Athlete's Foot
(Tinea pedis):
This fungal infection of the skin, usually between the toes, is something that often responds very well to the application of neat Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), or products containing it.
There is no doubt that in order to get on top of an established infection, the neat oil is the preferred option. This applies a large amount of the Tea tree to the infected area, but also the drying effect of the oil is itself beneficial in helping to reverse the soft moistness of the skin that helps to harbour the fungus. The oil can be dripped onto the affected area then spread around and massaged in using a finger, or a cotton bud or tissue. The oil should be used twice a day after cleaning and thoroughly drying the feet, and the application must be continued until the infection is under control.
After that, the neat oil may be replaced with a Cream with Tea tree, and eventually with a Tea tree Powder, until all signs of infection have disappeared. The cream should also be free of fragrances or colouring. There is also scepticism about the safety of ingredients such as SLS, SLES, parabens etc, so these should also be avoided. Similarly, the powder should not be one that contains mineral talc ('talcum powder'), but should be vegetable starch based.
It should be remembered that spores of the fungus will remain in socks and shoes, and will remain dormant and ready to re-infect later. Footwear that cannot be replaced should be treated with Water Soluble Tea Tree Oil to thoroughly disinfect them and reduce this danger of later re-infection.
If the softened skin between the toes has actually split, it can be excruciatingly painful to apply neat oil - although this indicates an even greater need for it in order to treat the fungus. The gentler option is therefore to use a Cream containing a high concentration of Tea tree for the initial treatment. (Products in High Street pharmacists and health food shops seldom contain Tea tree at therapeutic concentrations.) Neat oil is then used after the skin has healed sufficiently. The regime as described above - oil, cream, powder - is then initiated until the infection is cured.
A Cream is also the preferred option if there is fragile, dry skin in the area of any infection to be treated. That way, the dry skin can be moisturised and nourished by the cream whilst the anti-fungal oil does its work at the site of infection. A product utilising a good, rich moisturising cream made with natural vegetable oils should be used in preference to a gel or a base incorporating mineral oils.
Where skin has not split but has become extremely 'soggy', some prefer to use a Lemon & Tea tree blend of oils. Although this blend was originally formulated for use on verrucas, the added astringency of the citrus oil seems to speed up the drying of the damp, porous skin that is so important to regain health. On occasions, an established infection may not respond to Tea tree oil. In that case the stronger option is to use a Cream containing 'Tagetes', or African marigold. It is an oil with many different names, so it is essential to identify that the required oil is present in the product - its proper botanical title is 'Tagetes minuta'. Do not ever be convinced that any other name or any other variety of marigold is suitable for this purpose. This powerful Essential Oil is never used neat. It is only ever safely used when diluted in a cream, and its use should be discontinued and replaced with a Tea tree product as soon as any improvement is visible. It is especially important with Tagetes to follow the Safety Instructions.
Fungal Nail Infections (Onychomycosis or Tinea unguium):
This condition is invariably caused by similar fungal species to those that cause Athletes Foot, and the products to use are therefore similar. Again, neat Tea tree oil should be used if possible. The infection is often established deep under the nail in the cuticle, and for that reason treatment has to be prolonged to ensure full re-growth of healthy nail has occured - which may take a year or more. Patients need to be cautioned against suspending treatment just because an improvement is visible; he infection will re-occur if treatment is suspended too early.
Some patients may complain that skin adjacent to the infected nail is affected by regular, constant use of an Essential oil such as Tea tree. However, they can achieve protection using a product such as vaseline or clear nail varnish - applying the varnish as a protection to the skin whilst leaving the nail exposed to the oil!
MRSA (Methycillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus):
MRSA are Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that have become resistant to several antibiotics including methycillin. MRSA can infect people and cause disease, or can simply colonize the skin of healthy people without doing them any harm. MRSA colonisation is not usually a problem for the carrier, although it may cause stubborn infections if it enters a wound. The use of Tea tree oil against MRSA is not contentious because of scientific doubts about its efficacy but because of the politics surrounding the use of natural products and a system that prevents them from becoming licensed as medicines. Follow these links if you want to know more:
"We know that TTO can inhibit and kill MRSA in the lab. There is also mounting evidence that it may be useful for eliminating the topical carriage of MRSA." University of Western Australia
Queens University Belfast - "Doctors test tea tree oil body wash for MRSA"
Or read up on the politics: TheTruthAboutTeaTree/MRSA and TheTruthAboutTeaTree/TheLaw
Sore, dry, fragile skin:
An 'infused oil'
made by soaking the bright orange flowers of Calendula officinalis, the European pot marigold, is a very effective and traditional remedy for sore skin. It is well established to be bactericidal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.
The oil should be made by cold-soaking the plant material in a nutritious oil like sunflower, in which case the infused oil is doubly therapeutic. (Avoid those made by boiling in peanut or rape oil.)
If the neat oil is perceived as too greasy, a Calendula Cream can be used instead. (As with other products we do have to point out that it is difficult to find a calendula cream in a High Street pharmacist or health food shop that contains any effective amount of calendula.) The plant is extremely safe - petals of these flowers can be added to salads - such that nursing mothers even use this on sore nipples.
Calendula has been suggested as a possible treatment for venous leg ulcers, though we have no experience of this. See the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other sources.
Note: Calendula or English marigold should not be confused with the common garden or French marigold (Tagetes), African marigold (T. erecta), or Inca marigold (T. minuta).
Products containing urea, a proven humectant, are often used as moisturisers for dry skin. However, urea is now produced entirely synthetically - and its only natural source was urine anyway! Also, it does not have any of the beneficial properties of natural Calendula Oil.
Verrucas (plantar wart or verruca plantaris):
These are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) occurring on the sole or toes of the foot, and virus infections are rarely cured. The weight of the body on the verruca when walking or standing causes it to be pushed into the flesh and covered with a hard layer of skin, which is why they result in so much discomfort - often likened to walking with a stone in the shoe. However, verrucas are usually self-limiting, and should be treated to lessen symptoms (which may include pain), decrease duration, and reduce transmission.
It would be wrong to claim that a cheap, natural remedy can cure a viral infection, but a Lemon & Tea Tree Blend often seems to ease discomfort and speed the disappearance of the verruca... Some verrucas don't respond, but the majority do... Again, apply the neat oil blend to the affected area and rub in using a tissue or cotton wool.
A similar blend incorporating Ravensara aromatica (see below) is being used by some therapists against other warts, but we do not have feedback as to the results obtained.
Warts:
Verrucas are not the only warts that can cause problems on feet. Warts on the upper surface of the foot, or around the ankle, remain raised above the skin surface like warts on other parts of the body. Where this results in chaffing by a shoe, this can be very uncomfortable. A blend of Tea tree, Lemon & Ravensara seems to be very effective in reducing the size of warts on the feet, as it does on the rest of the body.
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| Safety and Allergies
Safety:
All products containing natural therapeutic ingredients should be protected from extreme conditions - keep them cool and away from direct sunlight. (Warmth and light will increase the speed at which the product ages and becomes less effective.) This is particularly true of the neat Essential Oils - they should always be supplied and kept in amber glass bottles, and should be stored cool and away from sunshine.
There is evidence that Tea tree in particular will oxidise under poor storage conditions and there will be an increase in components that cause skin irritation; however whether this really does represent a significant practical hazard is open to debate. It is a contentious issue, and by no means settled. However, it is true to say that Tea tree remains extremely safe and effective if stored sensibly. It should probably be discarded after 2 years anyway.
Neat Essential Oils and products containing a high concentration of them should be handled with caution for several different reasons:
They can be very irritating to the eyes. So keep away from eyes, rinse eyes well if there is any contact, and seek medical attention if at all worried that the eyes are being affected or if discomfort continues...
Keep the products away from polished or varnished surfaces, or from plastics - they can cause damage.
All Essential Oils should be supplied in amber glass bottles fitted with dropper inserts, and should remain in them. The insert not only helps accurate dropwise application of the oil, but limits the amount lost as spillage if the bottle is knocked over. They also limit the amount consumed by a child before it decides the oil is too ghastly to continue drinking it!
Allergies: the formulation of effective products is a battle to achieve a balance between so little therapeutic ingredient that the product is useless, and so much active ingredient that it causes harm. And that struggle is complicated by the fact that not all individuals are alike - some may have little ability to tolerate the levels of essential oil that are necessary for any therapeutic effect.
The safe way to commence the use of any new product is to use just a small amount, and to apply it on a small area that is not particularly sensitive. Only continue to regular and sustained use if there is no reaction. This is particularly true of concentrated therapeutic products or neat Essential Oils. Be cautious, and don't risk a bad reaction! If you buy the product to sell on, you must be careful to pass on this advice to your customer.
This advice is particularly important with 'atopic' individuals - those who have an individual or family history of allergies (of any kind). These are most often people with fair skin and blond hair, but everyone should be questioned and cautioned about allergic reactions before use commences.
Remember, if you or your customers suffer an allergic reaction, it doesn't mean that the product is at fault. It means that the person and the product together are a bad combination. We can't stop using things just because the occasional individual has a bad reaction to them - there are even people who have shown allergic reactions to water!!! What we all need to do is to be careful about our first contact with new substances and use something else if we have to.
The advice above has been written by a qualified biochemist. |