How we scored it
Steam-distilled essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia: terpenes and terpenoid alcohols such as terpinen-4-ol are all plant-derived. 1.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.
Where it comes from
Dominant route is steam distillation of cultivated Melaleuca alternifolia foliage, mainly in Australia. No common alternative route.
In plain English
Tea tree essential oil, steam-distilled from the leaves, stems and flowers of an Australian shrub. It has a medicinal, camphor-like scent and is used for fragrance, flavouring and as a skin-conditioning ingredient.
CosIng definition: Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil is the volatile oil obtained from the flowers, leaves, and stems of Melaleuca alternifolia, Myrtaceae.
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA FLOWER/LEAF/STEM OIL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA FLOWER/LEAF/STEM OIL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MELALEUCA%20ALTERNIFOLIA%20FLOWER/LEAF/STEM%20OIL