Positive Health Online

Abstract

KOH and colleagues, Department of Dermatology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia, have found that tea tree oil reduces histamine-induced skin inflammation.

Background

Tea tree oil, the distillate from Melaleuca alternifolia, has become increasingly popular as an antimicrobial agent for the treatment of conditions such as Tinea pedis and acne. The object of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of tea tree oil on histamine-induced weal and flare.

Methodology

27 volunteers were injected intradermally in both forearms (study and control sides assigned on an alternating basis) with histamine diphosphate (5 micrograms in 50 microlitres). Flare and weal diameters and double skin thickness were measured every 10 min for an hour to calculate flare area and weal volume. At 20 min, 25 microlitres of 100% tea tree oil were applied topically to one forearm of 21 volunteers. In six volunteers, the same amount of paraffin oil was applied instead.

Results

Application of liquid paraffin had no effect on histamine-induced weal and flare. There was also no significant difference in flare area between control arms and those treated with tea tree oil. However mean weal volume significantly decreased after the application of tea tree oil within 10 minutes (p = 0.0004).

Conclusion

This is the first study to show experimentally that tea tree oil can reduce histamine-induced skin inflammation.

References

Koh KJ, Pearce AL, Marshman G, Finlay-Jones JJ, Hart PH. Tea tree oil reduces histamine-induced skin inflammation. The British Journal of Dermatology 147 (6): 1212-1217, Dec 2002.