The Next Miracle Tree: Tea Tree and Its Relatives

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Although research on its effectiveness was limited and the results were not definitive (see “The Scientific Record”, page 50), the late 1930s saw an increase in the use of tea tree oil, primarily in Australia, as a disinfectant in soaps and as a topical treatment for parasitic skin diseases; a glass of water with a couple of drops of tea tree oil was considered an excellent gargle for relief of sore throats in the early stages of inflammation.

Its confirmed antiseptic activity, apparent lack of toxicity, and gentleness on mucous membranes (when sufficiently diluted) eventually gave the oil a temporary foothold among Australian dentists. The more adventuresome among them began using a product called Melasol (essential oil of melaleuca in aqueous suspension) to treat several forms of gum disease. Some general practitioners used the oil in treating throat infections, dirty wounds, and fungal infections such as ringworm, athlete’s foot, and candida.

The commercial success of tea tree oil was tentative at best, partly because the source of supply was limited and partly because the oil varied widely in quality. The leaves had to be harvested from wild trees, and efficient harvesting was hampered by the trees’ location in wet areas. A company called Australian Essential Oils extracted most of the country’s supply by setting up stills in the swamps.

In spite of these problems, the oil managed to sustain commercial interest through the Second World War. Australian soldiers deployed to tropical regions carried it in their first aid kits as an antiseptic and to combat fungus infections. In ammunition factories, it was added to machine cutting oils to reduce infection from injuries caused by metal filings and turnings. After the war, however, the use of tea tree oil gradually declined with the proliferation of antibiotics. Only a handful of stills remained in operation to supply oil for limited commercial applications. By the mid-1970s, years of poor harvests and wide variation in supply and quality, coupled with a marked lack of promotion, led to nearly complete dissolution of the Australian tea tree oil industry.

At about that time, Christopher Dean, a young entrepreneur, and his family took a new tack: they began cultivating M. alternifolia on a plantation near Bungawalbyn Creek in northern New South Wales, where the tree was growing wild. By the early 1980s, they were bottling their own tea tree oil and selling it through pharmacies and health food stores throughout Australia. Part of the Deans’ success came from hard work and part from luck and timing, but it was their slogan, “a medicine chest in a bottle”, that soon caused the market to explode. In 1985, ten metric tons of the oil was produced in Australia, and a year later, the newly formed Australian Tea Tree Industry Association boasted more than sixty members.

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