Tea Tree Organic Essential Oil

The tea tree, also known as Melaleuca alternifolia, belongs to the Myrtaceae family. It is a shrub that can reach 5 to 6 meters in height, with bark peeling off in thin strips. It grows in the wild or cultivated in the humid regions of Australia, the Comoros, Madagascar, Zambia, and South Africa.

The leaves of the tea tree are alternate, lanceolate, and intensely green, emitting a powerful aromatic fragrance. Traditional Australian healers used these leaves to treat various conditions, wounds, and injuries, similar to the use of ravintsara by Malagasy healers. This practice was observed by James Cook and adopted on his ships, thereby improving the sailors' quality of life.

The white flowers of the tea tree are arranged in spikes, distinguishing it from niaouli. The essential oil of tea tree, obtained by steam distillation of the leafy branches, is a clear, colorless or pale yellow liquid.