Tea Tree Oil: Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, and More

• Tea tree oil is an essential oil that has proven antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antifungal benefits to treat a wide range of skin concerns and conditions
• This oil can promote white blood cell activity to prevent infection and promote healing
• This essential oil is best known for its efficacy in relieving uncomfortable symptoms that result from inflammatory and bacterial skin disorders

What Is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil sourced from a plant native to Australia called Melaleuca alternifolia. It’s prized for its antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a valuable complementary and alternative medicine in treating bacterial and inflammatory skin disorders as well as addressing several skin complaints.  

Tea Tree Oil Benefits

Tea tree oil contains over 100 different compounds and many active ingredients including a high concentration of terpenes – notably, α-Terpineol,1-8 cineole and terpinen-4-ol. These compounds can provide important skin benefits including suppressing inflammation, detoxifying skin and regulating sebum levels.

This oil is valued for its antimicrobial properties. This can be attributed to the high concentration (typically 30%–40%) of terpinen-4-ol which can treat and guard against bacterial and fungal infections and accelerate wound healing.

Tea tree oil also has an antiseptic component as it has been shown to increase the activity of white blood cells; these help heal infections and guard against germs and external threats.  

Taken together, these qualities enable tea tree oil to be a highly effective, natural remedy for a multitude of skin issues such as the following:

Anti-inflammatory: Terpinen-4-ol has been demonstrated to suppress the inflammatory response, making it a key treatment in relieving the uncomfortable symptoms and sensations of inflammatory acne, contact dermatitis and psoriasis.

Antibacterial: As a demonstrated potent antibacterial agent, this oil can inhibit both gram- positive and gram-negative bacteria skin infections including Propionibacterium acnes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and especially Staphylococcus aureus. 

Antiviral: Due to the presence of the terpinen-4-ol, tea tree oil has antiviral activity against influenza virus subtype H1N1 and the herpes simplex virus; one study demonstrated that this oil was able to reduce viral infectivity by more than 96%.

Antimicrobial: Terpinen-4-ol can play a protective role by inhibiting bacterial and viral infections which is especially important when skin is injured or vulnerable due to a chronic skin condition. This compound can disrupt the permeability barrier of the outer membrane of microbial cells causing cell death.

Antifungal: Tea tree oil has demonstrated strong antifungal activity against such infections as athlete’s foot, nail infections and seborrheic dermatitis.

Antioxidant: Tea tree oil has even greater antioxidant activity than vitamins C and E. It can neutralize free radicals to prevent inflammation and skin damage, reduce oxidative stress and lower the risk of skin cancer.   

Disinfectant: In the 1920’s, tea tree oil was discovered to be 11 times more potent than the medical gold standard that was currently in use, phenol. This oil can disinfect cuts, abrasions and boils. More importantly, it has been shown to be effective as a hand sanitizer to reduce the spread of infectious diseases and shows potential for use as an anti-coronavirus disinfectant agent.

Tea Tree Oil Uses

Tea tree oil can easily be a household staple, as it can be relied upon to treat minor issues such as sunburn, cuts or abrasions.

As well, it can be the sole treatment to address a number of skin concerns and conditions, or used alongside conventional therapies to support their effects and bring about better results; one small study showed a striking difference in wound healing time between those who used conventional therapy alone and those who added on tea tree oil. 

Skin care 

Because of its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties, tea tree oil can play a key role in addressing inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, contact dermatitis and rosacea.

Acne

Tea tree oil can provide a number of strong benefits to acne-prone skin. It has been demonstrated to kill Cutibacterium acnes and to reduce lesion counts of mild-to-moderate cases.

Reducing bacteria levels serves to reduce redness, swelling and inflammation, heals acne and improves skin’s appearance. 

In a comparative study of benzoyl peroxide and tea tree oil, both were equally effective at reducing inflamed and noninflamed lesions, but tea tree oil produced far less side effects. 

For oily skin that is acne-prone, tea tree oil can regulate sebum production and help keep pores clear; it can also counteract the drying effects of acne medications by soothing and relieving irritated, dry skin. This contributes to maintaining the integrity of the skin barrier.

Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis describes an itchy inflamed rash that results when skin makes contact with an irritant substance and triggers an allergic reaction. This could result from a wide range of substances such as clothes detergent, fabric softener, plants, rubber gloves, airborne irritants, etc. 

When this occurs, the body’s immune system responds by releasing histamine which dilates blood vessels and causes redness and swelling.

Tea tree oil has been shown to reduce histamine-induced skin inflammation to significantly decrease these uncomfortable symptoms.

In another comparative study, this essential oil outperformed standard topical medications by reducing symptoms of contact dermatitis by 40%.

Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder that is characterized by flushing of facial skin, visible blood vessels and sensations of burning or stinging.

Research has discovered that people with rosacea have greater numbers of Demodex mites on their skin, tiny parasites that live in hair follicle glands on the face and feed off dead skin cells and sebum. 

These mites cause irritation and itchiness by their very presence but also induce inflammation when they die by releasing bacteria onto skin and triggering an immune response. 

Tea tree oil has been shown to eradicate these mites due to several compounds but especially due to the activity of α-Terpineol and terpinen-4-ol. As an anti-inflammatory, this oil can also relieve inflammation and calm itchiness. 

Hair care

Tea tree oil’s antibacterial and antifungal properties make it an effective hair and scalp treatment. Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis are both common scalp complaints and are associated with an overgrowth of Malassezia globosa, a yeast-like fungus.

Tea tree oil has been shown to be an effective and well tolerated treatment due to its antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. This also makes it very effective against head lice and offers a natural alternative to harsh chemical treatments.

This essential oil improves scalp and hair health by removing dead skin cell buildup, deeply moisturizing to eliminate dryness and itchiness, and regulating oil production to target greasiness and promote a healthier scalp. 

Other uses

Owing to its large number and range of healing properties, this essential oil can be a highly effective agent to treat and prevent a number of issues. 

• Calms sunburns
• Disinfects skin to prevent infections
• Mouthwash to treat gingivitis 
• Prevents keloid scars from forming by suppressing inflammation
• Relieves cold sores
• Repels mosquitoes; antiparasitic to treat head lice and bed bugs    
• Treats blackheads
• Treats ingrown hairs and prevents infection
• Treats and prevents the growth of yeast infections on skin and in the oral cavity, such as Candida albicans

Tea Tree Oil Products

You can choose from a range of products such as toners, cleansers, creams, lotions, ointments and shampoos that contain tea tree oil; you can also purchase tea tree essential oil in its pure form. 

Many prepared formulations contain other ingredients for added benefits such as vitamin E for its antioxidant benefits; natural moisturizers such as shea butter, rosehip oil; other essential oils such as lavender or lemon oil for their fresh fragrances.

When purchasing this oil in its pure form, look for a reputable brand that is 100% natural, ideally organic and contains no additives. Choose a product that contains a concentration of  30%–40% of terpinen-4-ol.  

How to Use Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil must first be diluted with a carrier oil (such as almond, jojoba, olive or rosehip oil) before being applied to the skin to avoid irritation; use a ratio of 2 drops tea tree oil to 12 drops carrier oil. To determine any sensitivity, first perform a patch test and wait 24 hours.

To use, moisten a cotton ball with several drops of diluted essential oil and apply it to freshly washed skin. You can also add a few drops of undiluted oil to a topical skin care product and apply as needed. 

As with any type of treatment, consistent use will allow the active agents to take effect and  produce results. Apply this oil twice a day to the affected area; in general, it’s safe for all skin types but sensitive or acne-prone skin may become irritated. If this occurs, reduce use to once a day.

As a hair and scalp treatment, add 3–4 drops of undiluted tea tree oil to your palm and combine with a dollop of shampoo. Shampoo hair, allow to rest for 5 minutes and rinse well. 

You can also combine 2–3 drops with a carrier oil and massage into your scalp after washing as an effective leave-in treatment. 

Tea Tree Oil Safety and Side Effects

Tea tree oil can irritate sensitive skin, cause allergic reactions and is poisonous if ingested. 

Topical application

This essential oil can cause allergic reactions depending on the product being used; most reactions are caused by not diluting it first and less commonly, due to cosmetics. 

Tea tree oil can also cause dryness, stinging, itching, burning and redness in acne-prone and sensitive skin.

When used as an acne treatment, do not combine it with benzoyl peroxide or other similar  topical agents as the combined effect may be too harsh on skin.

Can tea tree oil be used undiluted?

No. Applying this essential oil undiluted to skin can cause redness, scaling, itching and irritation. You can also develop allergic dermatitis. 

Ensure proper dilution by combining 2 drops of tea tree oil to 12 drops of your favorite carrier oil; your skin will also benefit from the unique properties of that essential oil.

Other side effects

Both tea tree oil and lavender oil have been linked to prepubertal gynecomastia, a condition that causes breast enlargement in boys. This condition has been shown to resolve once the oils are discontinued.

A word about ingestion

Do not consume tea tree oil; it’s toxic when ingested and can lead to confusion, drowsiness, severe rashes, vomiting and hallucinations. 

While it is an effective treatment for gingivitis and cankers, when used diluted as a mouthwash, it is not meant to be swallowed.

Takeaway

Tea tree has been shown to be an effective, natural remedy to treat a wide range of skin issues and conditions due to its antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. This essential oil has a high concentration of terpenes which are the main active components.

This oil can suppress inflammation; kill bacteria, fungus and mites; inhibit bacterial and viral infections, regulate sebum production; and disinfect and cleanse skin. As such, it is an effective  treatment for various skin conditions including acne, contact dermatitis and rosacea, as well as dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.

Tea tree oil is suitable for all skin types, but sensitive skin should use with caution as it may be too harsh. Before using, ensure you dilute it properly with a carrier oil to avoid irritating skin.