Manuka
Manuka wood was once used for making canoes, fish hooks & rods and fish traps. It was made into garden implements and spears for war. It has always been a popular wood for making fires as it burns well and gives off a wonderful fragrance.
Manuka is often referred to as the ‘tea plant’, and comes from the use of its leaves by Captain Cook’s crew to brew spicy tea. The name ‘Ti Tree’ is often mistakenly applied to the manuka, because of its resemblance to the Tea Tree shrub of Australia. In the early days men smoked the manuka bark and tea leaves as a substitute for tobacco.
You can see from the properties that it is effective in killing a large range of invasive germs : anti-microbial, antiseptic, bactericide, cicatrisant (helps scar formation in wounds), expectorant, fungicide, insecticide and sudorific (increases perspiration – good for breaking fevers).
Manuka is 33 times stronger than Australian Tea Tree against most gram positive bacteria, this is the bacteria that acne thrives in, as well as other skin and mouth infections. Another advantage of Manuka is that it is non-irritating, non-sensitising and non-toxic, and therefore safe to use in many different applications. It blends well with cypress, eucalyptus, geranium, ginger, juniper, lavender, lemon, orange, peppermint and rosemary oils.
In terms of skin care, it is beneficial for a range of problems including abscesses, acne, athlete’s foot, blisters, minor burns, chilblains, cold sores, dandruff, herpes, insect bites, oily skin, rashes, spots, warts, infected wounds and mouth ulcers.
As Manuka is not a skin irritant, it can be used neat as a spot treatment on certain skin problems. I always advise people to just put a drop onto their athlete’s foot, or onto a pimple or insect bite. I have seen many people prevent an outbreak of herpes (cold sore), but applying a drop of Manuka 3 – 5 times a day when they first feel the ‘tingle’. Putting 8 drops into the bath is an extremely beneficial way of using, or putting 1 or 2 drops into facial or hair rinsing water for either acne, oily skins or dandruff, or washing out wounds. A drop can be applied inside the mouth for an ulcer.
As mentioned before, it is extremely useful in treating respiratory and immune problems, like asthma, bronchitis, catarrh (nasal drip), coughs, sinusitis, colds, fever, flu, and any infectious illnesses. It is also extremely effective in treating problems of thrush, vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina) and cystitis. Again, using this in the bath is an extremely effective way of treating any of these problems. The oils can also be used effectively in a diffuser which has the double benefit of clearing the air and being inhaled (one of the most effective ways for oil absorption)
If you have been exposed to a lot of cold and flu bugs, and or even the faintest indication of a throat ‘tickle’ (normally my first sign of a cold), gargle with 2 drops Manuka oil in ½ glass warm boiled water. Do this every hour for a few hours, this seems to be extremely effective in just stopping any infection in its tracks. If one actually has a cold, a few drops can be added to a bowl of hot water (not boiling) and a towel can be placed over the head and breathing in the vapour (see recipe below)
Manuka is certainly one of New Zealand’s ‘hero’ plants. The oil is steam distilled from the leaves and terminal branchlets and all plant material is sustainably hand harvested.
RECIPES
Colds & Flu / Immune Booster
BATH : Add 4 drops manuka, 2 drops eucalyptus, 1 drops myrrh and 1 drop peppermint essential oil to the bath once it is full. Soak for at minimum of 10 mins.
BODY APPLICATION : Add the same blend to 20mls vegetable base oil, i.e. almond or pecan and apply to the whole body.
Respiratory Steaming & Room Diffusion
Add 3 drops manuka, 1 drop eucalyptus and 1 drop peppermint to a bowl of hot water (not boiling), cover your head with a towel and breath in the steam vapour for approximately 5 – 8 mins. Do not place your face too close to the bowl. If you suffer from dilated capillaries on your face, I would advise against using this method, room diffusion would be better.
In an office situation, it is ideal to place a few drops of this blend into the air-conditioning or heating ventilation system. If there are flu ‘bugs’ around, either at home or in the office, I would definitely suggest room diffusion to help purify the air and prevent the spread of germs, the small diffusers are readily available to purchase.
