10 Health Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

1. Assists in Healing Wounds

For centuries, Australian aborigines have applied tea tree oil from crushed leaves to heal cuts, burns, and bites. Studies show that thanks to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, tea tree oil heals and shrinks wounds when applied topically. A nearly 100-year-old study in the British Medical Journal found tea tree oil was non-caustic to the skin while still proving 11 times more effective than carbolic acid for killing bacteria. The oil can help soothe insect bites and sunburns, as well.

tumsubin / Getty Images