Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Overview
Tea Tree may also be referred to as narrow-leaved paperbark, narrow-leaved tea-tree, narrow-leaved ti-tree, or snow-in-summer. It is typically processed using steam distilled as a method for extracting oil from the leaves.
Summary
Tea Tree oil comes from the roots of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree. It has a fresh, medicinal scent. It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal effects.
Essential Facts
- Aroma Description:
- Common Name(s): narrow-leaved paperbark, narrow-leaved tea-tree, narrow-leaved ti-tree, or snow-in-summer
-
Synonyms(s) for Melaleuca alternifolia: Melaleuca linariifolia var. alternifolia
- Botanical Family: Myrtaceae
- Botanical Genus: Melaleuca
- Chemical Family: Monoterpenes, Monoterpenols
- Major Compounds: Terpinene-4-ol, Gamma-Terpinene, a-Terpinene, Terpinolene, 1,8-Cineole, a-Terpineol, p-Cymeme, a-Pinene
- Perfumery Note: Middle
- Consistency: Thin
- Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium
- Color: Clear with a Yellow Tinge
- Indigenous Country: Australia
- Cultivation: Wild Harvested
- Processing Methods: Steam Distilled
- Part Typically Used: Leaves
- Shelf Life: 3 years
Earthy
Fresh
Herbaceous
Medicinal
Woody-
Wild Harvested
-
Vegan
Essential Details
Benefits & Uses
May be benefitial for addressing the following ailments:
Athlete's Foot
Bad Breath
Bodily Congestion
Lice
Scabies
Therapeutic Benefits of Tea Tree:
Anti-bacterial
Anti-cancer
Anti-fungal
Anti-infectious
Anti-microbial
Anti-septic
Anti-viral
Cicatrisant
Decongestant
Disinfectant
Estrogenic
Immune support
Immuno-stimulant
Other Uses for Tea Tree:
Hair CareCautions & Safety
Cautions when using Tea Tree:
Tisserand and Young indicate that there is a low risk of skin sensitization when using Tea Tree topically. They recommend a dermal maximum of 15% and precaution to avoid use of the oil if it has oxidized. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 440-445.]
Safety Precautions for Tea Tree:
Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Energetic, Spiritual, and Emotional Qualities
Energetics and Chakras Qualites of Tea Tree:
2nd Chakra - Relationships
3rd Chakra - Personal Power
Balancing
Clarity
Creation Energy
Protective
Purifying
Articles
Tea Tree Articles or Publications:
- PubMed: Effect of a cooling gel on pain sensitivity and healing of hot-iron cattle brands.
- PubMed: Spray-by-spray in situ cross-linking alginate hydrogels delivering a tea tree oil microemulsion.
- PubMed: The effect of thyme and tea tree oils on morphology and metabolism of Candida albicans.
- PubMed: Effect of a tea tree oil and organic acid footbath solution on digital dermatitis in dairy cows.
- PubMed: Mosquitocidal essential oils: are they safe against non-target aquatic organisms?
- PubMed: Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and five terpenoid compounds against Campylobacter jejuni in pure and mixed culture experiments.
- PubMed: The possible mechanism of antifungal action of tea tree oil on Botrytis cinerea.
- PubMed: α-Terpineol induces fatty liver in mice mediated by the AMP-activated kinase and sterol response element binding protein pathway.
- PubMed: Fungal decay and shelf life of oranges coated with chitosan and bergamot, thyme, and tea tree essential oils.
- PubMed: Plant essential oils and mastitis disease: their potential inhibitory effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine production in response to bacteria related inflammation.
- PubMed: Characterization, antibiofilm, and mechanism of action of novel PEG-stabilized lipid nanoparticles loaded with terpinen-4-ol.
- PubMed: Dipping and jetting with tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil formulations control lice (Bovicola ovis) on sheep.
- PubMed: Bioactivity of tea tree oil from Melaleuca alternifolia against sheep lice (Bovicola ovis Schrank) in vitro.
- PubMed: Insecticidal and repellent effects of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil against Lucilia cuprina.
- PubMed: Antimicrobial activity of two essential oils.
- PubMed: Essential oils as biopreservatives: different methods for the technological application in lettuce leaves.
- PubMed: MRSA colonisation (eradicating colonisation in people without active/invasive infection).
- PubMed: Which plant for which skin disease? Part 1: Atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, condyloma and herpes simplex.
- PubMed: Botanicals in dermatology: an evidence-based review.
- PubMed: Alternative therapies for common dermatologic disorders, part 1.
- PubMed: Candidiasis (vulvovaginal).
- PubMed: Growth inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and some yeasts by selected essential oils and survival of L. monocytogenes and C. albicans in apple-carrot juice.
- PubMed: Changes in antibiotic susceptibility in staphylococci habituated to sub-lethal concentrations of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia).
- PubMed: Candidiasis (vulvovaginal).
- PubMed: Habituation to sub-lethal concentrations of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) is associated with reduced susceptibility to antibiotics in human pathogens.
- PubMed: Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil possesses potent anti-staphylococcal activity extended to strains resistant to antibiotics.
- PubMed: A review of the toxicity of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil.
- PubMed: The antimutagenic activity of Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) essential oil in the bacterial reverse mutation assay.
- PubMed: Evaluation of antioxidant activity of Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil and its components.
- PubMed: Preferred age for assessment of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the essential oil of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) seedlings prior to plantation establishment.
- PubMed: Bioactivity of Backhousia citriodora: antibacterial and antifungal activity.
- PubMed: Comparison of oil recovered from tea tree leaf by ethanol extraction and steam distillation.