Using Tea Tree Oil for Herpes

Herpes is a viral infection that happens as a result of one of the two kinds of the herpes simplex virus. The University of Michigan Health System states that Australian Aborigines traditionally used tea-tree oil to take care of skin infections like herpes. Certainly, research released by a group of Australian scientists within the September 2001 “Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy” concluded that tea-tree oil inactivated the herpes virus within test tubes. However, what works in test tubes doesn’t necessarily always work with individuals, and using tea tree oil for herpes may cause discomfort when applied to the skin across the mouth and genitals (you can’t ingest it). Individuals who contemplate making use of it need to first meet with their primary health care provider about the issue.

Frequently, individuals who use this essential oil to take care of herpes sores utilize a cotton swab to apply the oil on the affected region. Tea tree oil typically irritates the skin if used without diluting it, and this approach must be utilized with extreme care. Genital lesions might be particularly susceptible to getting irritated, so it’s best to treat one lesion first to learn the way the skin responds before using the oil on several places.

It’s comparatively simple to produce a version of tea-tree oil that’s diluted. Just 3 or 4 small drops of oil could be combined with water and used immediately. In the event of numerous genital lesions, the oil could be added to your warm bath where you’ll soak for approximately 20 minutes. In the event that you prefer to put the tea-tree oil right onto the sores, you can also mix the oil with a carrier oil like olive oil instead of water.

6 Steps to Apply The Oil

First:
Clean your hands with soapy water and dry them completely.

Second:
Place a mixture of tea tree oil on a cotton swab.

Third:
Very softly apply the tea-tree oil to the affected areas. Try it on only one sore first if this is your very first time using the essential oil and wait 5 minutes to discover whether your skin gets irritated before applying it to the remainder of the sores.

Fourth:
Discard the swab.

Fifth:
Clean your hands with soapy water and dry them completely.

Last:
Repeat these steps 2-4 times daily.

Additional Tips

Always clean your hands before and after managing herpes sores. Doing it before you manage the sores stops them from getting contaminated by oils and dirt from your hands. Washing after you manage the sores reduces your chance of spreading the disease to other individuals or alternative locations of your body. During an outbreak of sores consider using disposable paper towels rather than conventional towels. Towels will often transfer the disease to other individuals or alternative locations. For sores that appear in skin folds, use one hand to spread the fold so you can properly see the sore. If tea tree oil doesn’t work for you, ask your primary health care provider about other herbal remedies for herpes including bee balm, aloe vera, and licorice root extract.

Individual’s Experiences With This

Some individuals have reported that tea tree oil decreased how bad their outbreak was, and that it decreased redness and lesions by drying them out. Some people experienced a tingling warmth upon using 100% undiluted oil. This result was decreased if they diluted the oil. Individual results vary, of course, as some people have reported that tea tree oil didn’t help their herpes outbreak at all.

Tea tree oil can be found in nearly any store that offers natural health items. Some of the most popular are Desert Essence and Bael Wellness.