Expert: Judy Frayne - 2/5/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I have had HPV for about a year now and these warts are not going away! I had some on my outer labia frozen off when I was first diagnosed, but there are some on around the base of my clitoris that can't be removed this way due to the sensitivity of the area and the possibility of permanently damaging the area.

I have read that tea tree oil will make warts go away....my questions are:

1)Is tea tree oil really effective at removing genital warts?

2)If so, is it safe to use on this area and in the vaginal opening? And what specifically should I do? (The label on the tea tree oil I bought says not to apply near mucous membranes....making me nervous about it!)

3)Any other essential oils you would recommend, and how to apply them? Or other natural treatments.

Thanks for your help on this annoying and embarrassing issue.

ANSWER: Hi there and thank you for your question. I haven't had to deal with this particular problem, but this may be of help.

Tea tree can be applied neat to small specific affected areas of skin for problems such as bites and cuts, as it is highly antiseptic, and antiviral. It is also antifungal and does have a healing effect on some spots and fungal infections such as atheletes foot.

If you were treating a wart on the hand - I wouldn't hesitate to try neat tea tree oil as often as possible. However, because you are talking about such a delicate area I think the Tea tree should certainly not be applied neat as it may cause irritation and also could damage such delicate skin.

So I have two ideas here.

For direct application:
You could apply tea tree in a dilution mixed with something like coconut oil, or even a non perfumed cream base.
I would mix a maximum of two drops of tea tree to about 5mls of carrier. Just apply this to warts directly and try to keep it away from the more delicate skin.

For indirect effect:
Given that oils penetrate the skin and go into the systems of the body, you can apply the tea tree cream or diluted oil to an area around the tops of the legs, lower back and abdomen. This will act as a backup to the direct application.

For these areas, you may still find that tea tree makes you a bit itchy - this will depend on how sensitive your skin is. If you do find this, I would recommend that you mix your tea tree with a couple of drops of lavender oil. This takes away the itch, cools the area down and acts as a soother. It is also antiseptic and will act as a great blend with the tea tree oil.

You could also back all this up with a tea tree and lavender mix of two drops tea tree and four drops lavender into an unperfumed bath foam, or again a carrier oil. Put this into the bath and sit and soak in it for a while.

Just remember not to overdo the Tea tree oil as it is quite a strong oil, but it has some wonderful healing properties and is well worth trying. Check with your GP first. Also - I think it worth saying that it is far more effective to mix your own oils rather than buy a ready made cream or oil where you don't know what amounts of oils have been used. Mix your own and you can go stronger or weaker as you choose. There are some books that will use 12 drops of tea tree, or more. This is way too much for a single application. However if you wanted to make up a bottle or jar of cream - say up to 100ml - you could use up to about 10 or 12 drops of tea tree and mix it well.Keep it in a cool spot, out of the sun and it will stay strong for a few weeks.

Good luck with this - Please get back to me if you need to.

Best wishes
Judy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for responding so quickly! This sounds much more reasonable than some of the other things I was reading about online.

I think the reason tea tree oil would be effective for this is because it is antiviral, meaning it doesn't attack the wart itself but the virus that's causing the warts to grow.

I have a question about the lavender and tea tree baths. I also have psoriasis, which I just started treating with a petroleum based ointment called Clobetasol. I know from personal experience that lavender reacts badly with petroleum products....if I am applying this ointment twice a day, my concern is that I will get a rash if I bathe in lavender. Any other oils with similar properties that get along better with petroleum? (Also, it would get special bonus points if it would help with the warts AND the psoriasis!)
:)

Thanks so much again for your help! You have no idea what kind of crazy suggestions people post on the internet. I'm so glad I found this site!

ANSWER: Hi Annie
What has happened in your experience when mixing lavender with your ointment ?

I would definitely agree that essential oils should not be mixed with petroleum based products - they are vegetable based and ideally should always be mixed with a  vegetable based carrier.Also it's much healthier for us to be absorbing vegetable based ingredients into our skin as they don't hang around in our bodies for very long. petroleum based products can cause extra problems over a period of time as they tend to hang around in the body far longer.

Let me know what has happened when you use the lavender oil.

Also I can give a list of the most brilliant oils to use for Psoriasis. You will want to give your ointment a good try to see if it will help first.Let me know.

Best wishes
Judy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: A few years ago I used to put the ointment on all the psoriasis spots (big patches on my knees and elbows and small spots all over my legs), let it sit for about a half an hour while I did my morning routine, then wipe off the residue and moisturize with a lavender scented massage oil. I did this for several months and it seemed like the psoriasis was getting worse, I was getting more little red bumps all over my legs.

Then I took a one day continuing ed course in aromatherapy for my massage license. The instructor was talking about the importance of using high quality, vegetable based carriers for essential oils and always asking clients what products they put on their skin because some oils, like lavender, react badly with petroleum based products and cause a rash. (Not talking about using it as a carrier...for example, if you treat someone with lavender oil and they go home and put cheap lotion on after the treatment, they can break out in a rash.)

After that I switched to using pure jojoba oil to moisturize, and the secondary bumps went away. I realized I was actually giving myself a rash all over my body and making it worse by applying more ointment and more lavender scented oil thinking it would make it better! That particular ointment did not really do much for the psoriasis and I stopped using it shortly after. The lavender blend oil doesn't give me a rash if I use it alone.

I would love to be able to treat the psoriasis with essential oils, but it's just too expensive! I am well aware of the side effects associated with the steroid ointments used for psoriasis. But this is covered by my insurance so the out of pocket cost is only about $5! I wish the insurance companies would realize how much better "alternative" treatments can be for us and cover things like this.

Question on the tea tree oil thing...can you recommend a good creme to use as a carrier?

Answer
Hi Annie
I have never actually met anyone who had a problem with Lavender causing a reaction with a petroleum based product. So it's difficult for me to advise here. All my experience with Lavender is that it is soothing and calming when applied to the most difficult areas. I also never advise the use of petroleum based products, but obviously if you are using medication that is petroleum based then it may well not react well to Lavender. I just never had that experience.

If you want to use both I would just suggest keeping the applications as far apart as possible. There is an estimate that it takes about 6 hours for anything to get right into the skin.Also I am very wary of pre mixed massage oils, as you never really know what's in them. I would advise mixing your own every time.

Jojoba oil is great for moisturising, and obviously worked well for you.You could also try coconut oil or cream as a carrier - this is very moisturising, and sinks into the skin beautifully - usually cheaper than Jojoba.

I am so sorry that you can't try the oils for your skin. I usually make up a blend for my clients and get them to try it first. Everyone reacts differently and I make sure the mix is just right before encouraging anyone to buy the oils.There is an initial outlay, but the oils last quite a long time and prove economical in the long run. However I quite understand that this is an expensive problem to treat.

If you are worried about the lavender - just don't use it. Or use it a good while after the ointment you use. Re the Tea tree oil cream - I am not sure what products you have available to you. However you need an unfragranced, vegetable based cream.I would think your pharmacist would be able to advise.

Has the Psoriasis started since the HPV ?

I wish you every success in combatting your problems. Let me know how you get on -
very best wishes
Judy