Manuka oil is one of the essential oil widely used as aromatherapy. However, some people out there have found out more about health benefits of manuka oil which is quite surprising. Among other types of essential oil, manuka oil is not really popular but if you know what this essential oil could do, you will be more than happy to have a stock of manuka oil in your home remedy stocks.
What is Manuka Oil?
Manuka is derived from certain herbal plant called Leptospermum scoparium. This herbal plant is native to New Zealand and also could be found in some regions of Australia. Most type of essential oils are well known because they are used as aromatherapy and recent studies even stated that manuka oil is great aromatherapy as well, though its popularity is quite new among people around the world but the medical properties of manuka oil has been well known since ancient time to its native countries like Australia and New Zealand.
Manuka oil is extracted from the manuka tree oils through process called steam distillation. Another reason why this manuka oil is not really popular because due to its amazing medical properties, the price of manuka oil is quite expensive compared to some other essential oils that are native to Australia and New Zealand such as tea tree oils.
- Excellent Anti-Inflammatory
One of the great benefits of manuka oil is its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation could cause a lot of health conditions from joint pain up to respiratory problems. The problem with inflammation is, people tend to deal with the after condition and forget that inflammation is the main cause. Manuka oil contains some properties that could act as anti-inflammatory.
By using it as massage oil could help rheumatic patients dealing with the pain in much better way. Adding manuka oil as essential oil in your bathtub to soak yourself could help releasing the muscle tenses and relaxing not only your body but also your mind because as aromatherapy, manuka oil could help soothing your stress and pressure in your head.
- Potent Antimicrobial
There are a lot of studies have been conducted regarding the antimicrobial properties found in manuka oil. One of the recent one was published in 2014 stated that chance of manuka oil in killing bacteria is up to 100%. The test conducted to several fungus and bacteria from Candida albicans up to E. coli were included in the test. It means, compared to other essential oil, manuka oil is one of the oil in the top of the list when it comes to its antimicrobial properties.
- Skin Care Benefits
How many types of essential oil that you know? Some people may familiar with jojoba oil benefits, almond essential oil or benefits of lavender for skin. In other words, manuka oil is not the exception. The combinations of antioxidants that could prevent the worst effect of free radicals that could cause premature aging and cicatrisant properties that promote optimal skin cell regeneration make manuka oil is great skin care solution.
Furthermore, as mentioned in previous point, manuka oil is also potent antimicrobial to help protecting skin from infections caused by bacteria that will lead to conditions like pimple and acnes. For those with dry skin problems, manuka oil is natural moisturizer your skin really need.
- Dandruff Natural Solution
Most people forget that when it comes of dandruff, they will focus on their hair when the fact is the root problem of dandruff is in the scalp which is part of skin problems. As mentioned in previous point, manuka oil has properties with skin care benefits, including dandruff. The problems with dandruff are people tend to choose shampoo to wash their hair but not their scalp.
Most shampoo products may great for your hair but bad for your scalp because the chemical compounds in shampoo tend to make scalp dry, itchy that will lead to irritation. Manuka oil will act as natural moisturizer and its benefits of vitamin C for hair which is also found in manuka oil will give back the moisture of your scalp to prevent dandruff.
- First Aid to Insect Bites
Having the stock of manuka oil in your first aid box is highly recommended because it could be used as the first aid antidote to insect bites. For most people, venomous sting from insect is not going to be fatal but for some people the swelling could be really uncomfortable and the pain sometimes hard to endure, especially in children.
Just applying manuka oil to the swollen area could help reducing the swelling and at the same time reducing the pain as well. If it leads to the worse condition, at least you have enough time to bring your kids to hospital but in the mean time, they will not suffer from the swelling as well as the pain.
- Natural Source of Cytophylactic
Most of essential oil contains natural compound well known as cytophylactic. One of the health benefits of frankincense oil is promoting optimal cell regenerations due to its amazing compound. It is also the same with manuka oil, the cytophylatic properties found in this essential oil is widely used to help accelerating wound healing by promoting optimal new cells growth.
Manuka oil is excellent home remedy for patients after surgery to accelerate the healing progress of the wound. Furthermore, like it is not enough, manuka oil also contains cicarisant that could help eliminating the scars that likely to occur after the open wound by making sure there are enough new cells to replace the dead ones.
- Remedy to Stress-related Conditions
Symptoms of depression are conditions that are not easy to deal with but even stress could be suffered by anyone in daily basis. Some studies have stated that compared to other essential oil, manuka oil has remarkable calming effect that is highly recommended to sooth body and mind.
In professional field, manuka oil has been widely used as aromatherapy to help depression patients and patients with anxiety problems to cope with their problems in much better way. Right now, even modern medication is adding manuka oil as part of therapy.
- Natural Deodorant
You have problems with body odor and it seems like all deodorant products you find the marketplace cannot do anything to you, perhaps it is the time for you to consider the natural way and manuka oil is one that is highly recommended. As one of the aromatherapy, manuka oil has refreshing fragrance that is even great to treat depression by giving relaxing feeling and it is widely used as natural deodorant.
Not only your body odor, if you have problems with smelling toes, manuka oil could be used as to massage your feet every morning and every night. It is not only eliminating the smell but also killing the bacteria and toe fungus that may cause the smell.
- Soothe the Hyper Reaction Caused by Allergic
Allergic reaction is when your body is reacting to something that considered to be a threat to tell your body that there is something odds are entering your body. The problems with allergic is, the odds things are not always odd but since your body reacts in reverse way, at least you should know what to do with the after effect.
Itchy, swelling and rashes are some common reaction shown by your body during allergic reaction and manuka oil could help soothing those hyper reactions. Though of course, it is not working permanently, you should need to meet a doctor or at least taking specific medication but manuka oil could buy you sometimes before you could meet your doctor.
Cautions of Manuka Oil
One of the unique thing about manuka oil is its ability to soothe hyper reaction caused by allergic. Well, while there is always a chance for essential oil to cause allergic to someone, manuka oil may have the lowest chance. However, there are some cautions you should aware of manuka oil aside from the health benefits of manuka oil as mentioned above.
- Manuka oil is probably the safest essential oil ever because it is non-toxic and non-sensitizing but still you have make sure from where your manuka oil comes from. Though the manuka oil may cause no problem but the additional compounds mostly found in products that claimed to be natural manuka oil could be harmful to you.
- If you are currently in a medication, you should discuss with your doctor if you want to add manuka oil as part of your home remedy because you should aware of the negative drug interaction that may occur.
For better result, combining manuka oil with certain herbal oils or herbs will improve its health benefits. You could combine the health benefits of manuka oil with benefits of chocolate face mask as your favorite homemade face mask or your own fragrance to soak your feet. Since there are a lot of types of essential oil with better fragrance you could mix them to test your creativity in making natural body deodorant.