Tea Tree Oil May Be Your Secret to Healthy Hair and Scalp

Tea tree oil may just be the ticket to a healthy scalp and full hair. The humble essential oil that you can find in your local health food store has been used medicinally for more than a century and is touted for its antimicrobial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. That’s not just good news for your skin: Tea tree oil also has plenty of benefits for the hair and scalp. To learn more about the essential oil, we tapped two dermatologists and a cosmetic chemist. Keep reading to learn all about how you can use tea tree oil for your hair, from the multiple benefits to tips for the best experience.

What Is Tea Tree Oil?

Before we dive into what tea tree oil can do for hair, let’s learn a bit more about the essential oil that’s about to have a permanent home in your shower (especially if you have dandruff). The buzzy oil has been around for centuries and is derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia plant, which is a small tree native to Australia. Indigenous groups in Australia used the oil for targeted healing, for example, to treat coughs and skin issues.

One of the oil’s main ingredients is a compound known as Terpinen-4-ol, which has strong antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. This makes tea tree oil a hero for skincare—and that includes the skin on your scalp. At the end of the day, a healthy scalp is truly the foundation for healthy hair—more on the specific ways this happens below.

Benefits of Tea Tree Oil for Hair

Tea tree oil has the ability to transform your hair, starting at the scalp. Its antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties make it a potent treatment for dandruff and more, improving overall scalp health.

• Fights the flakes of dandruff: Dandruff is typically caused by yeast infecting the scalp. Dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD, points to tea tree oil’s antibacterial and antifungal properties to explain its research-proven ability to treat the source of dandruff. Participants in this study who used tea tree oil shampoo showed a 41% improvement in their dandruff symptoms. Additionally, tea tree oil can reduce the itchiness associated with dandruff as it fights the flake-forming yeast.
• Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties: “It has antimicrobial properties,” explains cosmetic chemist Ginger King. That means tea tree oil can also relieve other itchy conditions of the scalp, such as seborrheic dermatitis. It has potent antioxidants, which can help alleviate the redness, itching, and pain that can accompany conditions of the scalp.
• Reduces inflammation and eczema: Tea tree oil is also thought to help reduce inflammation by reducing certain markers of this concern, Garshick explains. Dermatologist Morgan Rabach, MD, agrees, adding that tea tree oil may have anti-inflammatory properties due to its antioxidants. Inflammation of the scalp is one of the leading causes of hair loss, so reducing inflammation may prevent future hair loss.
• Regulates oil production: Oily or greasy hair can often result from dandruff or other bacteria on the scalp. By treating the source of the overproduction, tea tree oil can help regulate the scalp’s oil production, resulting in a healthier scalp and better-looking hair.
• Can contribute to new hair growth: A healthy scalp is essential to new hair growth. Tea tree oil’s relationship with hair growth is indirect, but improving overall scalp health can foster a healthy environment for the hair to grow, Garshick explains. There is some evidence that it may help improve scalp health and reduce dandruff, which does, in turn, allow hair to be its healthiest, Rabach adds.
• May prevent thinning: When tea tree oil’s antioxidant properties reduce stressors, they also can reduce the damage to the follicles and scalp that these may cause. This can prevent hair loss and lead to increased thickness over time.
• All-natural delousing treatment: Exposure to head lice often means using harsh chemical treatments to curb the infestation and prevent new eggs from hatching. A study found that tea tree oil was an effective treatment for lice for those looking for a holistic approach to delousing.

Essential Oil vs. Fragrance Oil

When using tea tree oil to treat the hair and scalp, it’s important to make sure you are using an essential oil—not just a fragrance oil, as fragrance oils do not contain the same health benefits. Essential oils are obtained through hydrodistillation, steam distillation, dry distillation, or the mechanical cold pressing of plants. These differ from fragrance oils, which are often manufactured in a lab.

Hair Type Considerations

The experts agree that tea tree oil is safe for all hair types and textures, as it has little to no effect on the hair itself. Tea tree oil can be used to treat scalp conditions, such as dandruff, but it is important to note that it has the potential to cause irritation. Rabach explains that anyone can use tea tree oil, but it can cause contact or irritant dermatitis and allergic reactions.

“People that have allergies to Balsam of Peru, benzoin, colophony tinctures, eucalyptol, or plants from the myrtle family, have a greater likelihood of being allergic to tea tree oil and those people should skin test by putting some oil on their Inner arm and waiting two to three days,” Rabach cautions.

How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Hair

Tea tree oil can be used in two ways to benefit your scalp health: in its pure essential oil form or as an active ingredient in shampoos. Due to the high potential for sensitivity when using tea tree oil on the scalp, it’s usually best to dilute it with a carrier oil before application. Tea tree oil is often best applied to the scalp in a shampoo, especially for those with more sensitive skin, to minimize the risk of sensitivity or irritation, Garshick cautions. It’s also important to check the label, as stronger concentrations are more likely to irritate. As with any other new ingredient, it is important to test a small skin patch before applying it to your whole head.

• Add drops of tea tree oil to your shampoo: To enjoy the benefits with minimal irritation, try adding tea tree oil to your favorite shampoo. Add two to three drops of tea tree oil to your palm and mix with your normal amount of shampoo. Leave on for five minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Avoid adding tea tree oil directly to the bottle, as you may need to discontinue use if irritation occurs.
• Create a massage oil for your scalp: Rabach recommends applying tea tree oil post-shampoo by using your fingertips to massage it into your damp scalp. Since this will be a leave-in treatment, it may be beneficial to mix two to three drops of tea tree oil with your favorite carrier oil, such as almond or coconut oil, to prevent irritation. The act of massaging the scalp also increases blood flow, which can benefit hair growth.
• Combine with your favorite hair mask: Add a few drops of tea tree oil to your favorite deep conditioning treatment to treat dandruff and dryness at the same time.
• Use products with tea tree oil: When mixing it yourself, you may risk concocting a stronger-than-intended treatment, which can irritate. Garshick recommends buying products that already contain tea tree oil to be certain of their concentration.

How Often Can You Use It?

Consistency is key to experience the best of tea tree oil’s benefits, but you also don’t want to overuse it due to the risk of irritation. When it comes to pure tea tree oil, two to three times per week is usually the sweet spot (though you can also use it at a less frequent cadence or as needed). When tea tree oil is an ingredient within a product, however, it may be more diluted. In this case, check the instructions to see what’s recommended, and reach out to your dermatologist if you have a sensitive scalp or want an additional opinion.

The Final Takeaway

Tea tree oil has a number of benefits for the hair and scalp, including regulating oil production, calming inflammation, reducing scalp residue, delousing, and fighting dandruff. This is all thanks to its antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Tea tree oil can typically work for many different hair and skin types. When using it, be sure to reach for a shampoo formula or other product that contains tea tree oil, or add a few drops of the essential oil to your shampoo. If your scalp becomes irritated, discontinue use and talk to your doctor.