Safety
According to the American Cancer Society: "Tea tree oil is toxic when swallowed. It has been reported to cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, coma, unsteadiness, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach upset, blood cell abnormalities, and severe rashes. It should be kept away from pets and children."
Some people can experience allergic contact dermatitis as a reaction to dermal contact with tea tree oil. Allergic reactions may be due to the various oxidation products that are formed by exposure of the oil to light and/or air.
In dogs and cats, transient signs of toxicity (lasting 2 to 3 days), such as depression, weakness, incoordination and muscle tremors, have been reported after external application at inappropriately high doses.
One reported case of transient gynecomastia in a boy who was using a hair styling gel containing both lavender and tea tree oil suggests that tea tree oil may possess endocrine disrupting activity capable of leading to gynecomastia. Gynaecomastia resolved within a few months of stopping the product, and the antiandrogenic effects of lavender and tea tree oil were confirmed using human breast cancer cell lines.
If used in concentrations below 4% or particularly below 0.25%, tea tree oil may fail to kill bacteria and create selection pressure, which may result in them becoming less sensitive to tea tree oil and even some antibiotics in vitro.
Undiluted tea tree oil can cause some hearing loss when used in the ears of non-human animals; however, a 2% concentration has not been shown to have any lasting effect. It is not known whether the same is true for humans.
Read more about this topic: Tea Tree Oil
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