This is a great product; prevents and treats infections including fungi. I have used this product for years and continue to find uses for it as an additive to other products as well as full strength and diluted forms. Use full strength cautiously as it is very strong. The product must be applied consistently over time to treat established infections such as nail fungus and ring worm; it needs to be continued after the infection appears to be gone to insure complete eradication. Effectiveness It must be used appropriate to the condition, Ease of Application easily applied with a cotton swab or dropper but use care not to draw into the dropper bulb as it will deteriorate rubber. I like to dilute it in aloe vera or a carrier oil. Side Effects I have never had any side effects but use it cautiously to avoid possible toxicity as it is very strong.

gazellle

Knob Noster, MO

This product was recommended to me by my co-worker for my daughters fever blisters, she had tiny ones in the corners of her mouth and I decided to give it a try -- that if it didn't work I could always add the rest to the homemade hand soap and shampoo I made, BUT NO NEED TO BECAUSE IT WORKED! With just a one time application the redness and swelling went down and my daughter was able to open her mouth wide without the sides of her mouth hurting because of the sores that had started to crack. We will definitely keep using it for this purpose, among others! Effectiveness 1 application helped tremendously. Ease of Application We put a little bit on the tip of a Q-tip and applied it directly to the infected area. Side Effects The only reason it didn't get a 5 is because it didn't taste well to my daughter, though it's not supposed to be ingested -- she probably licked her lips and tasted it!

Kimmietoes

USA

I have had a bottle of DESERT ESSENCE TEA TREE OIL in my medicine cabinet for many years- since the company first came out with it locally anyway. DESERT ESSENCE TEA TREE OIL is a highly concentrated tea tree oil. It smells intensely like a mint-like herb with a heavier herbal tone to it. The bottle is not overly big, but I have had one last me for many years as it is so concentrated that very little is needed. As a potent anti-fungal, tea tree oil is excellent to battle skin problems, fungal problems, acne face wash, hair wash to cleanse from itchy problems, good for open wounds that have some problems with them, and various other uses. Although you are not supposed to take tea tree oil internally, it is an excellent external anti fungal. A little goes a LONG way though. DESERT ESSENCE TEA TREE OIL is an excellent investment. Effectiveness I like the DESERT ESSENCE TEA TREE OIL best of any of the other tea tree oils that I have used- it is the most concentrated and it works very well. I use this tea tree oil to add to shampoos so I can have it in any formula that I want to especially if battling flaking that happens to my daughter as she grows bigger now and then. I use it for adding to facial wash, foot wash, treatment of blemishes and pimples or infections. I also have used it to clean up a problem from piercing. I coated the earring with tea tree oil lightly and within a very short period of time, the piercing hole healed nicely and did not get infected again. Ease of Application If a teeny tiny drop is used, I can use it full strength- I am talking on the end of a toothpick. If covering a larger area, of course more is needed but diluting with olive oil is best to avoid irritating the skin. Side Effects If used too heavily full strength, it can cause skin irritation.

Caprig

Podunk, NY

Many years ago I learned about the benefits of having tea tree oil in the medicine cabinet. Some people even refer to tea tree oil as a medicine chest in a bottle. It has a very wide variety of uses, but my main use is for treating the nasty fever blisters that I get on my lips from time to time. This oil comes in a clear 1 ounce glass bottle, and the label reads "100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil". This oil comes from the melaleuca alternifolia tree and has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties. It also works as an antiseptic, which is why it works on skin conditions such as the one I encounter on my lips. The instructions on the Dessert Essence Tea Tree Oil says to "Add one or two drops to a moist cotton pad for application to appropriate skin areas. Do not use full strength on face". Tea Tree Oil can be very drying to the skin, so I only use it for its healing properties. Since I purchased this product at a natural foods store, I have learned that tea tree oil should be bottled in dark brown glass bottles which prevent the sun from getting to them. This bottle uses clear glass. I have also learned that the the Australian Standards Association has now established standards for tea tree oil, based on the Terpinen 4-ol and Cineole content. Higher levels of Terpinen 4-ol are what to look for, as well as lower levels of Cineole, since Cineole is the component that can cause irritation to the skin, especially sensitive skin. The standards state that tea tree oil should have a minimum of 30% Terpinen 4-ol and a maximum of 15% Cineole, which were set in 1985. I have found other brands of tea tree oil that actually list these percentages on their labels, and ones that are indeed bottled in dark brown glass. In fact, the only oil I have personally seen bottled in clear glass is the Dessert Essence brand. To conclude, this oil worked for me when it was new, but it has seemed to lose its healing properties and I get better results with a different brand. Therefore I cannot give this oil more than three stars. Effectiveness Didn't seem as strong as other tea tree oils I have purchased. I don't like that it comes in a clear glass bottle. Ease of Application As easy to apply as any essential oils are Side Effects None

Suze51

Eagle River, AK

**Desert Essence 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil** is useful in so many ways. I add it to my shampoo and conditioner to help calm my itchy scalp. Sure, I could just buy shampoo with tea tree oil already in it. But since I sometimes color my hair, I like to use shampoos that keep the color fresh. That's why this tea tree oil is so great.  I can add it to anything I want. It's very effective added to my shampoo. I recently added it to my facial cleanser to help with my acne/skin irritation. Again, I could use a cleanser with the tea trea oil already in it. I actually did use Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Face Wash for a while. But it proved to be to strong for my sensitive skin and began to irritate it.  So, being able to regulate how much tea tree oil that is going into my facial wash allows me to experience its benefits without it being too harsh for my skin. Also, it's great to use morning and night for clearing up that dreaded affliction - nail fungus!!! Ewwww!

Yvonja

Leominster, MA

I am still trying to figure out all the things tea tree oil is good for. It fights against bacteria, acne, pimples, athletes foot, and ringworm. All things that I have before. There is a long list of things tea tree oil is good to fight against. I started using it when my friend recommended it to me for ingrown hairs. It keeps it clean and I am not sure whether it takes care of the problems yet. I use it on my feet in case I get another case of athletes foot. So I am using tea tree oil more of a preventive care right now. I did use it on my face last week when I got a pimple on my upper lip. Obviously this pimple will be ready to pop the next day. But I decided to use tea tree oil to see what would happen. The pimple never formed. It removed the bacteria, so now I am using a little bit on my face everyday to see the difference. I just wish it the bottle has a spout so I am not constantly wasting the oil on cotton balls.

lemonlime

San Francisco, CA

I bought a bottle of the Desert Essence 100% pure Australian Tea Tree Oil back in April when I had a very, very bad out break of poison ivy.  It worked wonders!  Tea tree is a drying agent and used straight on it can dry to the point of burning your skin so definitely be sure to dilute it before applying to your skin!  You just need a small amount dilluted in water and then you can dab it on with a q-tip of eye dropper and it works wonders!  It helped with the itching and healed my sores much faster than anything else I tried.  I've seen where it can be used for various other purposes as well - and I buy shampoo that already contains tea tree oil.  But I can't emphasize enough how much it helped with my very bad case of poison ivy.  My first time ever getting it and I got it all over.  I would recommend this particular brand as well because it is pure and there are no added perfumes or dyes so you're getting your money's worth for sure!

LB2667

New Oxford, PA

I had a little fungus between a few toes. My podiatrist recommended this natural approach. The smell of eucalyptus permeates the room and not me when I use it. My condition cleared up in in just a few days.

michelle965

Yonkers, NY