Tea Tree Essential Oil
Updated Mar. 11th, 2025 | Read Time: 3 Minutes | What You Will Learn:
- Tea Tree Plant Information
- Tea Tree Essential Oil Information
- Tea Tree Oil Applications
- Shopping For Quality Essential Oils
- Tea Tree Oil DIY's
Tea tree essential oil comes from the land down under. It's a hardy plant with many medicinal benefits.
Tea Tree Plant Information
Plant History
Tea Tree is native to Eastern Australia, it was originally used by the Bundjaling people. However, it wasn’t first recorded for its medicinal uses until the 18th century when Captain James Cook discovered tea tree by observing the Bundjaling people and how they used its healing properties.
The Bundjaling tribes used it to breathe in the vapours to treat coughs and colds. They would also use the leaves to dress wounds and infections.
Botanical Information
Tea Tree's scientific name is Melaleuca alterniflolia, and belongs to the Myrtle family, myrtaceae. Tea Tree is a hardy, medium-sized tree/ shrub with papery bark and pointed green leaves. It blooms small white flowers in the Spring that resemble bottle brushes.
Growing Information
Tea tree plants thrive in mild temperatures and when shielded from direct sun and wind. It’s important to plant them in free-draining, semi-acidic soil. Tea Tree doesn’t require a lot of watering and can be potted or planted outdoors.
Parts Used
The leaves of the Tea Tree plant house the oil and active ingredients and are used in essential oil extraction.
Tea Tree Essential Oil Information
Extraction Method For Tea Tree Oil
The best Tea Tree oil is extracted through steam distillation. The leaves are placed in a steam chamber with tubes where the water vapour settles. In this basin, the oil sits on top of the water and the two are separated. Once separated, the oil is bottled for aromatherapy and the fragrant water is used in other products.
Active Ingredients Found in Tea Tree Essential Oil
The main chemical constituents found in tea tree oil include terpinen-4-ol, y-terpinene, a-terpinene, a-pinene, 1.8 cineole, and linalool. All of these properties are what give this plant its medicinal and healing benefits.
Tea Tree Oil Benefits
Cleaning Properties
- Mix with hand cream to create an anti-bacterial cream
- Place a few drops in the toilet bowl and let it sit before flushing to clean
- Mix tea tree oil with dish soap to clean the sink daily
Acne Banisher
Does tea tree oil get rid of acne? Due to tea tree's anti-bacterial properties, it is great for fighting acne.
- Mix tea tree with tamanu oil and use a drop as a spot treatment
- Mix a couple of drops of tea tree oil with face wash to get rid of blemishes
- Add a couple of drops with your favourite moisturizer to hydrate and eliminate pimples
Scalp Remedy
Tea tree helps reduce yeast, which can eliminate dandruff.
- For a tea tree oil shampoo, mix tea tree with your favourite shampoo to cleanse your scalp and mitigate dandruff
- Mix tea tree with rosemary oil and avocado oil and use as a scalp treatment before showering
Shopping For Quality Essential Oils
When shopping for aromatherapy oils, always check the extraction method, steam-distilled and cold-pressed oils yield the best quality. Purchase organic when possible and check the label to see if the oil is pure or pre-mixed with a carrier oil.All essential oils must be mixed with a carrier oil before use on the skin.
Recipes
| Bugz Be Gone | ||
|---|---|---|
| In a bottle, mix: | 3 drops Tea Tree oil | 2 drops Citronella oil |
| 2 drops Lavender oil | 45ml Witch Hazel | |
| Shake before each use and spray in the air or on your clothes before going outside. |
| Home Cleanser | ||
|---|---|---|
| In a bottle, mix: | 3 drops Tea Tree oil | 30ml Apple Cider Vinegar |
| 2 drops Lemon oil | 20ml Witch Hazel | |
| Shake before each use and use on counters and toilets. |
| Air Freshener | ||
|---|---|---|
| In a spritz bottle, mix: | 3 drops Tea Tree oil | 45ml Witch Hazel |
| 2 drops Lavender oil | ||
| Shake before each use and spray to freshen your home. |
Teatree oil is such a great essential oil not only does it smell nice but it’s great for cleaning and it is also a great way to use Teatree oil as to use it as skin care. That’s something I’ve been a fan of. Haven’t found fun for a while now I really love this article as it really wanted to depth about the different usages of Teatree oil and the benefits to it. It is really cool that that it can also be used as a natural bug repellent, which is something I did not realize prior to this article so thank you so much for sharing a fun article!