Dermatologic Therapy, Vol. 28, 2015, 404
V
Printed in the United States
All rights reserved
JOURNAL HIGHLIGHTS
Role of tea tree oil in treatment
of acne
*†‡KEYWORDS: acne, tea tree oil, treatment
Acne is a common chronic inflammatory skin
disorder resulting in psychological stress (1). Tea
tree or melaleuca oil (TTO) is a monoterpene-
rich essential oil derived from the plant Mela-
leuca alternifolia. It is the second most com-
monly used topical agent for treating acne. This
agent has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory
activity.
In this article, Hammer has reviewed the effi-
cacy, safety, and tolerability of TTO for the treat-
ment of acne. She found seven publications,
systematically evaluating the efficacy of TTO for
treating mild to moderate acne:
 A double-blinded study revealed that benzoyl
peroxide was significantly more effective than
the TTO in treating the inflamed lesions of
acne, while the efficacy of both agents in treat-
ing noninflamed lesions was not significantly
different.
 A single-blinded comparative study showed
that the TTO was more effective than topical
erythromycin in reducing the acne lesion
count.
 In a double-blinded placebo-controlled trial,
the efficacy of TTO was shown to decrease the
total lesion count and acne severity index.
 In an open-label study, TTO, polyherbal tab-
lets, and their combination with each other
were compared. The tablet contained extracts
of neem, turmeric, and black pepper. In this
study, each treatment significantly reduced the
total acne lesion count.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Nooshin
Bagherani, MD, Dermatologist, Dr. Nooshin Bagheran’s Office,
Taha Physicians’ Building, P. O. Box 6414715878,
Khoramshahr, Khuzestan Province, Iran, or
email: nooshinbagherani@yahoo.com.
404
C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY
ISSN 1396-0296
 A double-blind split-face study showed that
Lactobacillus-fermented Chamaecyparis obtusa
extract is significantly more effective than TTO
at reducing number of lesions.
 In two studies, the efficacy of TTO in combi-
nation with one or more additional plant
extracts was evaluated. Both of these studies
have revealed the efficacy of these combina-
tions in treating acne.
Few studies have indicated the efficacy of
TTO for severe acne. Pruritus, burning, stinging,
scaling, itch, redness, and dryness have been
reported as its adverse events which are not sig-
nificant. Its effectiveness in treating acne is influ-
enced by its concentration, its base formulation,
and the frequency of application.
The TTO is an appropriate option for treating
mild-to-moderate acne.
NOOSHIN BAGHERANI* & BRUCE R. SMOLLER†‡
*Dr. Nooshin Bagheran’s Office, Taha Physicians’
Building, Khoramshahr, Khuzestan Province,
Iran and †Department of Pathology and
‡Department of Dermatology, University of
Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Rochester, New York
Reference
1. Hammer KA. Treatment of acne with tea tree oil (mela-
leuca) products: a review of efficacy, tolerability and
potential modes of action. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2015:
45 (2): 106–110.