I’ve been using tea tree oil for a while now to rid myself of any kind of skin infection, whether bacterial or fungal. It works so much faster than any OTC or prescribed topical creams that I’ve used and it doesn’t have any side effects as long as you only use it on your skin. Don’t put it in your mouth or around mucous membranes like the eyes, ears or inside your nose. It is bitter and burns! If you get a good tea tree oil cream, with tea tree oil being the first or second listed ingredient mixed in with Vitamin E you’ll have a great topical antifungal/antibacterial ointment.
My family has been using colloidal silver for years to combat infections; whether bacterial, viral or fungal; whether in the eyes, nose, mouth or internal (systemic). It is important to know which kind of colloidal silver to use. True colloids (chemical mixtures where one substance is dispersed evenly throughout another) as opposed to ionic silver solutions are more effective and non-toxic.
Recently I came across this article which vouches for the effectiveness of each (although the article mentions silver nitrate based ionic solutions as opposed to colloidal silver) and gives some insight into possibly combining both for more effectiveness and reduction of possible side-effects.
In the fight against infected skin wounds, mixing tea tree oil and silver or putting them in liposomes, (small spheres made from natural lipids), greatly increases their antimicrobial activity and may minimise any side effects.
Wan Li Low and colleagues from the University of Wolverhampton presented research at the Society for General Microbiology meeting in Harrogate today (30 March) which showed that although both tea tree oil and silver (in the form of silver nitrate) were effective against a range of micro-organisms, when low concentrations of the two agents were combined, their antimicrobial activity increased. They carried out laboratory tests on pathogens that are involved in skin infections. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (which is a common cause of skin infections and abscesses), and the yeast Candida albicans, which causes thrush, were killed.
These positive findings led the researchers to use microscopic spherical bodies called liposomes, made of phospholipids, the naturally occurring lipids or fats in the cell wallsmembranes, to deliver the silver and tea tree oil mix to infected wounds the pathogens. This technique allows controlled release and therefore has the potential to use lower, less toxic, concentrations of the antimicrobial agents to treat infected wounds. This may also be of value to treat antibiotic resistant strains such as MRSA.
Used alone, both silver and tea tree oil can cause side effects in patients. Over exposure to silver can cause a bluish-grey discolouration of the skin and applying unregulated amounts of tea tree oil externally can cause skin irritation. With increasing life expectancy, age related conditions such as chronic leg ulcers or bedsores are likely to become more common. Current treatments using traditional silver-based creams and dressings use relatively high metal concentrations. Creams containing lower amounts of the agents could provide safer and readily available over-the-counter antiseptic compounds for effective treatment without damaging the surrounding skin. - Dianne Stilwell
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