What the research says

Research on tea tree oil use for specific conditions shows:

• Acne. Research suggests that putting a gel that has 5% tea tree oil in it might help relieve acne. Tea tree oil may irritate the skin less than other acne treatments such as benzoyl peroxide. However, tea tree oil may not work as fast as benzoyl peroxide can.
• Dandruff. Research has not shown that tea tree oil will definitely treat dandruff. A shampoo that has 5% tea tree oil in it that was used for four weeks helped treat dandruff in one study.
• Athlete's foot. A tea tree oil cream, applied twice a day for one month, may relieve some symptoms of athlete's foot. The cream doesn't seem to work as well as antifungal medicines.
• Lice. Tea tree oil alone or combined with lavender oil has shown some promise in treating lice. Standard medicines have been better studied and are thought to work better.
• Nail fungus. Research hasn't shown tea tree oil is effective in treating toenail fungus. One small study found that pure tea tree oil helped a small amount of people who used it to treat toenail fungus. But other studies on using lower amounts of tea tree oil haven't found it helps treat toenail fungus. Tea tree oil may work well when used with other antifungal medicines.
• Mite infections. Smaller research studies suggest that topical tea tree oil may treat a mite infection that occurs on the lower eyelids, called ocular demodicosis. Using tea tree oil wipes for the eyelids may be less irritating than scrubs for the eyes. More studies are needed.
• Dental plaque. Brushing the teeth and then using a mouthwash with a small amount of tea tree oil afterward may lessen dental plaque. Some people may report burning as a side effect.

The way tea tree oil is prepared can vary. A person's results may be different based on how the tea tree oil is made and how much of it is in the product.