The tea tree oil (TTO) is an essential oil obtained from the tea plant / tea tree and is used today in many countries around the world as an ingredient in the manufacture of a multitude of cosmetic products, from shampoos and bath gels to skin creams and facial treatments.
The European Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) from ECHA suggested, in early 2024, to the European Commission to reclassify the tea tree oil as substance toxic to human reproduction. In the light of this alert on the safety of cosmetic products, the European Commission asked the European Commission to Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) to evaluate tea tree oil and publish a report on its safety.
And finally, this November saw the publication of the SCCS report on the safety of the tea tree oil.
Tea Tree Oil (TTO): is it safe for the cosmetics industry?
Finally, the safety report on tea tree oil of the SCCS was published on 14 November 2025. And, in line with the draft published last June, this report has allowed the European Commission to know the opinion of the SCCS after reviewing all the existing literature on this ingredient.
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) considers, in its conclusions of the report, that the tea tree oil is a safe ingredient for various categories of adult cosmetics.
Among other considerations, the SCCS considers tea tree oil to be proven:
- can be safely used as an ingredient with anti-seborrhoeic and antimicrobial properties in concentrations of up to
- 2.0% for shampoo
- 1.00% in shower gel
- 1.0% in facial cleanser
- 0.1% in facial creams
However, the tea tree oil shall be safe as long as the ingredient complies with the ISO 4730:2017 specifications, which defines the acceptable ranges for key components such as the terpinen-4-ol and impurity limits.
They also make it clear that the use of this ingredient in cosmetics is safe. only in cosmetic products for adults, and in non-aerolysed formats that prevent exposure by inhalation.
What else does the SCCS report say about tea tree oil (TTO)?
The report also raises, as is always the case in the assessment of ingredients, the risks posed by the tea tree oil.
Firstly, the evaluation of the SCCS leads to the conclusion that tea tree oil (TTO) is a moderate skin sensitiser -i.e. it can cause some skin sensitivity, such as irritation-, which to some extent was already known. And, per se, it does not rule it out as an ingredient for the cosmetics sector.
Moreover, in its conclusions, the report explicitly points out the absence of stability data on the ingredient tea tree oiland that is potentially a problem to be taken into account, since oils are generally susceptible to degradation by light, heat, air and humidity.
Lastly, we would like you to be aware that the environmental impact of the tea tree is an aspect to be assessed that is not included in this report. This is because the environmental impact of cosmetic products is outside the scope of the SCCS assessment.