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Introduction

The Manuka Tree (Leptospermum scoparium) has long been valued for its healing properties by the Maori people - the indigenous people of “Aotearoa” (New Zealand). Infusions and poultices were made from the leaves and inner bark and the seed capsules and sap were chewed. Early European migrants produced a tea from Manuka leaves for refreshment and health. Natural Solutions, located in the rugged and remote East Cape region of New Zealand, has been distilling and promoting Manuka Oil since 1992, when laboratory tests identified powerful antibacterial, antifungal, anti-allergenic and anti inflammatory properties in this East Cape Manuka Oil. The exceptionally deep penetrating abilities of Manuka Oil make it a great treatment for topical use, with proven benefits for acne, burns, antiseptic, athlete’s foot, muscular pain, fungal infections, bacterial infections, body odor, cuts, abrasions and wounds. Aromatherapy researchers have found this unique Manuka Oil to be well tolerated by the skin and to be helpful for itchy and irritated skin and scalp. For the psyche, it is reported to be beneficial for stress, nervousness and anxiety.

History and Applications

Manuka is one of many New Zealand native plants used by the New Zealand Maori people for treating illness. In traditional Maori society all knowledge of medicinal plants was held by the tribal doctor known as the Tohunga. The Tohunga used crushed manuka leaves to treat a variety of skin diseases and to enhance the healing and prevent the infection of wounds. Manuka leaves were used to brew a drink used to treat urinary infections and to control fever. The modern version of this drink is our manuka tea. The elder women of the tribe kept the knowledge alive and ensured it was handed down from generation to generation. Many Maori still use the traditional remedies today. manuka oil extractionuse the traditional remedies today. When Captain James Cook (1728-1779) discovered New Zealand, he also discovered and wrote about the properties of manuka. The early European settlers of New Zealand used Manuka as a tea substitute and for the prevention of scurvy. Many accounts of the therapeutic properties of Manuka exist in writings from the time Europeans settled in New Zealand. They record the use of Manuka for a series of aliments both internal and external. These include treatment of skin diseases, “congestion of the breasts”, as mouthwash and for bathing sore eyes and the treatment of external wounds, burns and sores. Internally it was used as a sedative and for the treatment of constipation, dysentery, diarrhea and dropsy.

Our modern world is only now discovering through the sciences of ethnobotany and biochemistry that many of these traditional remedies are powerful curatives. The emerging science behind East Cape Manuka Oil strongly supports the traditional healing properties of this special Manuka Oil.

What's Special about East Cape Manuka Oil?

The Manuka tree comes in a variety of shapes and forms. Many different forms of the tree have been independently tested but only one has been found to have high levels of antibiotic activity. This variety of the Manuka tree grows only on the East Cape. Other Manukas simply do not have anything like the level of antibiotic activity found in the East Cape Manuka. All Manuka Oil used in our products is extracted at Te Araroa on the East Cape and is independently batch-tested before being used in the Natural Solutions range.

Sustainable agriculture

The agricultural processes involved in the production of East Cape Manuka products are environmentally friendly and fully sustainable. Teams of Maori harvesters trim the manuka trees by hand, and then pack the trimmed bushes into bundles that allow for new growth. This process allows the manuka trees to continue growing to be harvested again multiple times in the coming years. Also, no pesticides have ever been used in the region, so products are naturally organic. Extraction of the oil at the Te Araroa factory is achieved by gently steaming the manuka leaves, in a process called steam distillation which uses no chemicals. The harvesting and processing of manuka oil is the main source of employment for the local Maori tribe (population 1,200).

Packaged in New Zealand

All of Koru Natural's Manuka Oil products are packaged at origin in New Zealand.

Applications

Note: Manuka Oil is approved as a traditional medicine in New Zealand and several European countries. In the U.S., however, the FDA does not recognize traditional medicines, and to gain approval all botanical drugs must go through a lengthy and expensive process that cannot be justified when patent protection is not available. Therefore, the applications listed below are offered for educational purposes only, and have not been reviewed by the FDA.

Manuka oil is harmful if swallowed; please keep out of the reach of children.

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions. These include dryness and recurring skin rashes which are characterized by one or more of these symptoms: redness, skin edema (swelling), itching and dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. Manuka Oil has been proven effective in reducing the irritation associated with eczema, and in preventing possible bacterial and fungal infection.

Foot odor, body odor: Wash daily with manuka soap. For foot odor, rub manuka cream into the feet 3 times per week.

Acne: Recent scientific studies at Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand have shown conclusively that essential oil extracted from Manuka trees growing in the East Cape region of the North Island provide total control of Acne vulgaris bacteria. This allows the treatment of acne with products containing only natural active ingredients. The Manuka Oil penetrates blocked skin follicles, kills the bacteria and helps to unblock the follicle allowing the built up infection to be released, leaving a sterile clear follicle which heals quickly, reducing or eliminating scarring. Recent research has shown that the New Zealand East Cape Manuka Oil is up to 30 times more effective in controlling gram positive bacteria (present in acne infections) than Australian tea tree oil. We recommend rinsing face thoroughly with manuka soap, following with spot treatment with 100% oil.

Itchy scalp and dandruff: Add 3 drops of oil to a normal amount of shampoo and massage into wet hair and scalp. Leave for 5 minutes before rinsing.

Fungal infections: Athletes foot, nail fungal infections, and other fungal infections. Apply the oil with a cotton ball twice daily. Continue for five days after the visible signs of infection disappear.

Skin blemishes: Wash daily with manuka soap, apply the oil as spot treatment.

Head lice: Add 5 drops of manuka oil to a regular amount of shampoo. Massage into wet hair and scalp and leave for 10 min before rinsing. Repeat daily until clear.

Cold sores: Apply oil as soon as you feel the tingling sensation. If blistering occurs, apply manuka cream