Tea Tree Oil and Manuka Oil: Why Kerafirm Pro Uses Both

Tea tree oil is one of the most famous ingredients in foot care. Manuka oil is its lesser-known cousin from across the Tasman Sea. Kerafirm Pro uses both. Here is what each oil is, what the research says, and why combining them makes sense.

Tea Tree Oil: Australia's Best-Known Essential Oil

Tea tree oil is steam-distilled from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a small tree native to Australia. Its main active compound is terpinen-4-ol. It has been part of Australian home care for about a century and is now found in many shampoos, skin products and nail-care formulas around the world.

What research says about tea tree oil

• The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) keeps a fact sheet on tea tree oil and its topical uses, including on the nails and feet.
• A 2017 review in the Journal of Essential Oil Research described tea tree oil as a promising essential oil and summarized the many lab studies on its activity against microbes.
• A 2017 study in the International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Research evaluated tea tree oil applied to the nails of people with nail concerns.

Tea tree oil's role in Kerafirm Pro

In Kerafirm Pro, tea tree oil is one of the core botanicals working on the nail surface, along the nail edge and on the skin around it.

Manuka Oil: New Zealand's Powerful Cousin

Manuka oil comes from Leptospermum scoparium, the same shrub bees visit to make manuka honey. Like tea tree, it belongs to the myrtle plant family, but its oil has a different natural chemistry, with compounds called triketones that are not prominent in tea tree oil.

What research says about manuka oil

A 2016 study in the Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection looked at manuka and kanuka essential oils in the lab and their activity against several infectious microorganisms, as well as their effect on inflammation in cells. Researchers continue to study manuka oil because its makeup differs from more common oils.

Manuka oil's role in Kerafirm Pro

In Kerafirm Pro, manuka oil adds a second, complementary botanical to the blend, so the formula is not relying on tea tree oil alone.

Try the Kerafirm Pro Tea Tree and Manuka Blend

Tea Tree Oil vs Manuka Oil

Why Kerafirm Pro Combines Both Oils

Many home remedies rely on a single oil. Kerafirm Pro was built differently. By combining tea tree oil and manuka oil with clove bud oil, lavender oil, camphor oil and undecylenic acid, the formula brings together several ingredients with different natural chemistry. Then it adds conditioning oils, aloe vera and vitamin E so the skin around the nail stays soft and comfortable during months of daily use.

The precision brush matters too. Essential oils work on contact, so being able to place the formula exactly on the nail, under the nail edge and on the surrounding skin is a real advantage over dabbing an oil on with a cotton ball.

Getting the Most From Kerafirm Pro

• Apply right after a shower, when the nail is softer.
• Dry thoroughly between the toes first.
• Brush along and under the nail edge, not just the top.
• Use it every day, and keep going a few weeks after the nail looks clear.

Full directions are in our how to use Kerafirm Pro guide.

Sources

These sources describe research on individual ingredients, not on the finished Kerafirm Pro formula.

1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Tea Tree Oil. Source
2. AbdelHamid D, et al. Evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of tea tree oil in treatment of onychomycosis. Int J Pharmacogn Phytochem Res. 2017. Source
3. Chen CC, et al. Investigations of kanuka and manuka essential oils for in vitro treatment of disease and cellular inflammation caused by infectious microorganisms. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2016. Source