tea tree plant

Use for Skin Care, Wound Care, Fungal Infections, Respiratory Support, Deodorizing, Repelling insects, Boosting Immunity

Botanical image
  1. BOTANICAL NAME Melaleuca alternifolia
  2.  
  3. PARTS USED Leaves
  4. EXTRACTION METHOD Steam distilled
  5. COLOR Clear to pale yellow
  6. NOTE CLASSIFICATION Middle
  1. Skin Care Commonly used for acne, scarring, and to soothe dry flaking skin as well as bacterial, viral, fungal and protozoal infections affecting skin. Also great for keeping cuticles clean and healthy. Apply roll-on directly to the area of concern or around cuticles.
  2. Wound Care Its antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties make tea tree an excellent wound healer. Tea tree oil can be used to treat and disinfect minor cuts and abrasions by killing S. aureus and other bacteria that can cause infections in open wounds. Apply directly to wounds, boils, sores, and cuts to protect them from infection.
  3. Immune Boosting Research shows that Tea Tree oil can help to improve immune response and reduce the inflammatory process.
  4. Fungicide Tea Tree oil kills fungus and inhibits fungal growth to help cure diseases like dermatitis, athlete’s foot, ringworm, nail fungus and insect bites. Apply oil on the affected area.
  5. Respiratory Support Helps relieve symptoms of respiratory infections such as colds, coughs and bronchitis.
  6. Deodorant Tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties that destroy the bacteria on your skin that causes body odor. Roll-on can be applied directly to underarms to deodorize and refresh.
  7. Insect Repellant Tea tree oil is an efficient insect and pest deterrent and can be used to keep insects away.

The History of Tea Tree

The legend of the oil produced from the Melaleuca alternofolia, has been passed down for thousands of years by the native indigenous Bundjalung aborigines of Australia. In early 1770 Captain James Cook of the British ship H.M.S. Endeavor, and his botanist, Joseph Banks came ashore at what he named, “Botany Bay”, Australia. There, he encountered an Aboriginal tribe known as the Gweagal. The legend told is that local natives introduced Cook to the healing powers of trees with thick sticky and aromatic leaves and showed him how they used the leaves to treat cuts and wounds. It is also said that Cook and his crew brewed the leaves to make a tea to prevent scurvy, thus the name, “Tea Tree.”

History image
PRECAUTIONS Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes. If pregnant or lactating, consult your healthcare practitioner before using. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test before using.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

SCHOLARLY ARTICLES
  1. Baldissera, Matheus D. et al. “Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil prevents alterations to purinergic enzymes and ameliorates the innate immune response in silver catfish infected with Aeromonas hydrophila.” Microbial Pathogenesis vol. 109 (2017): 61-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2017.05.026
  2. Budhiraja, S. S. et al. “Biological activity of Melaleuca alternifola (Tea Tree) oil component, terpinen-4-ol, in human myelocytic cell line HL-60.”  Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics  vol. 22, 7 (1999): 447-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0161-4754(99)70033-3
  3. Hammer, K. A. et al. “ In vitro  activity of  Melaleuca alternifolia  (tea tree) oil against dermatophytes and other filamentous fungi.”  Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy vol. 50, 2 (2002): 195-9,  https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkf112
  4. Horváth, Györgyi and Ács, Kamilla . “Essential oils in the treatment of respiratory tract diseases highlighting their role in bacterial infections and their anti-inflammatory action: a review.”  Flavour and fragrance journal  vol. 30, 5 (2015): 331-41. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fffj.3252
  5. Labib, Rola M. et al. “Appraisal on the wound healing potential of Melaleuca alternifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil-loaded chitosan topical preparations.”  PloS one  vol. 14, 9 (2019):e0219561. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0219561
  6. Liao, Min et al. “Insecticidal Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil and RNA-Seq Analysis of Sitophilus zeamais Transcriptome in Response to Oil Fumigation.”  PloS one  vol. 11, 12 (2016):e0167748. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0167748
  7. Malhi, Harsimran Kaur et al. “Tea tree oil gel for mild to moderate acne; a 12 week uncontrolled, open-label phase II pilot study.”  The Australasian journal of dermatology  vol. 58, 3 (2017): 205-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajd.12465
  8. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Tea tree oil.” Mayo Clinic (2020): 20364246. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-tea-tree-oil/art-20364246
  9. Pazyar, Nader et al. “A review of applications of tea tree oil in dermatology.”  International journal of dermatology  vol. 52, 7 (2013): 784-90. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2012.05654.x
  10. Pisseri, F. et al. “Antifungal activity of tea tree oil from Melaleuca alternifolia against Trichophyton equinum: An in vivo assay.” Phytomedicine vol. 16, 11 (2009): 1056-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2009.03.013
  11. Rogawansamy, Senthaamarai et al. “An evaluation of antifungal agents for the treatment of fungal contamination in indoor air environments.”  International journal of environmental research and public health  vol. 12, 6 (2015):6319-32. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph120606319
  12. Satchell, Andrew C. et al. “Treatment of dandruff with 5% tea tree oil shampoo.”  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology  vol. 47, 6 (2002): 852-5. https://doi.org/10.1067/mjd.2002.122734