Tea Tree Oil: A Natural Antifungal Treatment for Common Infections

Tea tree oil, or melaleuca oil, is a powerful antifungal agent that comes from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia plant, which is native to Australia. It can be used over the counter to solve a number of common fungus infections safely and inexpensively. According to Anitra C. Carr, Ph.D., a research associate at Oregon State University, the oil's germicidal aspect can be seen in its powerful terpene alcohols.

Oral Candidiasis

• If you have oral candidiasis, also known as thrush, you can rinse your mouth with one tablespoonful of 5 percent tea tree oil solution four times a day. Be careful not to swallow the solution.

Nail Fungus

• Fingernail and toenail fungus can be embarrassing as well as physically uncomfortable, but prescriptions for treatment may be dangerous and prohibitively expensive. Instead, a person can use 100 percent tea tree oil on the affected area twice a day for six months.

Vaginal Yeast Infections

• Vaginal yeast infections can be cured with tea tree oil if treatment also includes an anti-candida diet. A woman suffering from a yeast infection may take a bath with a few drops of tea tree oil added to the bath water. Also, she can use a 20 percent solution of tea tree oil in warm water as a gentle internal vaginal rinse daily for up to a month, until the infection is gone.

Athlete's Foot

• Athlete's foot is a highly contagious fungal infection that causes extreme itchiness and can snowball in severity if not attended to. To treat the infection, soak the feet or toes in a 10 percent tea tree oil solution twice a day for up to a month.

Scalp Infections

• You can use a tea tree oil shampoo to cure fungal scalp infections, such as the trichophyton fungus, which causes scalp ringworm, and the malassezia fungus, which contributes to eczema. Make a tea tree oil shampoo by adding enough tea tree oil to water or natural shampoo to create a 2 percent tea tree oil solution, and massage it into the hair during showers.