What is Manuka?

This plant has become widely known for the medicinal qualities of the honey that bees derive from the flowers. Pure Oils of Tasmania is bringing you the essential oil from the foliage of this remarkable member of the gum tree (Eucalyptus) family.

The botanic name, Leptospermum Scoparium derives from the Greek word Leptos, meaning slender, and sperma, meaning seed, a reference to the fine, linear shaped seeds. Scoparium means like a broom, a reference to the dense foliage that an early botanist envisaged as having broom-like qualities.

The essential oil from Manuka has similar properties to Eucalyptus oil as it shares a number of the same chemical components. It has an earthy fragrance that is useful for aromatherapy as well as respiratory ailments as a decongestant. It also supports the appearance of healthy-looking skin, reduces the appearance of blemishes, and is also antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic for cuts and abrasions, and a relaxant used directly on the skin, with a diffuser or in a bath.  It is made from the same plant as Manuka honey, and it believed to share many of the same benefits (though used externally, of course).