Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil, is an essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odor and a colour that ranges from pale yellow to nearly colourless and clear. It is derived from the leaves of the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, native to southeast Queensland and the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. The oil comprises many constituent chemicals and its composition changes if it is exposed to air and oxidizes. Tea tree oil is used for acne, infestation of the eyelashes with a type of mite (ocular demodicosis), toenail fungus (onychomycosis), and athlete's foot (Tinea pedis). It is also used for dandruff, lice, bad breath, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support its other uses.

The oil has been used for almost 100 years as a healing treatment in Australia, particularly for skin conditions. Today it is used for a number of conditions. Tea tree oil is probably best known for its antibacterial activity. The antimicrobial activity associated with the oil comes from its ability to damage the cell walls of bacteria. Tea tree oil may help quell inflammation, possibly due to its high concentration of terpinen-4-ol, a compound with anti-inflammatory properties. In animal tests, terpinen-4-ol was found to suppress inflammatory activity in cases of mouth infection. In humans, topically applied tea tree oil reduced swelling in histamine-induced skin inflammation more effectively than paraffin oil.

It has an ability to kill a range of yeasts and fungi. The majority of the studies reviewed focus on Candida albicans, a type of yeast which commonly affects the skin, genitals, throat, and mouth. Other research suggests that terpinen-4-ol enhances the activity of fluconazole, a common antifungal drug, in cases of resistant strains of Candida albicans. Symptoms of athlete’s foot, or tinea pedis, were reduced through topical application of a tea tree oil cream, according to one study. A 10 percent tea tree oil cream appeared to reduce the symptoms as effectively as 1 percent tolnaftate, an antifungal medication. However, the tea tree oil was no more effective than a placebo in achieving a total cure.

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. People with dandruff who used a 5 percent tea tree oil shampoo daily for 4 weeks showed significant improvements in overall severity, as well as in the levels of itchiness and greasiness, when compared with a placebo. Research compared tea tree oil and nerolidol – a natural compound found in some essential oils – in the treatment of head lice. The tea tree oil was more effective at killing the lice, eradicating 100 percent after 30 minutes. On the other hand, nerolidol was more effective at killing the eggs.

Tea tree oil is likely unsafe when taken by mouth. Don't take tea tree oil by mouth. Taking tree tea oil by mouth has caused serious side effects, including confusion, inability to walk, unsteadiness, rash, and coma. Tea tree oil is possibly safe for most people when put on the skin. It may cause skin irritation and swelling. In people with acne, it can sometimes cause skin dryness, itching, stinging, burning, and redness.

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