Tea Tree Oil
(melaleuca alternifolia)

Commercial Supply and Technical Details of Tea Tree Oil

Australian Holding, Inc. is an importer of bulk (PG) tea tree oil. We represent tea tree oil growers/producers with a capacity of over 100 tons per year. We are not manufacturers nor do we sell finished products containing tea tree oil.

Bulk Oil Available:
Stocks of tea tree oil are maintained in Southern California at all times to effect prompt deliveries.

Bulk oil is available in a variety of drum sizes, the most common are:

• 185 Kg. Stainless Steel Drum - 55.00 Gal. Approzimately
• 50 Kg. Drum - 13.20 Gal Approximately
• 170 Kg. Drum - 44.88 Gal Approximately

Pricing:
All prices quoted include F.I.S. (delivered to customer's store) anywhere in the continental U.S.A.
Export Prices are quoted F.O.B.

Quality:
All Oil supplied is of Pharmaceutical Grade (PG)
Each order contains Certificate of Analysis, Batch Number and MSDS
For further information and price quotation kindly contact us at:

What is it?

Tea tree oil is the common name for Melaleuca alternifolia, a member of the Myrtaceae, or myrtle family. There are over 150 varieties of Melaleuca trees, but the Melaleuca alternifolia yields the best and cleanest oil. Its oil is made up of almost 100 compounds, 21 of which have yet to be identified. It appears that all compounds work in synergy to produce an essential oil with antiseptic, bactericide and all fungicidal properties. Tea Tree oil has become a popular ingredient in household and personal products. Coined a "first aid kit in a bottle," there are over 100 topical uses for this versatile and increasingly useful oil. Many studies on the increased uses for tea tree oil have taken place in the last 5 years. Tea tree oil has been studied to treat acne, burns, thrush (yeast), candida and fungal infections.

Where does it come from?

Tea trees grow along Australia's northeast coast, in the swampy, lo-lying lands of New South Wales. In the past, most production of tea tree oil has been derived from natural stands of trees; however, besides being labor intensive due to the inaccessibility of the trees, production was limited and adverse weather often affected harvesting. Tea tree plantations began to appear in the mid-eighties and are now springing up all around New South Wales and Queensland. Plantations now account for the bulk of tea tree oil production. The oil is produced by the process of steam distillation of the foliage and branches. Continual research programs to improve yield are being carried out in such areas as soil moisture monitoring and irrigation systems and improved seedling breeding programs.

The history

The Bundajalung Aborigines, who inhabited the low swampy area used crushed tea tree leaves as a poultice for infected wounds and skin problems. When Captain James Cook and his party arrived in Australia in the 1700's, he brewed tea tree leaves for spice tea, which is commonly used today. In 1923, Dr. A.R. Penfold, an Australian curator and chemist (Government Museum of Technology and Applied Sciences, Sydney), tested the oil and found it to be 13 times more effective as an antiseptic bactericide than carbolic acid. Research continued and several Australian medical publications reported more research and clinical claims. With the arrival of the 1960's a new awareness took hold. Toxic substances and synthetic medicine began to lose favor as a new generation turned to natural medicines.

Standards and Testing

All Australian oil, excluding "Bush oil," falls within certain Government or industry standards. These standards have been established over many years and are accepted by most Australian tea tree oil growers.

Most essential oils sold in Australia and internationally are tested and analyzed by government or other accredited laboratories. For each batch of oil tested, laboratories issue a "Certificate of Analysis" to the company which submitted the sample for testing.

Tea Tree Oil Standards
International Standard - ISO 4730
Australian Standard - AS 2782
French Standard - T75 - 358
British Pharmacopoeia Codex, 1949 (pp. 597-398)
Martindale the Extra Pharmacopoeia, 28th Edition 1982 (p. 268)
Deutscher Arzneimittel Codex (DAC 1986) 8th supplement, 1996

User's Requirements

Cosmetic and toiletry manufacturing companies who are the major users of tea tree oil should insist that a "Certificate of Analysis" be issued with each order placed. Certain tea tree oil component relationships are important to understand. The most commonly understood component relationship is the ratio volume of two or more primary ingredients. The basic relationship to understand is the percentage (%) by volume of Terpinen-4-01 and Cineole. These two ingredients are the basic determining factors in establishing the tea tree oil's batch quality. When there are other relationships of ingredients. These two are the most relied upon to establish a batch's quality.

Classifications

The Australian Tea Tree Oil Industry Association (ATTIA) has established five general classifications:
1. Superfine TTO (PG)
2. Pharmaceutical Grade
3. Commercial Grade
4. Industrial Grade
5. Bush Oil (Which can be one of the above grades)
There are other terms often used in describing different types of tea tree oil, such as organic, low odor and water-soluble. Often the oil is diluted with other ingredients to obtain solubility or mask the natural odor of the oil. In certain instances, the oil may be boiled to remove some of the sulfurs in the case of low odor oil or additional fragrances are added to disguise the odor. Oils which have been diluted to obtain these special features may not be 100% pure tea tree oil. While these oils may be cheaper, formulating chemists may in the end use greater quantities than would otherwise be necessary.

Storage

Recommended storage is a cool dry area in tightly closed, light proof containers - preferably stainless steel.

Tea Tree Oil Uses

Human

EXTERNAL ONLY
Cuts and Burns and General Antiseptic
Currently used in

• Shampoos
• Soaps
• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Body Gels

Other Uses

• Aches and Pains
• Cuts and Burns
• Cold Sores
• Warts
• Fungal Infections
• Acne
• Insect Bites and Stings
• Sun Burn

Pet Care - (Animal)

• Fleas; Lice and Ticks
• Mange
• Thrush
• Hoof Rot
• Cuts and Burns
• Ringworm

Others

• Air Conditioning Filtration
• Disinfectants
• Preservatives
• Industrial Cleaners