Treatment of acne with tea tree oil (melaleuca) products: A review of efficacy, tolerability and potential modes of action

• Tea tree oil products reduce lesion numbers in patients with mild-to-moderate acne.
• The tolerability of tea tree oil products is similar to other topical treatments.
• Efficacy may be attributed to antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities.

Over-the-counter acne treatments containing tea tree oil from the plant Melaleuca alternifolia are widely available, and evidence indicates that they are a common choice amongst those self-treating their acne. The aims of this review were to collate and evaluate the clinical evidence on the use of tea tree oil products for treating acne, to review safety and tolerability and to discuss the underlying modes of therapeutic action.