Other Concerns
Enhanced skin absorption, Endocrine disruption (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)SYNONYMS
MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) ESSENTIAL OIL, MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) LEAF OIL, MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) OIL, MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA ESSENTIAL OIL, MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA LEAF OIL, OILS, TEA TREE, OILS, TEATREE, TEA EXTRACT; TEA LEAF, ABSOLUTE; TEA OIL; TEA TREE OIL, TEA RESINOID, TEA TREE LEAF OIL, TEA TREE OIL, and TEA TREE OILSRestricted
Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation
This ingredient is distilled from the leaves of Tea Tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, a shrub native to New Zealand.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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LOWCancer
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HIGHAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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LOWDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
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LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
shampoo | 129 products |
conditioner | 93 products |
facial cleanser | 88 products |
mask | 65 products |
hair treatment/serum | 59 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 57 products |
toothpaste | 54 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 50 products |
moisturizer | 46 products |
bar soap | 45 products |
serums & essences | 44 products |
toners/astringents | 43 products |
body wash/cleanser | 36 products |
exfoliant/scrub | 29 products |
foundation | 25 products |
beard oil | 25 products |
recreational sunscreen | 21 products |
foot moisturizer | 15 products |
concealer | 15 products |
mouthwash | 14 products |
foot cleansing | 12 products |
hand sanitizer | 12 products |
liquid hand soap | 11 products |
bath oil/salts/soak | 10 products |
nail treatment | 10 products |
hair styling aide | 9 products |
body oil | 8 products |
foot odor control | 8 products |
after shave | 8 products |
diaper cream | 7 products |
daily use with SPF | 7 products |
beard care | 7 products |
after sun product | 6 products |
muscle/joint soreness | 5 products |
tooth whitening | 5 products |
lip balm | 5 products |
hand cream | 5 products |
shaving cream (men's) | 4 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 4 products |
styling gel/lotion | 4 products |
hair spray | 4 products |
hair-loss treatment | 4 products |
damaged skin treatment | 4 products |
lip gloss | 4 products |
baby toothpaste | 4 products |
beard cleanser | 4 products |
pore strips | 3 products |
shaving cream | 3 products |
makeup remover | 3 products |
cuticle treatment | 3 products |
bubble bath | 3 products |
baby wipes | 3 products |
body spray | 3 products |
3 products | |
baby shampoo | 2 products |
baby soap | 2 products |
detangler | 2 products |
baby sunscreen | 2 products |
body firming lotion | 2 products |
setting powder/spray | 2 products |
makeup primer | 2 products |
sunless tanning | 1 products |
anti-aging | 1 products |
around-eye cream | 1 products |
baby lotion | 1 products |
hair removal waxes | 1 products |
fragrance for women | 1 products |
vapor rubs | 1 products |
hair color and bleaching | 1 products |
hair relaxer | 1 products |
BB cream | 1 products |
lip balm with SPF | 1 products |
body powder | 1 products |
eye shadow | 1 products |
styling mousse/foam | 1 products |
Enhanced skin absorption
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Penetration enhancer | Open scientific literature |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Known human any toxicant or allergen | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any toxicity or allergies | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any toxicity or allergies | Open scientific literature |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of any toxicity | Open scientific literature |
Classified as toxic or harmful. | Open scientific literature |
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of any irritation | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any irritation | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any irritation | Open scientific literature |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
One or more animal studies show any effects at low doses | Open scientific literature |
Endocrine disruption
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of any disruption | Open scientific literature |
Ecotoxicology
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | Open scientific literature |
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
570 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- 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.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
Understanding scores
Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.
Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORESHazard score
The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED™ mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.
Data availability
The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.