Tea Tree

A natural history

Tea tree is a paperbark shrub native to the marshy coastal lowlands of northern New South Wales in Australia. The Bundjalung people of that country have used it for countless generations, crushing the narrow leaves into a paste for skin and wounds and breathing in their sharp scent to clear the head. Local tradition even tells of healing lakes, lagoons where fallen tea tree leaves had steeped into the water over years until it was prized for bathing tired, troubled skin.

The odd name comes from the sea. When the crew of Captain Cook's eighteenth century voyage reached the Australian coast, they brewed the fragrant leaves into a tea like drink, and the label stuck. The oil's reputation as an antiseptic was documented in the 1920s, and by the Second World War tea tree oil was tucked into the first aid kits of Australian soldiers, considered important enough that its leaf cutters were excused from military service.

What it does for your skin

Tea tree oil owes its character to a compound called terpinen-4-ol. In an early controlled trial, a five percent tea tree gel reduced the look of blemishes about as well as a benzoyl peroxide lotion, and more gently.^[1] A later double blind, placebo controlled study found a five percent tea tree gel improved the look of mild to moderate blemish-prone skin significantly more than a placebo.^[2] In a formula it is a classic clarifying, purifying note for oily and congested skin. Used in skincare it is always diluted.

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