What is Tea Tree Oil?
What is Tea Tree Oil?
Why is Tea Tree Oil used in Skin Care Products?
Tea Tree Oil comes from an Australian tree, not from Asian tea leaves. Tea Tree Oil or Melaleuca oil comes from a fir tree native to Australia, called Melaleuca alternifolia. It is not ‘tea’ as we know it, and is not meant to be taken internally. Tea Tree extracts have been used for centuries as a general anti-septic and anti-microbial. Tea tree oil is related to eucalyptus and has a camphor type smell.
Tea tree oil is obtained by distilling the tree leaves and contains almost a 100 compounds; one compound, Terpinen-4-ol, is thought to be responsible for the anti-microbial properties.
A review of the literature suggests that most of the studies demonstrating an anti-microbial effect have been done ‘in-vitro’, meaning in a ‘test-tube’ situation.
In these reports, tea tree oil has shown some anti-fungal, anti-yeast and anti-bacterial activity and thus has been used for cuts, insect bites and to treat athletes foot and nail fungal infections.
There are only a few studies where tea tree oil has been scientifically tested in people and the results are not conclusive.
Tea Tree Oil and Acne:
There is one report which compared tea tree oil to 5% benzoyl peroxide with both products having some effect. The inflammatory acne lesions were more improved with the benzoyl peroxide; the tea tree oil had fewer side effects. Are there side effects of tea tree oil?
Tea tree oil can be drying.
There have been reports of true allergic reactions, even in cases where people have used tea tree oil for a long time previously without an allergic response.
There is one report of young boys who developed gynecomastia or breast enlargement after regular use of tea tree and lavender oil, presumably due to absorption.
The take home point is that even ‘natural’ or herbal remedies can have side effects, including irritation, allergy and absorption. The ingredients and concentration of herbal remedies are sometimes not standardized, which can make detection of a reaction more difficult. Please advise your health care provider if you are using tea tree oil or other natural remedies…this is even more important if you are on other medications, or if you are pregnant, nursing or planning to become pregnant.