Myth: Cineole is a skin irritant 1,8-cineole is also known as eucalyptol since it is the major component of some Eucalyptus essential oils. Several scientific publications have shown that it is not a skin irritant. Myth: TTO works better in the presence of blood and pus Many antimicrobial agents work less effectively in the presence of blood and pus or other organic matter. So the suggestion that the activity of tea tree oil will actually increase is appealing. However laboratory work has shown that the activity of tea tree oil is either unaffected or may be reduced by the presence of some organic matter. It is not improved. Myth: TTO is completely safe because its natural Nothing is completely safe and this includes TTO. TTO is poisonous if ingested and should only be used topically. A small number of people are allergic to the oil and will experience a skin reaction even at low concentrations. Others may experience an irritant reaction if they use the oil at high concentrations. Irritant reactions usually subside if more dilute oil is used. Myth: TTO can be taken orallyTTO is toxic if ingested in large enough quantities. Apart from data gleaned from the few cases of poisoning that have been reported in the medical and scientific literature, there are no oral toxicity data for TTO and humans so we do not know if, or how much TTO can be ingested safely. In the absence of data clearly showing that something is safe to ingest, the convention in medicine is to recommend that it not be ingested. Since there are no such data for TTO it cannot be recommended. The TTO contained in oral products such as toothpastes and mouthwashes is not considered problematic since it is expelled from the mouth and not swallowed. Special consideration needs to be given to the use of TTO during pregnancy and breast-feeding. There are no data showing that topical application of TTO is safe during these times and as above, in the absence of data showing that something is safe to use, it is generally not recommended. Myth: TTO can cross-sensitise to or cross-react with colophony (colophonium) Colophony is one of the compounds in a standard dermatology patch test. In some reports of allergy to TTO, patients have also reacted to colophony. This does not prove that TTO sensitised them to colophony or that colophony cross reacts with TTO. Myth: If TTO inhibits or kills an organism in the lab, it will be effective in the body Activity in the lab does not always translate to effectiveness in the body. The best way to determine if a treatment is effective in the body is to test it in a randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Myth: TTO can cure MRSA infections MRSA are Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that have become resistant to several antibiotics including methicillin. MRSA can infect people and cause disease, or can simply colonise the skin of healthy people without doing them any harm. MRSA infections are often serious and life-threatening while MRSA colonisation is not usually a problem for the carrier. However, if the MRSA carrier happens to pass their MRSA to a person who is already unwell or who has a wound, they may become very ill. In hospitals and other healthcare settings, much effort goes into reducing MRSA carriage by decolonising carriers in order to reduce subsequent MRSA infections. Decolonisation plays an important role in infection control. We know that TTO can inhibit and kill MRSA in the lab. There is also mounting evidence that it may be useful for eliminating the topical carriage of MRSA. On the current evidence, it is unlikely that TTO will be used to treat systemic MRSA infections although it may find a use in treating wounds infected or colonised with MRSA. Myth: TTO is so effective it may completely replace antibiotics TTO has antimicrobial properties which may make it suitable for the treatment of some topical infections. However, it is toxic if ingested and can only be used topically. It will never replace antibiotics that are used systemically. In fact, making direct comparisons between TTO and such antibiotics is not appropriate. Myth: TTO is one of the most powerful antiseptics There are many antiseptics and disinfectants that have greater antimicrobial activity than TTO, however, none of them are natural. Also, it is unlikely that any of them have the same unique range of properties that TTO has such as antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity and putative skin penetrating capacity. Myth: TTO will be registered as a medicine When medicines are registered with regulatory authorities such as the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration or the US Food and Drug Administration, they are registered as treatments for specific conditions. Each registration requires relevant clinical data and covers only that use. There is no general registration to cover all applications and since there is no such category, TTO can't be registered in it. However, when there are suffcient data, TTO will be registered as a treatment for specific conditions. For example, as a treatment for cold sores, as a treatment for impetigo or as an agent to decolonise MRSA carriers. | 
