Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil, is an essential oil distilled from the leaves of the native Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia.
In recent decades, its popularity has grown in other areas of the world as an alternative and complementary treatment. Today, tea tree oil is commonly found in cosmetics, topical medicines, and household products.
The oil has been used for almost 100 years as a healing treatment in Australia, particularly for skin conditions. Today, it is used for several reasons. Published @ medicalnewstoday.com, tea tree oil is best known for its antibacterial activity.
Some research suggests that the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity associated with the oil comes from its ability to damage the cell walls of bacteria.
Tea tree oil may help quell inflammation due to its high concentration of Turpin-4-ol, a compound with anti-inflammatory properties. In animal tests, Turpin-4-ol was found to suppress inflammatory activity in cases of mouth infection. In humans, topically applied tea tree oil reduced swelling and histamine-induced skin inflammation more effectively than paraffin oil.
According to one study, symptoms of athlete’s foot, or tinea pedis, were reduced through topical application of a tea tree oil cream. A 10% tea tree oil cream appeared to reduce the symptoms as effectively as 1% tolnaftate, an antifungal medication. However, the tea tree oil was no more effective than a placebo in achieving a total cure.
More recent research compared higher concentrations of tea tree oil on athlete’s foot with a placebo. A marked improvement in symptoms was seen in 68% of people who used a 50% tea tree oil application, with 64% achieving total cure. This was over double the improvement seen in the placebo group.
Contact dermatitis is a form of eczema caused by contact with an irritant or allergen. Several treatments for contact dermatitis were compared, including tea tree oil, zinc oxide, and clobetasone butyrate.
Results suggest that tea tree oil was more effective in suppressing allergic contact dermatitis than other treatments. However, it did not have an effect on irritant contact dermatitis.
Head lice are becoming more resistant to medical treatments, so experts increasingly consider essential oils as alternatives. Research compared tea tree oil and nerolidol, a natural compound found in some essential oils, to treat head lice.
The tea tree oil effectively killed the lice, eradicating 100% after 30 minutes. On the other hand, nerolidol was more effective at killing the eggs. A combination of both substances, at a ratio of 1 part to 2, worked best to destroy both the lice and the eggs.
Other research has found that combining tea tree oil and lavender oil was effective at ‘suffocating.’
Fungal infections commonly cause nail abnormalities and can be difficult to cure. One study compared the effects of a cream comprising 5% tea tree oil and 2% butenafine hydrochloride, a synthetic antifungal, with a placebo. After 16 weeks., the nail fungus was cured in 80% of people. None of the cases in the placebo group was cured. Another study showed in the laboratory that tea tree oil effectively eliminates nail fungus.
According to one study, mild to moderate dandruff related to the yeast Pityrisporum ovale may be treated with 5% tea tree oil. People with dandruff who used a 5% tea tree oil shampoo daily for four weeks showed significant improvements in overall severity, as well as the levels of itchiness and greasiness, compared with a placebo.
Participants experience no adverse side effects. Another study found tea tree oil shampoo effective for treating children with cradle cap.
