When Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy voyaged to Australia in the 18th century, he desired a cup of tea like any respectable Brit. Not being familiar with the local flora, he asked members of his crew to experiment with brewing teas from different plants. One day, his men offered him a warm cup brewed from the leaves of a small bushy tree with creamy white flowers. He became so taken with the beverage he decided to dub the plant it was brewed from the “Tea Tree”. Clearly, Captain Cook wasn’t the creative type.
Cook may have named the tree but he was far from being the first to discover its uses. The Melaleuca Alternifolia now known as the Tea Tree had been in use for centuries by Australian indigenous communities. Its main use was medicinal, but it also was used for ceremonial and spiritual purposes.
During World War II, Australian soldiers were sent all over the world to fight in various theatres. The military soon realized that infections and tropical diseases were as much a danger to soldiers as combat, particularly in South Asia and the Pacific. To address this, the military looked for a local source of antiseptic since importing products during the war was challenging. In the 1920s, Australian chemist Alfred Penfold discovered that oils extracted from the tea tree had antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, tea tree oil became a standard component of Australian military first aid kits, used topically to treat wounds, skin irritations and insect bites. After the war, the use of tea tree oil expanded beyond the military setting as awareness of its effectiveness grew.
Tea tree oil is now widely used in a range of natural skin care products including deodorants. The unpleasant smells that come from your armpit area are caused by bacteria on the skin. When you begin to sweat, the bacteria break down the proteins and lipids in your sweat, leading to the unpleasant odor. However, using natural products such as tea tree oil can stop the odor at its core cause - bacterial growth.
A very interesting article!