Tea tree oil
Also appears on labels as: tea tree (melaleuca alternifolia) leaf oil, melaleuca oil
A steam-distilled oil from Melaleuca alternifolia leaves, containing terpinen-4-ol and related terpenes.
Watched ingredients get highlighted on every product panel you open.
- Where it comes from
- Australian tea tree plantations.
- Why it's in the product
- Antimicrobial and antifungal claims in shampoos and topical treatments.
- Safety and toxicity
- Dose is everything here. At the roughly 0.1 to 1 percent dilution used in pet shampoos it is generally tolerated. Concentrated tea tree oil applied to pets is a documented poisoning: the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has case series of ataxia, tremors, and depression in dogs and cats from undiluted product. Cats are markedly more sensitive because they lack an efficient liver pathway for these compounds.
- Interactions and who should be careful
- Never apply undiluted tea tree oil to a pet, and be extra cautious with cats and small dogs. If your pet is on a shampoo containing it and seems wobbly or lethargic after a bath, call your vet.
General reference, not veterinary advice. Dose, breed, and existing conditions change the answer, so talk to your vet before changing what your pet eats. Think we got this wrong? Tell us and we log it publicly.
Found in 4 scored products
We flag it by name on 4 of them. Lowest scores first.
Panel Score 78 out of 100, grade B: Good, check the flags
TropiCleanOatmeal & Tea Tree Medicated Shampooflagged on this product's score page
Panel Score 86 out of 100, grade B: Good, check the flags
EarthbathTreatment Balmflagged on this product's score page
Panel Score 86 out of 100, grade B: Good, check the flags
Vet's BestEar Relief Finger Wipesflagged on this product's score page
Panel Score 90 out of 100, grade A: Pretty good
Vet's BestOatmeal Medicated Shampooflagged on this product's score page