I'm on a journey to find health and happiness through a more holistic and green lifestyle.

I find the world to be abrasive. =) That is to say, I feel the need to armor myself, physically and emotionally, in order to face life. Don't we all? Maybe. For whatever reason, it has become a priority in my life to rid my immediate environment of irritating things. And I'm sensitive! So there is much work to be done. But. I have thought for a long time that the things I come in contact with every day, and the stuff used to clean and maintain these things, need to be gentle and non-toxic. I have had eczema my entire life. For a long time I just dealt with it, and accepted that sometimes it's bad, and sometimes it's not, and that it will fluctuate a lot. Gradually over time I have come to find that certain things, fabrics, cleansers, materials, are more irritating to my skin than others. Stress can exacerbate it. In more recent times, I have realized that every aspect of my life improves when I improve conditions for my skin. Hah! What a concept! Thus my (long time) interest in going green, and my more recent desire to live a more holistic lifestyle. (I think I've felt a desire for a long time to live in a harmonious way with myself, my surroundings, and nature, but didn't have a name for it.) Anyhow, this blog is a journal of my trials and errors, and basic crooked path to find a balanced and peaceful existence for myself and my family. Thanks for your interest! I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Tea Tree Oil

I have seen tea tree oil mentioned a lot while searching the internet for websites dedicated to green and holistic living. I didn't research it but got the idea that it was pretty popular among essential oils. I had the opportunity, while traveling this weekend, to go to a Whole Foods market. (Oh I am in love with Whole Foods markets!) While there I saw, and spontaneously bought, a 5 ml bottle of tea tree oil. I have been very excited about this. I've been thinking about it for some time.

So this afternoon I did some basic google searching, and in a few minutes I found out that tea tree oil has antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. Cool! I also found out that it has been linked to hormonal changes in people, and in some instances has been linked to breast enlargement in boys! Yipes!! I read that it should not be used by pregnant or nursing women (I am nursing) and that it can cause varying degrees of rash on the skin, even when diluted. Well! One site suggested using tea tree in the laundry, another said to never use it in the wash. Ug!

Basically I've concluded, based on this quick and non-thorough research, that tea tree oil is not something I want to get involved in at the moment. The bottle will be sold (hopefully.) Just out of interest I might do some research on other essential oils, and perhaps I'll even try some out sometime, but for now I shall remain scentless. =)
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