Tea Tree (also known as melaleuca oil) is one of our perennial best-selling essential oils. If you’ve ever been to a health food store, you know that tea tree is a popular addition to everything from home cleaning solutions and chest rubs or even shampoos.

But what does Tea Tree oil do?

Thanks to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, Tea Tree essential oil is an incredibly versatile oil for topical use and aromatherapy alike. Yet its distinctive herbal, camphorous and slightly medicinal aroma can leave some people stumped about how to pair it with the other aromatic essential oils in their toolkit.

In this short guide, we’ll cover 8 amazing Tea Tree oil benefits and how to use Tea Tree oil in your daily life.

1. Calms & Soothes

Between family obligations and daily errands, it can be difficult to make time for yourself. When you can’t stop to catch a breath, you end up feeling stressed and overextended.

No matter how busy your schedule, it’s easy to make time for aromatherapy. All you need is a pocket diffuser and a single calming pure essential oil or a synergy blend.

In cases like these, reach for an essential oil blend that includes Tea Tree essential oil.

• Tea Tree aromatherapy oil benefits include rest and relaxation.

• Tea Tree is frequently used in chest rubs because its anti-inflammatory properties can help to open airways.

• Inhaling Tea Tree’s aroma through steam distillation can make it easier to take deep, nourishing breaths that calm your nervous system.

While solely diffusing Tea Tree oil works well on its own, many people prefer a slightly brighter aroma. We recommend Deep Breath synergy blend, which pairs calming Tea Tree with other stress-busting oils including:

• Eucalyptus

• Peppermint

• Cardamom

• Laurel Leaf

• Vetiver

• Ravintsara

Use your aromatherapy oil of choice in your personal diffuser and diffuse as you get ready first thing in the morning to set the stage for a grounded day.

2. Supports Healthy Sleep

Do you get into bed dead tired only to find that your racing thoughts keep you up well past your bedtime? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night with tomorrow’s obligations on your mind?

Among the many Tea Tree essential oil benefits, improved sleep may be one of the favorites.

Because diffusing Tea Tree oil is so soothing and calming, it can help to quiet your nervous mind so that you can finally get the sleep you need. 

Use pure Tea Tree oil in your nighttime shower or pop it in your essential oil diffuser right before bed. Pair it with calming Lavender for enhanced effects.

3. Boosts Your Immunity

Tea Tree oil has made an appearance in traditional aboriginal and Australian medicinal practices for almost a century, where it’s used to help conditions including:

• Coughing

• A Cold

• Minor skin wounds

• A Sore throat

Modern science is starting to understand the specific chemical properties that make Tea Tree an ally for a well-functioning immune system and fighting off infection.

Recent research suggests that Tea Tree has the following potential immune-boosting capabilities:

• Supports skin barrier – Our largest organ, skin is the first line of defense against fungi, bacteria and viruses in our environment. Thanks to its antimicrobial properties, Tea Tree can support the skin’s defense system and help prevent or aid skin irritation.

• Aids respiratory health – During the cold and flu season, pathogens of every type attack our sensitive respiratory tissue. Tea Tree essential oil diffuser benefits may include helping combat coughs and colds caused by bacteria.

• Clears inflammation – Inflammation is the body’s normal response to perceived threats. But when we’re stressed, undernourished or tired, inflammation can become chronic. In turn, we experience negative health effects including decreased immunity. Because Tea Tree is anti-inflammatory, it can help to restore regular immune system functioning.

While Tea Tree isn’t a cure-all for cold symptoms, there are numerous immune benefits of diffusing Tea Tree oil. 

Besides diffusing, try out the following additional methods for experiencing Tea Tree:

• Fill a bowl with hot water, then add a few drops of Tea Tree and inhale to open airways 

• Add Tea Tree to a homemade chest rub and apply it before bed

4. Reduces Discomfort

Inflammation is the body’s way of signaling cellular systems to send resources to the site of a threat or injury. Inflammation crops up in the face of invading bacteria, stress and even the micro-tears caused to our muscles after vigorous exercise.

In all the above cases, inflammation can result in soreness.

Since Tea Tree is strongly anti-inflammatory, applying it topically can send helpful compounds to inflamed sites, potentially reducing our physical discomfort.

Try out the following tricks for soothing sore muscles and recovering from exercise:

• Add Tea Tree oil to your bath

• Give yourself a massage using diluted Tea Tree oil. Dilute with a carrier oil such as Jojoba oil or Fractionated Coconut oil

• Create a muscle rub using Tea Tree and other anti-inflammatory oils

5. Nourishes Skin Health

One of the most popular Tea Tree essential oil uses is topical application.

Tea Tree has long been used as a traditional aboriginal remedy for skin issues from rashes and acne scars to minor cuts and scrapes or a skin reaction. New research studies show that it may also play a role in achieving bright, glowing, youthful-looking skin.

What causes fine lines, redness and uneven skin tone?

While both age and environment play a role in common skin issues, there’s one root condition at play—oxidative stress.

• When our skin is exposed to damaging UV rays, environmental pollution and other stressors, cells are stripped of oxygen particles. 

• As a result, they become unstable and seek to bond with other cells. This only spreads the damage.

• With its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, Tea Tree can help to combat oxidative stress and hasten the process of cellular repair.

Over time, oxidative stress can lead to fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin texture and blotchy skin tone. By fighting this stress, Tea Tree helps skin look its best.

When using Tea Tree oil topically for skin care, follow these guidelines:

• Dilute to 3% to 5% for application below the neck

• Dilute to 1% for facial applications

To experience enhanced effects, pair Tea Tree with Lemon and other skin-nourishing oils.

6. Cleans And Refreshes Your Environment

We’ve already discussed Tea Tree’s antimicrobial properties. Beyond supporting a healthy immune system, these cleansing properties also make Tea Tree an excellent addition to natural home cleaning solutions.

Did you know that some essential oils display antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal activity that rivals harsher chemical cleansers? 

Pair Tea Tree with distilled white vinegar and other germ-busting essential oils to achieve sparkling countertops, spotless bathroom tiles and squeaky-clean floors throughout your home.

To make cleaning day just a little bit easier, we’ve created two synergy blends that pair antimicrobial Tea Tree with other beneficial oils.

• Cleaning synergy blend – Incorporating floral notes of Lavender, Lemongrass and Spanish Rosemary alongside Tea Tree oil, Cleaning synergy blend is highly cleansing, but could easily do double-duty as a sophisticated perfume.

• Aroma Fresh synergy blend – Crisp and clean, Aroma Fresh synergy blend combines Tea Tree with zesty Lemon and Lime, herbaceous Cilantro and bright Siberian Fir Needle oil (amongst others) for a nontoxic aroma reminiscent of your parents’ Pine-Sol.

Once you’re done cleaning with these oils, you’ll find that your environment has a fresh, clean aroma to match its look!

7. Strengthens Hair And Nails

You’ve probably seen Tea Tree oil shampoo, conditioner and hand cream.

Why?

Our hair and nails are both rich in a natural substance called keratin, and that’s not all they have in common. Hair and nail growth can be stymied by environmental factors. 

• Issues at the root of the nail can change nails’ texture and appearance. For example, fungi can cause yellow, brittle and generally unappealing nails. Tea Tree oil can help fight against fungal infection (such as toenail fungus).

• Issues with hair follicles can slow hair growth and cause dry scalp, hair loss or brittle hair. Both fungi and hair follicle irritation can result in dandruff.

We’ve already sung Tea Tree oil’s praises as an antimicrobial aid. The same properties that make this oil ideal for boosting immunity and nourishing sensitive skin, acne prone skin or dry skin, can also protect your hair and nails from common irritants that result in cosmetic issues.

8. Promotes Overall Well-Being

Ever notice how you’ll often get sick right after a big push to complete a work project, cook a holiday meal or accomplish a major household renovation task?

While we tend to know our mental limits, we often demand much more of our bodies without thinking about the toll it eventually takes on our health.

While everyone needs sufficient rest, plenty of water and three healthy meals a day, we can also call on essential oil allies to give our bodies the support they need to keep going. Because there are so many beneficial Tea Tree oil uses, it’s a go-to natural remedy for nourishing yourself on multiple levels.

Incorporate this aromatherapy oil into your daily routine to find support when you most need it.

Sources: 

1. Carson, Christine, K. A. Hammer, and T. V. Riley. “Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties.” Clinical Microbiology Reviews 19.1 (2006): 50-62. https://cmr.asm.org/content/19/1/50.short#sec-17 

2. The Mayo Clinic. Dandruff. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dandruff/symptoms-causes/syc-20353850