Essential oil derived from leaves
This article is about essential oil isolated from the leaves of the tea tree,
Melaleuca alternifolia . For the sweet seasoning oil pressed from
Camellia seeds,
C. sinensis or
C. oleifera , see
tea seed oil .
Origin of this essential oil , the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia
Tea tree plantation, Coraki, New South Wales
Tea tree oil , also known as melaleuca oil , is an essential oil with a fresh, camphoraceous odour and a colour that ranges from pale yellow to nearly colourless and clear.[ 1] [ 2] It is derived from the leaves of the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia , native to southeast Queensland and the northeast coast of New South Wales , Australia. The oil comprises many constituent chemicals, and its composition changes if it is exposed to air and oxidises . Commercial use of tea tree oil began in the 1920s, pioneered by the entrepreneur Arthur Penfold .
There is little evidence for the effectiveness of tea tree oil in treating mite-infected crusting of eyelids ,[ 3] although some claims of efficacy exist.[ 4] [ 5] In traditional medicine , it may be applied topically in low concentrations for skin diseases, although there is little evidence for efficacy.[ 2] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8]
Tea tree oil is neither a patented product nor an approved drug in the United States, although it has been used in skin care products [ 2] [ 8] and is approved as a complementary medicine for aromatherapy in Australia.[ 9] It is poisonous if consumed by mouth and is unsafe for children.[ 10]
^ "Essential oil of Melaleuca , terpene-4-ol (tea tree oil): ISO 4730: 2017 (E)" . International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland. 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2019 .
^ a b c "Tea tree oil" . Drugs.com. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023 .
^ Savla K, Le JT, Pucker AD (June 2020). "Tea tree oil for demodex blepharitis" . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Systematic review). 6 (6): CD013333. doi :10.1002/14651858.CD013333.pub2 . PMC 7388771 . PMID 32589270 .
^ Navel, Valentin; Mulliez, Aurélien; Benoist d’Azy, Cédric; et al. (1 October 2019). "Efficacy of treatments for demodex blepharitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis" . The Ocular Surface . 17 (4): 655– 669. doi :10.1016/j.jtos.2019.06.004 . ISSN 1542-0124 . PMID 31229586 .
^ Koo, Hyun; Kim, Tae Hyung; Kim, Kyoung Woo; Wee, Sung Wook; Chun, Yeoun Sook; Kim, Jae Chan (1 December 2012). "Ocular Surface Discomfort and Demodex: Effect of Tea Tree Oil Eyelid Scrub in Demodex Blepharitis" . Journal of Korean Medical Science . 27 (12): 1574– 1579. doi :10.3346/jkms.2012.27.12.1574 . ISSN 1011-8934 . PMC 3524441 . PMID 23255861 .
^ "Opinion on Tea tree oil" (PDF) . SCCP/1155/08 Scientific Committee on Consumer Products. 16 December 2008.
^ "Tea tree oil" . National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2023 .
^ a b Thomas, J; Carson, C. F; Peterson, G. M; et al. (2016). "Therapeutic Potential of Tea Tree Oil for Scabies" . The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Review). 94 (2): 258– 266. doi :10.4269/ajtmh.14-0515 . PMC 4751955 . PMID 26787146 .
^ "Summary for ARTG Entry: 79370 Tea Tree Oil, Pure Essential Oil" . Therapeutic Goods Administration . 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020 .
^ Cite error: The named reference poison
was invoked but never defined (see the help page ).