vagina to get immediate relief from yeast infections. Also, in my circle of friends, any time there is any vaginal itch, it’s common practice to take a couple of drops of straight TTO and apply it over the labia. It smarts for a second sure, but it will fix the skin up right away, whatever the cause: irritation, heat rash, sweat, ingrown hairs, fancy underpants rubbing, infection, or yeast.
When I have a white coat on my tounge the next morning from eating too much sugar, I put five drops of TTO on my tooth brush and brush my tounge. For strep throat, in the natural healing community, it is common practice to take a q-tip with a few drops of TTO on it and apply it to your tonsils.
If someone is colonized with MRSA in their nose, rather than using the bactroban in the nose twice daily, the essential oil community will do the same treatment, but with one drop of tea tree oil per nostril undiluted.
When you use it on a baby’s skin, I would recommend only using a drop in a pimple, boil or patch of rash. If you use a bunch of straight TTO on ANYONE’s skin, it will get a little pink, and it will sting a bit for about five seconds. However, it is common knowledge that TTO is safe for use undiluted on the skin.
Perhaps the info you’ve found is because it is not comfortable? Perhaps they just are scared? Perhaps they’re misinformed? Perhaps they are afraid you’ll use a teaspoon ful ratehr than one drop? (Which would really really sting.)
I have used it undiluted on my baby’s skin. It is amazing at bringing down bug bites, battling burns (even sunburns) and pulling debris from scrapes and cuts. It also tastes awful, but you can ingest it and they do use it in food, gum, things like that.
It is far more important, if you’re going to sway one way or another that you DO NOT over dilute. Like I said in my opening statement, it’s certainly not going to be popular. People LOVE to use it for diapering and wipe solution, but THAT is extremely unsafe. It’s the crunchy mom’s equivelent of taking two days worth of antibiotics and then stopping before the course is over. It creates MRSA. You are much safer with using straight TTO if you are unsure of how to dilute it.
To get you started though, on understanding where I’m coming from, check out those two books and you will have a MUCH clearer understanding of the science of TTO.
Thanks for your comment!
I’m sorry, http://www.pubmed.gov not .com.
Also, upon further thought, too much TTO can be drying to a person’s skin, so perhaps they’re afraid you will over use it? If the skin gets too dry, you would use it less frequently.
I am in the process of using TTO on 3 boils for the past four days – one just below the butt, one on my extreme upper thigh and one in the pubic area that folds into the upper thigh. I used the TTO liberally on them the first day and less than 24 hours later the skin began to peel off. For a boil I was ok with that because I wanted it to drain. Avoid the surrounding skin by applying a diluting oil – I used olive oil mixed with a little TTO to keep the entire area bacteria free. The largest boil drained the first night. The smallest was gone in two days. The third never drained but is healing, as is the large one.
Unfortunately I didn’t have any TTO when I first noticed them and by the time I got some they were already very big.
BTW, the bacteria involved is Staph so if you do this remember to disinfect everything everywhere, wrap and dispose of any Q tips, cotton balls, etc. so no one touches them. Wash your hands anytime you touch the area – before and after – and use some TTO on your hands to keep them as bacteria free as possible. Staph is highly contagious so I also disinfect the toilet, sink, faucets, wipe down any containers I might have touched, then proceed on to all door knobs, remotes, computer area, etc.,…well, pretty much everything because I am a germ freak.
Dawn, I have also read that TTO should not be used on children and pets but I have seen pet products that contain it. I’ve also read that it should never be ingested because it is toxic but I would think that rinsing your mouth with a few drops diluted in water wouldn’t hurt or even dabbing one drop on a sore inside your mouth. It’s probably not a good idea to drink it though. I think it would cause some stomach trouble. I’m not sure how much one would have to use for their tonsils, though, and maybe too much would cause some problems. As far as nipples during breast feeding….I think it would be great for cracked nipples to prevent infections but i would clean it off before breast feeding. I can’t imagine the baby would enjoy that flavor of milk.
Also, I have read that using TTO on tampons for yeast and bacterial vaginitis is very helpful and there are suppositories containing TTO, as well. Several women who wrote reviews about these products say they very happy with the results and feel cleaner and odor free. Putting TTO directly on the labia is going to bite a bit and you will do a little dance for a minute or so but after that it’s just a little tingly. Small price to pay for a healthy sweet smelling vajayjay.
Hi dawn.
Great Information and resources.
I’ve always used TTO, love it like you do 🙂
I’m a little stuck right now though.
There has been a disclaimer on
all three brands I have purchased in the past (100% pure TTO)
The warning is DO NOT USE WHEN PREGNANT OR BREAST FEEDING. Now a new BF mama the warning applies to me for the first time … I was laughing reading the previous comments … I too just replenished my supply of TTO to add to our diaper pail. I’m going to do some reading and may find OOOregano may be the better option as you’ve mentioned. In the mean time the question is to cease using TTO as the label warns or ……… ?
Great info D. I am ogint to go out right away and try it for my ezcema.
TTO releases estrogen, as does lavender, so for moms of little boys, this is really something to be careful with when you are pregnant with them. Just as you don’t want to eat too much soy when you a pregnant with a little boy, you also don’t want to apply much TTO or lavender.
does this mean they will be gay?
No, but it can alter the physiology of the ureter in regards to where it lies on the head of the penis during pregnancy. Then after birth, exposure has been suspected of growing breast tissue much like soy does. It’s not a major concern, but it’s something to think about.
This study was actually proven to be very poor. It consisted of something like 3 kids and just blew up thanks to the internet.
[…] Legally, he can’t. Hot water isn’t the only way to kill germs though. Several drops of the right Oil of Oregano in you washing machine will kill germs just fine. (Be sure not to think that just because you can do this with Oil of Oregano that you can do this with Tea Tree Oil. TTO cannot be over diluted, like it would be in the wash. If it is, it creates a resistant staph that could cause infections. If you previously were told to use TTO in your wash, stop immediately. I explain more in a previous blog.) […]
Just do your research about oil of Oregano. It can cause neurological damage to children
Fantastic, thank you!!!
I would like to learn more about Oil of Oregano? Where can I get it, and how do I use it? I have a HE washing machine. Do you put a drop in the pre-rinse? Thank you for any information you can provide!
Everybody always asks where to get it, so I put it in our index. (Everything Birth doesn’t carry it, but I want it to be easy for you to find.)
Put the OOO in in the presoak, only a little for normal use.
If your baby has an infection of any kind, put like 30 drops in. Let it sit for an hour in the prewash. OR you can add it after it’s washed. Stop the machine at the final rinse and let it soak for an hour before spinning it out if your’e dealing with infection. OR you can add a few drops to a wash rag and put it in the dryer. OR you can add several drops to a spritzer of water and spray it on the diapers on the line while drying.
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Thank you for the info! I was just about to make wipe solution with TTO so I’m glad I came accross this. Do you have a cloth wipes recipe, using oil of oregano, that you would recommend?
Also, I have been putting vinegar in my final rinse for the diapers to prevent build up. Could I use vinegar & oil of oregano in the rinse, or would that be bad?
Dawn,
I am sure you wrote this with the best of intentions, but as someone with her doctorate in Microbiology, you are spreading some false information.
First, the article in question is from an obscure uni and was published in a very low tier journal. This means it either a) isn’t stringently done research or b) isn’t of high importance in the scientific community. Since resistant bacteria and MRSA is a big deal, a is more likely. And indeed if you read the paper, they have questionable controls or lack them entirely, and don’t thoroughly investigate or support their claims.
Next, you cannot create MRSA with tto. The “m” in MRSA refers to methicillin, which is a very strong antibiotic. The only real way to develop specific antibiotic resistance is to use that antibiotic. Since tto and methicillin kill bacteria differently, tto cannot induce Methicillin resistance. The article claims that the unregulated stress response induced by partially killing bacteria with tto leads to increased resistance to killing with antibiotics. This is not the same as MRSA, and the studies were not carried out long enough to determine if this change to the bacteria was permanent or temporary.
This group also modified their claims in a 2008 paper where they show increased resistance to a regimin that is both tto and antibiotics, not tto alone.
Third, since 2008, there have been no followups or additional published research on this finding. That is also rare in the scientific community with big findings. This lends credence to my first observation that this work isn’t very credible.
Finally, the authors carried out their work under optimal growth conditions for the bacteria, which is not the case with how cloth diapers are stored and washed. Just because something happens in a lab does not mean the same results apply to reality.
Like I said, I am sure you were very well meaning with your post. And there may be some validity in this for parents who have immunocompromised children or children with recurrent skin infections. However, this will not affect 99% of the population.
There is more, but I will stop here. I apologize for such a long comment!
First off, thank you for YOUR good intentions. I feel that you do not understand the community to which I am addressing though. This community is full of women who will go to great length to stay as far away from allopathic medicine as possible. We have lost faith in the “medical world” that you are so familiar with.
We need tea tree oil to be full effective against killing OUR bacteria in OUR wounds because we do not want to make the same mistake that the medical community has made in creating MRSA and other drug-resistant bacteria. Tea tree oil IS one of our favorite antibacterial remedies. We use it instead of antibiotic creams. We put it on boils. We apply it to our tonsils. We put it in our noses. We rub it on warts. We rub it on cuts. We use it in our vaginas. It IS our “medicine.” We resent the fact that thanks to the partnerships of the big players in American medicine I have to toss in here now this statement: “These findings have not been approved by the FDA and Tea Tree Oil is not intended to be used as a medicine.”
So, while these points are not valid to 99% of YOUR population, the general public… this blog is not aimed at 99% of the general public. This blog was written to address only the cloth diapering women who love tea tree oil. We are a different community. We need to know about the issues that affect US. The simple fact is that if bacteria can build up a resistance to TTO at dilutions greater than 4%, and we are using TTO daily on our cloth diapers diluted more than 4%, which lay next to our most precious loved one’s delicate infant, loved ones who are still building their immune systems… and we intend to protect TTO as our “medicine” of choice… we need to know.
You can say that it doesn’t matter because TTO doesn’t create MRSA, but that is insignificant to us. I don’t know where you think I said that TTO creates MRSA, because if I did, I’d like to correct it. I understand the dynamics of MRSA. I know what the M stands for. I’ve had way more than my fair share of MRSA trials, which is what brought me to my natural healing obsession in the first place. Even so, I’ve went back through everything I’ve wrote and can’t find where to correct the statement, but I can’t find it.
If you don’t like the books I suggested or they are not good enough for you, that’s a fair comment. Those particular books though are very good alternatives for people in my community who do not wish to try to read through all of the Australian studies. They are easy to read and very interesting. The facts that I personally wrote about though… well, I can’t find a single thing “false” about them.
The articles I posted, wasn’t to “back my words” but simply to provide further reading. It wasn’t a “Works cited page.” When I feel the need to provide a works cites area, I do so in the proper MLA style in my blogs.
This information is crucial information because we don’t want to have to rely on your medical community. We want for our remedies to work and stay working for generations to come. We don’t want to make the same mistakes your community made. Bacterial resistance to TTO is a BIG deal to us. We need TTO to stay useful to us. We should not waste it on laundry.
Hi dawn love your work are you on face book ?
In your comment on July 7 2010 you said several paragraphs down that using tto inappropriately creates MRSA. That is not factual.
And I do understand your concerns. I cloth diaper my child, which is how I found your blog. I prefer to use other methods to treat various ailments, rather than antibiotics, especially because I EBF. I use raw garlic for mastitis instead of Keflex. I am currently staving off an awful post partum rash with dandelion root and evening primrose oil instead of prednisone. I get it.
However those findings do NOT apply to cloth diapers and wipes, which is the point I am trying to make. Maybe, maybe there is a very very small possibility. I can’t say “never”. However, the studies in question grew bacteria in broth culture. That broth culture provides everything the bacteria need to survive. So they already have optimal nutrition, which they lack in cloth diapers your washing machine, and wet bags or pails. Next, they allowed the bacteria to grow in tto for 72 hours. That is a long time to be in continuous contact with tto. I don’t know anyone who soaks their diapers in the wash for that long. I dont know anyone who has uninterrupted skin contact with it for that long. Next, most people use hot water to wash their dipers, as well as a dryer. These steps are also very effective at killing bacteria.
The researchers also grew the bacteria in an incubator, which provides optimal humidity and CO2 concentrations for the bacteria. That is not what they have outside of the lab. The also tested susceptibility to antibiotics immediately after culture. Bacteria change their stress responses rapidly like within minutes. Just because they were resistant to antibiotics immediately after culture does not mean they have that resistance 5 minute, 5 hours, or 5 days later. It is highly likely that they regain their suscptibility once tto is removed. Genetic (and more permanent) changes occur over weeks, months, and even years. There is just no evidence in the literature that the develop long lived resistance to antibiotics or tto. It is highly unlikely that they would develop resistance to tto because of the mechanism of killing.
Finally, tto can kill bacteria (and kills the majority of it) at less than 4%. It inhibits growth at as little as 0.25% and is bactericidal starting at 0.5%. It is only resistant strains that require 4% or greater. So again unless someone is a carrier of a resistant bacteria, this isn’t really an issue. Especially for cloth diapers.
My point is just that scientific findings done in the laboratory
quite a few people do not wash in hot water. Many washers are only set on cold, you would know this if you frequented the Cloth diapering chat rooms. Also many diapers that have PUL in them are not recommended to be in the dryer and are air dryed and not always in the sun to help with killing bacteria.
Sorry, I hit enter too soon. My point is that scientific findings in the lab rarely apply to every day life because experiments are conducted under stringent conditions which rarely apply to reality. Sure, we all spin our results like they do have dire consequences to the general public because in all honesty that is how you get published and get funding. Still doesnt make it true. You have to take it with a grain of salt and understand the caveats. The general public doesn’t.
Oh no, I obviously wasn’t clear. The way I read it, with that sentence, I said that when you stop antibiotics you create MRSA. And that over diluting TTO works the same way. -> not to create MRSA, but to create TTORSA. 😉 I should have been more clear. I read it and wrote it completely differently from how you read it. I am sorry for the confusion.
I appreciate that in your job and position, there is not enough clear evidence to worry about TTO, but I don’t want to go down that same path.
For people who use cloth diapers and TTO in the laundry, the likely hood that resistant bacteria will be there is far greater than for people who don’t use bacteria.
I do understand your point and your position. I just don’t think that it’s worth the risks when it has been shown that bacteria can become resistant to TTO. Even in a laboratory… why is it worth the risks? Especially when there’s plenty of other oils where no resistance issues have ever been shown to arise? The risks might be small…. but it wasn’t that long ago that in my community alone, Cipro was the antibiotic of choice. SUPER STRONG. Now, Cipro hardly works on anything in my community. You know better than any of us how quickly bacteria can mutate/evolve. Why should we risk it with one of our most powerful tools in the natural healing world?
I also find your piece to be in direct contrast to several other sources, INCLUDING medical studies and journal publishings, FDA finding as aromatherapist teachings. Not pointing a finger, just saying that if you are not willing to cite all your sources, you can’t be taken seriously in the academic community. So take it with a grain of salt ladies.
Hannah, considering that the sources listed, as well as the woman above say it is POSSIBLE, tell me this? Is it worth the risk? DO you remember when antibiotics were handed out like candy? TTO is far to valuable, since there is a very real possibility and it has been shown in studies to be possible, I have made my choice on how I will use it. You should feel free to do the same. In areas of bacterial resistance, it is best to be on the safest side. There are perfectly good alternatives.
Perhaps it is not clear what you are reading Hannah. This blog is for the support of women who use cloth diapers primarily. This POST is to warn women of potential issues with their beloved TTO. I do not have to meet the stringent guidelines of the academic community. I am neither trying to prove or disprove a theory. I am merely STATING A THEORY based on information that I learned in the books that I cited. Since this theory has not been disproved but only doubted, I am unwilling to suggest to my readers that they take a chance. We want TTO for later because someday soon, meds will not longer work.
TTO it is herbal, you will have to not look towards the FDA, they are not allowed to pass judgement on herbal drugs. So, I;d love to see your FDA findings. To the FDA it is an antiseptic or a cleanser. This blog considers it that way as well… but offers a warning about its use as such because someday in the future, it may need to be a topical medication. Though the FDA has not approved it for that of course. TTO can be considered a cleaner, but in aromatherapy as you are suggesting, it is not oked by the FDA. Aromatherapy would be considered medicinal. You could use it for “clearing the mind” but not for killing infections. That turns it into a medicine. I hope that makes sense.
Here’s why I cannot accept your argument:
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm127054.htm
Click to access let0372.pdf
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/h1n1flu/detail.cfm?ID=80
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm251975.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2009/ucm166527.htm
Click to access 75n-0183h_let00024.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm074201.htm
Well said you can’t trust much of what the FDA reports especially with natural products
5% used: http://jmm.sgmjournals.org/content/55/10/1375.full.pdf+html
if you search pubmed, you will find that they are pretty universally at greater than 4%
And again, I DID cite my sources. You can read them. I apologize that they are actual books and not links.
And then, I also just found this link saved in my favorites (not exactly on topic, but VERY not off topic either):
http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/content/59/1/125.full.pdf+html
SO, REALLY? Is it worth it? WHY? When there’s way stronger ils out there that DON’T have this problem?
I suppose if one works selling Melaleuca products this may be upsetting.
http://www.melaleuca.com/
Which of the two alternatives do you recommend instead of TTO – Oregano Oil or the Silver? What are the pros/cons of each?
I prefer the Oil of Oregano for cost. Some people very rarely will be allergic to the oregano, in this case the silver would be preferable.
I haven’t read much on Oil of Oregano but I did read that it may effect a person’s ability to absorb iron and be dangerous for pregnant women. Do you have an opinion on that? Thanks!
I agree, Caitlin Briggs, Ph.D. Well said. I wish that more people would pay attention to source credibility. If they did the study in real life conditions then I may be concerned. As it stands, I don’t buy it at all. Simple study of microbiology would tell you that this does not make much sense.
Stacy, didn’t you see the newer studies? Since I posted this, other studies have been brought before me via pubmed that demonstrate yet another reason not to dilute! Read them, it’s really fascinating!! It’s actually worse that previously believed. TTO in smaller quantities has an effect that literally does create antibiotic resistance. I can get you more links.
[…] effective as an antiseptic it must be 4% in concentration. A few drops WILL NOT do the trick. See this post for more detailed […]
ok my first question is about lavender EO is it safe to use on a baby boys bottom in a wipes solution? my solution is 3/4 cup water 1/2 cup aloe vera juice and 2-5 drops of Lavender
is it safe to clean counters with TTO water which is 2 teaspoons TTO and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle?
Also I have found that TTO is very tingly my 7 yo niece screamed when it was in a lice killing treatment and left on her head for 20 mins maybe
Thank you and I look forward to hearing your response
I have read articles (which I can’t vogue for their credibly) where boys using 3 different products with TTO or Lavender Oil experienced breast tissue growth. (for example deodorant, toothpaste, & hair gel). The examples they gave were different aged boys using different products, in different areas. That combined with the known hormone association has caused me to keep these both away from my son (and any future girls as well).
Other EO has the same properties. I often use lemon or, these days, pine because citrus can harm some surfaces. I also LOVE GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract) I used just this diluted in water for our wipes solution and it kept everything away. You need to use more GSE than EO but it’s the best in my opinion.
Hi there,
I have, for years used tea tree oil in the conditioner drawer when washing my cloth nappies. However I’ve been doing it because I like the fresh smell it leaves on the nappies and hadn’t actually considered its bacteriological attributes (strange but true)!
Any thoughts on a substitute oil I could use?
Thyme, clove, and Rosemary all smell really nice and have bacterial killing capabilities at insanely dilute qualities.
*quantities
So my question is still, can I use it in my cloth wipes solution? I usually use water and a bit of TTO or should I just leave it out?
Personally I would leave our TTO or Legendary due to the hormone possibilities no matter the gender of your child. Choose a different EO or try Grapefruit Seed Extract. GSE is my personal favorite and i used with with water for my wipes solution and it kept the bottom baby soft.
Personally I would leave out TTO or Lavender due to the hormone possibilities no matter the gender of your child. Choose a different EO or try Grapefruit Seed Extract. GSE is my personal favorite and i used with with water for my wipes solution and it kept the bottom baby soft.
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Please don’t ever put essential oils on a baby’s hands or face. It can rub into their eyes (by the baby) or mouth and cause a lot of pain for the baby. Also, do you have resources for the safety of babies ingesting TTO? As an aromatherapist this is not a recommended practice. Babies should not ingest essential oils and essential oils should be used very carefully with young babies at a very weak dilution.
Safety aside, TTO on nipples sounds like a great way to upset a nursing babe. Can you imagine the flavor? Yuck! I would never do that.
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Wouldn’t the silver in colloidal silver lose suspension once it hit the tap water in the washing machine?! I make colloidal silver and it has to be made with distilled water because the minerals in the regular water won’t allow it to be suspended….I’ll have to try adding some colloidal silver to regular water and see what happens…it’ll be a fun experiment lol.
It is NOT ok to ingest tea tree oil! It is particularly not ok with infants and pets especially cats who have a very high chance of dieing from ingestion.
also its very simple to get the proper dilution put your dipes in a pail/bucket and ad the tea tree to that and let stand for 5-20 mins
FYI, tea tree oil IS toxic to pets (at least dogs and cats), and the smaller the animal the worse the toxicity (although most animals don’t get enough to harm them). I’m a veterinarian, and I HATE the fact that so many pet products contain tea tree oil because it’s fine in humans. I hope one day an owner of one of the poor pets that suffers from such a product will sue the maker for using a known neurotoxin.
I have soaked my small dog in tea tree oil, shampoo and spray when his mange problem turned out to be a scabies infestation and infected my baby boy and myself which I also put TTO mixed with coconut oil and a little ucalyptus oil on our skin, I have not noticed any side effects to our pets or ourselves and am surprised at this comment maybe in high doses ingested it could be deadly but a lot of oils even water at high doses can kill, surprisingly enough (thanks FDA) the research I have done has found a lot of the pharmaceutical medications (used for scabies) have had studies done in the farming communities which the same chemicals are used , are linked to childhood leukaemia and other forms of cancer
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What dilution of Oregano is effective for killing bacteria?
Hello,
I only wanted ti say that I read that TTO is not safe to ingest.
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