Scientific study about Tea Tree Oil

Introduction This fact sheet provides basic information about tea tree oil—common names and what the science says, Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the tea tree and has been used medicinally for centuries by the

aboriginal people of Australia. Today, tea tree oil is often used externally as a folk or traditional remedy for a number of conditions including acne, athlete's foot, nail fungus, wounds, and infections; or for lice, oral candidiasis (thrush), cold sores, dandruff, and skin lesions. Tea tree oil is primarily used topically (applied to the skin).

What the Science Says A 2004 NCCIH-funded review examined the ability of tea tree oil to kill bacteria and found that in vitro (in a test tube) studies may provide some preliminary evidence for the use of tea tree oil as an adjunctive (additional) treatment for wounds involving difficult-to-treat bacterial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, large, well-designed clinical trials on tea tree oil are lacking, and it remains unclear whether tea tree oil is effective against these emerging resistant strains of bacteria in people.

Some smaller-scale clinical studies have had positive results for treating athlete's foot, nail fungus, dandruff, and acne.

Tea tree oil may be effective for acne. One clinical trial compared a 5 percent tea tree oil gel to a 5 percent benzoyl peroxide product for the treatment of acne and found that the benzoyl peroxide worked slightly better but that the tea tree oil had fewer side effects.