Tasmanian Kunzea Oil

Tasmanian Kunzea Oil and the birth of Stay Put Cream

I first discovered Tasmanian Kunzea oil quite serendipitously in 2017. I was making up a cream for my beloved old thoroughbred Teddy- who suffered from the dreaded Queensland itch. This cream was essentially the birth of Stay Put Cream.

The cream I was making was castor oil and zinc oxide based. With Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils included for some extra healing “oomph”, it was nappy rash cream with added essential oils.

I put in an order for the usual Tea Tree oil and Lavender oil, and as my spend was over a certain amount, I was sent a free sample bottle of Kunzea oil.  When I received the order and saw the Kunzea oil, I immediately googled and discovered that it had some pretty amazing qualities.

Properties of Tasmanian Kunzea Oil

Kunzea ambigua  grows wild most commonly in coastal regions. It is attractive to native birds and small animals. People would observe these animals seeking shelter under the branches of the Kunzea plant. It provides protection from ticks and mites, hence it’s common name of “tick-bush.”

There have been numerous studies that have suggested that Kunzea ambigua is more efficient in treating existing insect bites as well as infections. Kunzea’s organic composition is very rare and unique. Specifically the percent of alpha-pinene (a strong antiseptic) in Kunzea is higher than cineole- a strong antiviral compound. This means that the essential oil is safe and not likely to cause any skin irritation. In addition, the composition of different sesquiterpene constituents in Kunzea ambigua is particularly effective in reducing inflammation.

Kunzea essential oil has a pale yellow tinge and has comparable properties and similar uses as Tea Tree essential oil. There are however three notable benefits of Kunzea Oil as opposed to Tea Tree:

1. Higher content of active compounds
2. A more pleasant aroma
3. A non-irritant that is preferable for topical application

How can Kunzea benefit us ?

Kunzea Oil has had positive results in the treatment of rashes, skin blemishes and skin irritations. The low level of cineole is non-irritant and generally well tolerated on even the most sensitive skin types.

Kunzea helps speed up the healing process.  In fact this is very common feedback we receive from our customers who have used Stay Put Cream for wounds or blemishes. The healing process is noticeably accelerated.

Kunzea oil repels ticks and biting insects. This is a key benefit of its use in Stay Put Cream as a topical application to itch hot spots.

Given its natural anti-inflammatory properties, Kunzea may also help to soothe insect bites once bitten.

Kunzea oil has also been evaluated for its effectiveness against a number of disease-causing bacteria. Kunzea is very effective particularly against Staphylococcus aureus and includes the MRSA variety (multiple antibiotic resistants).

Study on Tasmanian Kunzea Oil from 2017

And of course as menioned in my original blog on Kunzea in 2017 – Researchers at the University of Tasmania saw promising results in using an ointment containing kunzea oil to treat Greasy Heel in equines.

A total of 22 horses with Greasy Heel/Mud Fever participated in the study.

Treated with an ointment containing 20 per cent kunzea oil, 11 of the horses had remarkable results. The remaining 11 animals treated with a cream that contained ketoconazole.

The scientists measured the effectiveness by monitoring the  change in size and severity of the sores before and after treatment for 7 days.

After 7 days, the horses treated with kunzea oil cream-  all cases had improved significantly. More than half cured completely! Control group -two horses cured, two improved, and six no better than when they started treatment. Previous work by the same researchers has shown that kunzea oil kills Staphylococcus aureus as well as being active against yeasts too.

Recent Research on Tasmanian Kunzea Oil

An investigation into the treatment of Onychomycosis (nail fungus) using Kunzea Oil by the FDA for humans resulted in approval of its use for the condition.

Specifically

• Antifungal Activity: Studies have shown that kunzea oil has significant in vitro antimicrobial action, including against yeast and fungi that cause skin and nail infections.
• High Penetration: It has the ability to penetrate the nail bed effectively, which is essential for treating deep-seated fungal infections.
• Clinical Studies: Trials have compared topically applied kunzea oil to standard treatments like amorolfine, with research indicating its potential usefulness for treating nail infections in humans

Therefore, is it any wonder that so many of our customers have waxed lyrical about how effective Stay Put Cream is when used as a barrier type cream on their horses that have had seedy toe or thrush? Or that it has repelled insects when used on wounds that cannot be bandaged?