Manuka oil facts for kids
Manuka oil is a special oil. It comes from the leaves and small branches of the manuka tree. This tree is also called mānuka or New Zealand tea tree. People get the oil by using a process called steam distillation.
Manuka trees grow mostly in New Zealand. You can find them on the drier east coasts. They also grow in parts of Australia, like Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales. Manuka oil is used in many products. These include cosmetics and some skin medications.
Scientists first found essential oils in manuka leaves in the 1970s. Manuka oil has been made and studied since the 1980s.
Contents
What's Inside Manuka Oil?
The exact makeup of manuka oil changes. It depends on where the manuka tree grows. This is called its chemotype.
Special Manuka Oil from East Cape
Manuka oil from the East Cape area of New Zealand is very important. It has special powers to fight germs. This type of oil is called the high triketone chemotype. It can kill bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and fungi.
This East Cape manuka oil has a lot of triketones. These are special compounds like flavesone and leptospermone. They make up over 20% of the oil. Manuka from the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand also has many triketones. But manuka trees in Australia have different oils. Their oil does not contain triketones.
Other Types of Manuka Oil
New Zealand has more than ten other types of manuka oil. These oils are rich in compounds called terpenes. Many of these are sesquiterpenes. Examples include myrcene, humulene, and caryophyllene.
How is Manuka Oil Made?
For a long time, most manuka oil came from wild trees. Harvesters would cut fresh branches. They made sure to leave enough for the plants to grow back.
Recently, special manuka farms have started in the East Cape region. These farms allow machines to harvest the leaves. This helps make more oil for everyone.
The Distillation Process
The oil is taken from the leaves and small branches. This is done using steam distillation. Here's how it works:
- Steam passes through the plant material.
- The steam picks up the oil from the leaves.
- Then, the steam and oil mixture is cooled down.
- The oil separates and floats on top of the water.
- Finally, the oil is collected.
Different ways of distilling can be used. Some methods use very hot steam for quick extraction. Others use lower temperatures and take more time. About 3 to 5 litres of manuka oil can be made from every tonne of leaves.
