What is Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil also known as Melaleuca oil, is an essential oil with a refreshing camphor smell and a color that ranges from pale yellow to almost colorless and transparent.It is derived from the leaves of the tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia, which is native to southeastern Queensland and the northeastern coast of New South Wales, Australia.Oil contains many chemical components, and if exposed to air and oxidized, its composition changes.Commercial use of tea tree oil began in the 1920s by entrepreneur Arthur Penfold.The global tea tree oil market was valued at USD 39 million as of 2017.As a traditional medicine, it is commonly used as a topical application in low concentrations to treat skin conditions, but there is little evidence of efficacy.Tea tree oil is claimed to be useful in the treatment of dandruff, acne, lice, herpes, insect bites, scabies, and fungal or bacterial infections of the skin.However, due to the limited number of studies conducted on the topic, there is insufficient evidence to support these claims.Tea tree oil is neither a patented product nor an approved drug in the United States,although it is approved in Australia as a complementary medicine to aromatherapy.Toxic if taken orally, not safe for children.

Uses 

Tea tree oil has been used in traditional herbal medicine,where it is believed to treat acne, nail fungus or athlete's foot, but there is little evidence to support these uses.A 2015 Cochrane systematic review of complementary therapies for acne found a single low-quality trial showing benefit compared to placebo.According to the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products (CHMP), traditional use suggests that tea tree oil is a reasonable treatment for "superficial minor wounds, insect bites and small sores," and it may help relieve itching in mild cases of athlete's foot and Helps relieve mild inflammation of the lining of the mouth.CHMP states that tea tree oil products should not be used by persons under the age of 12.Tea tree oil is not recommended for nail fungus as it is not effective. It is not recommended for the treatment of head lice in children because its effectiveness and safety have not been established and it may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.Insufficient evidence that tea tree oil is effective in treating Demodex infestation.

Toxicity

Ingestion of tea tree oil is highly toxic.It may cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, coma, unsteadiness, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abnormal blood cells, and severe rash.It should be kept away from pets and children.Tea tree oil should not be used in or around the mouth.Applying tea tree oil to the skin can cause an allergic reaction.As the oil ages and its chemical composition changes, the potential to cause an allergic reaction increases.Adverse reactions include skin irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, generalized contact dermatitis, linear immunoglobulin A disease, erythema multiforme-like reaction, and systemic hypersensitivity.Hypersensitivity reactions may be due to various oxidation products formed when the oil is exposed to light and air.Therefore, oxidized tea tree oil should not be used.In Australia, tea tree oil is one of many essential oils responsible for poisoning, mainly in children.Between 2014 and 2018, a total of 749 incidents of essential oil poisoning were reported in New South Wales, accounting for 17% of all essential oil poisoning incidents.