Latin Name—Melaleuca alternifolia
Botanical Illustration of Melaleuca Alternifolia
What is Tea Tree Oil?
Tea tree oil has been used medicinally for centuries by the aboriginal people of Australia. Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the tea tree and is used topically (applied to the skin). Tea tree oil should not be swallowed: See Side Effects and Cautions Summary below.
Tea Tree Oil Uses as an Herbal Remedy
Tea tree oil is used as an herbal remedy in the hope of improving such concerns as:
- acne,
- athlete’s foot,
- nail fungus,
- wounds,
- and infections.
Tea tree oil is often used externally as an antibacterial or antifungal treatment.
Other applications for tea tree oil include use for lice, cold sores, dandruff, and skin lesions.
Research on Benefits of Tea Tree Oil
- A 2004 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) funded review examined the ability of tea tree oil to kill bacteria and found that in vitro (in a test tube) studies may provide some preliminary evidence for the use of tea tree oil as an adjunctive (additional) treatment for wounds involving difficult-to-treat bacterial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, large, well-designed clinical trials on tea tree oil are lacking, and it remains unclear whether tea tree oil is effective against these emerging resistant strains of bacteria in people.
- Some smaller-scale clinical studies have had positive results for treating athlete’s foot, nail fungus, dandruff, and acne, but more large-scale, well-designed clinical studies are needed.
- Tea tree oil may be effective for acne. One clinical trial compared a 5 percent tea tree oil gel to a 5 percent benzoyl peroxide product for the treatment of acne and found that the benzoyl peroxide worked slightly better but that the tea tree oil had fewer side effects.
Side Effects and Cautions Summary
- Tea tree oil contains varying amounts of 1,8-cineole, a skin irritant. Products with high amounts of this compound may cause skin irritation or contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction, in some individuals. Oxidized tea tree oil (oil that has been exposed to air) may trigger allergies more than fresh tea tree oil.
- Tea tree oil should not be swallowed. Poisonings, mainly in children, have caused drowsiness, disorientation, rash, and ataxia—a loss of muscle control in the arms and legs causing a lack of balance and coordination. One patient went into a coma after drinking half a cup of tea tree oil.
- One case study did report a young boy who had developed breast growth after using a styling gel and shampoo that contained both lavender oil and tea tree oil.
- Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health to help ensure coordinated and safe care. Complementary or alternative therapy should not be used in place of conventional medical care or to delay seeking that care.
Sources
- Carson CF, Hammer KA, Riley TV. Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil: a review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2006;19(1):50–62.
- Carson CF, Riley TV. Safety, efficacy and provenance of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil. Contact Dermatitis. 2001;45(2):65–67.
- Carson CF, Riley TV, Cookson BD. Efficacy and safety of tea tree oil as a topical antimicrobial agent. Journal of Hospital Infection. 1998;40(3):175–178.
- Halcón L, Milkus K. Staphylococcus aureus and wounds: a review of tea tree oil as a promising antimicrobial. American Journal of Infection Control. 2004;32(7):402–408.
- Martin KW, Ernst E. Herbal medicines for treatment of bacterial infections: a review of controlled clinical trials. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2003;51(2):241–246.
- Martin KW, Ernst E. Herbal medicines for treatment of fungal infections: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Mycoses. 2004;47(3-4):87–92.
- Tea Tree Oil. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed at www.naturaldatabase.com on May 20, 2010.
- Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia [Maiden & Betche] Cheel). Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed at www.naturalstandard.com on May 20, 2010.
For More Information
NCCAM Clearinghouse
The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on CAM and NCCAM, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.
Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226
TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 1-866-464-3615
Web site: nccam.nih.gov
E-mail:
info@nccam.nih.gov Contact NCCAM
Web site: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
CAM on PubMed®: nccam.nih.gov/research/camonpubmed/
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Web site: www.ods.od.nih.gov
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Tea Tree Oil Fact Sheet, Created January 2011
