Tea tree oil is something which has been used in consumer goods for many years now, but it’s history goes back far longer than the time when you could buy it at your local drugstore. Australia’s aboriginal peoples have used tea tree oil for thousands of years. The crushed leaves of the tree were used to treat wounds, being directly applied with a mud pack to keep the leaves on the wound. The aborigines had the right idea; it’s one of the most powerful natural antiseptics known. Tea tree oil is commonly used today for reasons including:

Tea tree oil can be used to cure common fungal infections affecting the skin, such as tinea corporis and athlete’s foot. It relieves the itching and kills the fungus to prevent the infection from spreading while clearing it up.

It is also a useful ingredient in soap. The natural antiseptic and cleansing properties of this oil provide gentle and effective cleansing and disinfection for clean hands.

Acne can be treated with tea tree oil. Though you may think that more oils are the last thing you need if you suffer from this condition, tea tree oil actually removes the dirt and excess oil buildup that creates the conditions for acne to take hold. Tea tree oil treats the cause instead of simply the pimples (though it does that too), making it an effective natural acne remedy.

It is even used to draw out in-grown hairs (also known as razor bumps). These can be painful so it is best to get them out before they become too sore. The Tea Tree Oil will draw the hair out after you have applied it daily for some time.

It is said that there is nothing else to put on your freshly pierced ears besides Surgical Spirits, but why put that on when it burns? Try Tea Tree Oil. It does the same thing except it doesn’t hurt at all and it will also help your new holes heal quicker.

Due to the fact that Tea Tree Oil is an antiseptic, it is able to clean bacteria from rashes and other broken skin areas.

When used as a daily facial cleanser, tea tree oil keeps your face free of excess oils, dirt and impurities. It’s great for your skin and it prevents acne and other blemishes.

A mouth rinse of 1 tbsp tea tree oil four times daily can make short work of thrush (oral Candida infections).

Tea Tree Oil works wonders for many different things, from your feet to your mouth. Whatever you need to use it for it doesn’t matter, as it will more than likely work. It is a light yellow oil that is produced by the leaves being steamed to force out the oil and it is then bottled for your benefits. It is not an expensive product, it is natural so causes no side effects, and it is just great to have around the house.

In grandma’s day, there weren’t any chemical products on the market, so that people were forced to use whatever they had if a problem occurred. Still, this isn’t necessarily bad. Years later, even with these chemical products on the market, people still don’t use them because these natural products work just fine. Why should they change something that might potentially be unsafe if a natural product that is not unsafe works? Plus, these chemical products can often cost more than their natural counterparts.

In days gone by, people used food and products they had around the house to cure pimples, sores, bad breath, ingrown hairs, and a myriad of other health complaints. Many grandmothers, too, believe that chemicals or anything “newfangled” on the market is unnecessary, just like many older people think that computers and technology are best left alone. In short, using natural products for beauty treatments and “home grown” cures are better than any manufactured product you could buy.

Many products can be used for reasons other than the obvious. For example, almonds, rosemary, geranium, teach real, avocado, sunflower, vanilla, lemon, anise, mint, cocoa butter, sweet orange, jaffa and mixed berries are all things your grandmother may have around and that you have, too — and that you can put to use.

You can drink lemon juice every morning to get your digestion going. It is also great to quench your thirst as it is not like other juices and cold drinks that have unnatural preservatives and sugar, etc. Lemon is also good for colds and flu. If you feel a cold coming on, mix some warm lemon juice with honey and drink three times a day.

Tea Tree Oil is another one of Nana’s favorites. You might remember her always pulling out her bottle of Oil when you hurt yourself. This is great for acne, cuts, abrasions, ingrown hairs, rashes, smelly feet and more. Always have a bottle of Tea Tree Oil handy. You will be surprised at how often you will use it. After a while you are going to wonder how you survived without it.

Got a smelly house? Don’t spend a lot of money on air fresheners that are laden with chemicals. Instead, put some fresh rosemary into a vase or basket in each room of your home. This gives off a clean, fresh smell that is unique and doesn’t smell like those flowery air fresheners. Instead, it smells natural and incredibly unique.

Do you suffer from bad breath? A lot of people do, even if they brush their teeth several times a day. In some cases, bad breath can come from unhealthy thyroids or from stomach problems, and individuals can’t help it. If you suffer from bad breath, carrying mint with you and chewing on one when you notice bad breath will help alleviate the situation. Parsley is a good alternative if you can’t find mint leaves to carry with you.

Natural products are certainly more cost effective than their chemical counterparts, but they’ll also often do a better job and certainly make you feel better than the alternatives. In general, natural products don’t have the side effects chemical counterparts can, so you should able to get the help you need and still have no problems with the products themselves.

Chemical skin care products are really not as safe as they should be. For instance, isopropyl alcohol is an extremely drying and irritating solvent that is found in many cosmetics and skin care products. Unfortunately, what it accomplishes is to dry your skin and do away with its natural acid mantle. This in turn makes your skin highly susceptible to viruses, molds and bacteria. Anything made from propylene will have been derived from petroleum and thus may encourage the premature aging of your skin and even bring forth brown spots.

Propylene products are petroleum derivatives and can encourage discoloring and aging of the skin. Many skin treatments also have dyes and colorants among their list of ingredients. C, D and F are dyes that have been extracted from coal tar. These create irritation of the skin and exacerbate the issues for those with sensitive skin problems.

Many of the formulas for skin care products also contain mineral oil. This ingredient may add certain smoothness to the skin temporarily, but at a very great cost. Mineral oil adheres to the skin and blocks cellular respiration. Toxins cannot be excreted and oxygen cannot reach the cells. This petroleum product literally smothers your skin and completely clogs the pores. Once this substance is on the surface of your skin the cells are unable to regenerate properly and this can lead to acne and signs of premature aging.

Petrolatum is another of the petroleum by-products and is heavily used by the skin care industry because it is cheap and readily available. One reason that many people are using formulas and creams that contain these dangerous compounds is that the long, scientific names for each of them render them nearly unrecognizable. An ordinary person scanning the ingredients list on many of the so called “natural skin care”.

The biggest problem is, of course, that none of us are chemists or chemistry research specialists, and thus we do not know what all those long words may mean when we read them on various labels of supposed ‘natural’ skin care products. It’s unfortunate that we can’t all be dermatologists.

To protect your skin from the sun and other elements skin care products are necessary, but there are lots of preparations that are only increasing the damage to your skin. Some of the most expensive lotions, face creams and skin toners only speed the development of blemishes, wrinkles and age spots. It is crucial that you use safe, effective products that will not damage and destroy your delicate skin tissue.

Reaching for all of those chemically laden products may in and of itself counter what you are trying to do for your skin and may actually cause it to prematurely age along with the possible problems listed above. Instead it is highly recommended that you perform careful research on the names of various ’supposedly natural products’ that are touted as being thoroughly safe to use on your skin. Because natural organic alternatives are indeed available, that means that you the consumer have to vote with your dollars.

It is very important that you stop using skin preparations that are toxic and damaging to your face and body. Only use those that contain ingredients that are really safe and natural. The products should list ingredients like essential oils and herbs on the label. These are the types of skin care items that will help you avoid problems like sun damage, dry skin and premature wrinkles that are currently on the upswing.

Any infection in the vagina area is embarrassing and uncomfortable. Women suffering from BV (Bacterial Vaginosis) are all too aware of this. Each woman can experience different symptoms in varying degrees of intensity. Sometimes they are mild and can be lived with, sometimes they are severe and can have a stronger impact on your day to day life, what you do and how you interact with people. The cause of Bacrerial Vaginosis is a bacterial change in the vagina.

Odor – The odor coming from the vagina is not pleasant and is sometimes faint or sometimes strong meaning others can smell it. It is a fishy smell. Unusual discharge – You are discharging more than usual, and it does not look the same. It is like milk or of a grey to white color. Perhaps you find that after you have had sexual intercourse the discharge is more common.

Another symptom to be aware of is itching. It is not reported as often as the symptoms above. However if self diagnosing you need to take care as itching is also a symptom of a vaginal yeast infection. Even medical professionals have made this misdiagnosis. When you are looking up symptoms to determine what you have, make sure you take into account all of them not just the main ones, just in case. A tip to tell the difference between yeast infections and Bacterial Vaginosis is the odor. As already said the odor in BV is fishy, but the odor in yeast infections is…yeasty!

The other two symptoms of BV are irritation and cramping. Again less common but uncomfortable for some all the way up to painful and dehabilitating for others. Note, irritation is another symptom common with yeast infections.

Should you have some or all of these symptoms it is important to seek treatment. Do not leave it thinking it will just go away as other complications could occur. Know the symptoms of BV and yeast infections so you can tell the difference. If you need to, visit your doctor as soon as you can.