MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) LEAF OIL
About the ratings
EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any.
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Function/use(s): Antioxidant; Fragrance Ingredient; PERFUMING
About MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) LEAF OIL: This ingredient is distilled from the leaves of Tea Tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, a shrub native to New Zealand.
Synonym(s): OILS, TEA TREE; TEA RESINOID; TEA TREE LEAF OIL; TEA TREE OIL; TEA TREE OILS; MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) ESSENTIAL OIL; MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) OIL; OILS, TEATREE; TEA EXTRACT; TEA LEAF, ABSOLUTE; TEA OIL; TEA TREE OIL; MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA ESSENTIAL OIL; MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA LEAF OIL
Endocrine disruption |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
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| Limited evidence of disruption |
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Henley et al 2007 |
Allergies/immunotoxicity |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
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| Limited evidence of toxicity |
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Pirker C et al, 2003 |
Data gaps |
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product conditions |
reference |
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| Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel |
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| 331 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical
see search results ->
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PubMed |
Ecotoxicology |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
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| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin |
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Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
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| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful |
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Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Multiple, additive exposure sources |
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product conditions |
reference |
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| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food |
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FDA Everything Added to Food |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications |
| government/industry list/academic study |
appears on list as |
classification(s) |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | TEA TREE OIL (MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA) | • ASP |
| Henley et al 2007 | TEA TREE OIL | in preliminary study, linked to prepubertal breast development in three boys, and to estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity in lab assays |
| Pirker C et al, 2003 | TEA TREE OIL | tea tree oil linked to sensitization (allergic reactions) in a number of case studies |
| Henley et al 2007 | TEA TREE OIL | in preliminary study, linked to prepubertal breast development in three boys, and to estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity in lab assays |
| Pirker C et al, 2003 | TEA TREE OIL | tea tree oil linked to sensitization (allergic reactions) in a number of case studies |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | OILS, TEA-TREE | ,,,U-Persistent,U-Bioaccumulative,,,,, |
| IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List | TEA TREE OIL | reported as used in fragrance compounds in 2008 |
references |
| government/industry list/academic study
| reference
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| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| Open scientific literature | Henley et al 2007. Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils. N Engl J Med. 2007 Feb 1;356(5):479-85. |
| Open scientific literature | Pirker C et al. 2003. Sensitization to tea tree oil in Germany and Austria. A multicenter study of the German Contact Dermatitis Group. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2003 Aug;1(8):629-34. |
| Open scientific literature | Henley et al 2007. Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils. N Engl J Med. 2007 Feb 1;356(5):479-85. |
| Open scientific literature | Pirker C et al. 2003. Sensitization to tea tree oil in Germany and Austria. A multicenter study of the German Contact Dermatitis Group. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2003 Aug;1(8):629-34. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List | IFRA (International Fragrance Assocication). 2010. IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List based on 2008 Use Survey. Accessed online 01/04/2010: http://www.ifraorg.org/Home/News/Latest-News/page.aspx/66?xf_itemId=43&xf_selectionDatapartId=25 |
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