A few days ago, I happened to acquire a bit of Eucalyptus oil. Like Tea Tree Oil, it’s an antiseptic– though it is perhaps superior to Tea Tree Oil when aged, as an ozone is formed on it when exposed to air. Also like tea tree oil, the tree is native to Australia. While the oil I have is meant for aromatherapy, Eucalyptus has some nifty uses. Namely, it’s a natural insect repellent. I’ve yet to test that property out, but I can’t stand spraying myself with Raid and all that other industrial-strength bug repellent that’s probably giving everybody else on the planet cancer, so I’m going to try it out when I get a chance (Tea Tree Oil, I’ve noticed, also acts as a repellent).
A bit ago, I read online that applying Eucalyptus oil externally around the throat can help sooth a sore throat, which I just so happened to have. I tried applying it, and while it didn’t do anything to my throat, it did make my eyes water (I think I put on way too much) and cleared out my nose (next time I have a stuffy nose, I’ll try putting a few drops under my nostrils).
All in all, it has it’s uses, but Eucalyptus doesn’t seem to beat Tea Tree Oil’s first-aid-kit-in-a-bottle property.