NOW Essential Oils Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), 1 fl oz

1. Purity 35% of the rating 4 of 5

   One plant named by its Latin name, steam distilled, with nothing added; ConsumerLab found the brand’s oil authentic in 2022, though its detail on individual products is for members.

2. Batch testing 25% of the rating 3 of 5

   ConsumerLab’s 2022 test found all four tea tree oils authentic and free of heavy metals and microbes, but its brand-by-brand results are paywalled; NOW says every lot has a certificate, which we could not open for this oil; no phthalate test.

3. Sourcing 15% of the rating 2 of 5

   No country of origin, farm or distiller is named (“Packaged in the USA” only), and the oil is not organic.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5

   Plain label, clear cautions and a lot-level certificate system; points off for terminated recalls of other NOW foods and supplements, 19 Prop 65 notices since 2005 (one about pulegone in pennyroyal oil, the rest about other products), paid sponsored ambassadors and looser wording on retail listings.

5. Value 15% of the rating 5 of 5

   About $0.30 a mL at NOW ($8.99 for 30 mL) and $0.26 a mL at iHerb’s $7.61, among the cheapest oils we list.

The rating, 3.5 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank essential oils and our standard.

• iHerb (opens in a new tab) approx. $7.61. Listing shows SKU NOW-07625 and UPC 733739076250, matching NOW’s 1 fl oz bottle; in stock.
• Walmart (opens in a new tab) approx. $7.98. Sold by Walmart.com itself, model 7625 and the same UPC. The listing title says it has a child resistant cap.
• Vitacost (opens in a new tab) approx. $7.61. Listing shows SKU and UPC 733739076250, matching NOW’s 1 fl oz bottle; in stock. Not Vitacost’s own-brand tea tree oil, which is a separate product.

Prices as we saw them on November 3, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, steam distilled

• Independent ConsumerLab (mainly member-funded; its product reviews are directed by its own staff with products bought at retail, though it also earns fees from a separate certification program) 2022

  Its review of lavender and tea tree oils tested eight products in 2022, among them NOW Essential Oils 100% Pure Tea Tree. The free summary says all the tea tree oils were deemed authentic and not contaminated with heavy metals or microbes, though their chemical composition varied and one matched standards more closely. Which product matched best, and each product’s own result, are for members, so we cannot say how NOW’s compared. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Maker’s own test NOW Foods’ own laboratory (the maker; NOW says it is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited)

  NOW says every essential oil has a certificate of analysis and GC profile you can look up by the lot number on the bottle’s base, though its lookup page admits results are not yet online for every product, especially oils made before 2023. The site shows a sample lot for peppermint only, so we could not open a tea tree certificate; we describe what its peppermint sample contains on that product’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is it really tea tree oil?

ConsumerLab’s 2022 test (opens in a new tab) of four tea tree oils, NOW’s among them, found them all authentic. NOW says each lot has its own certificate and GC profile, run in its own lab; the sample lot NOW shows is a peppermint oil, so we could not read a tea tree certificate or check the lot on your bottle, and the lookup page says some products are not online yet.

Does it contain phthalates?

We do not know. The one independent phthalate test we found, Mamavation’s (opens in a new tab), covered lavender and peppermint oils only, and NOW’s certificates do not test for them.

Is it safe on skin, for children or around pets?

Use it with care. NOW’s page says to keep it out of children’s reach, avoid the eyes, ask a practitioner if pregnant or nursing, and not to take it by mouth; for other uses it says to dilute with a carrier oil. Our tea tree article says never to swallow it and that undiluted or oxidized oil can cause contact dermatitis. A 1998 report (opens in a new tab) describes tea tree oil poisoning in three cats, and a 2007 case series (opens in a new tab) linked lavender and tea tree products to breast growth in three prepubertal boys, which resolved when the products stopped; the authors’ cell studies found estrogen-like and anti-androgen activity. It is a small series, not proof, but a reason not to use these oils on young children’s skin.

Does it “purify” a room?

NOW’s page lists “cleansing, purifying, renewing” as attributes and a “Purifying Room Blend”, and Amazon’s listing for another size says the oil is “ideal for purifying the air”. The research on tea tree oil is about skin, not room air, and diffused oils can add indoor air pollutants of their own.

Any recalls, Prop 65 notices or lawsuits?

None about this oil. openFDA lists 20 food enforcement reports across two spellings of the firm’s name (NOW Health Group (opens in a new tab) and Now Foods (opens in a new tab)), all terminated, for supplements and foods. California’s Prop 65 list (opens in a new tab) has 18 notices naming NOW Health Group between 2005 and 2025, and a nineteenth, since withdrawn, naming Now Foods. Most are about lead or cadmium in supplements and foods; the others cover lovastatin in red yeast rice, PCBs in fish oil, hormones in creams, lead in a toothpaste (2025) and pulegone in pennyroyal oil (opens in a new tab) (2015). None names tea tree oil. CPSC’s list has nothing under NOW’s name. A web search found no FDA warning letter or lawsuit about NOW’s essential oils, but we could not search FDA’s warning-letter list or court dockets.

Does anyone get paid to recommend it?

Yes, in sport. NOW’s Ambassador Program (opens in a new tab) gives athletes and coaches with at least 5,000 followers free product and, case by case, money to promote the brand on social media. We did not check how any individual promoter discloses a tie.

• ConsumerLab, whose product reviews are directed by its own staff with products bought at retail, tested NOW’s tea tree oil among four in 2022 and found all four authentic and free of heavy metals and microbes.
• The page names the plant (Melaleuca alternifolia), the part (leaf oil) and the method (steam distilled), with “Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil” as the only ingredient.
• NOW’s caution says not for internal use, keep out of children’s reach, avoid the eyes, and ask a practitioner if pregnant or nursing; its safety FAQ adds that infants, children and pets can be highly sensitive.
• It costs $8.99 at NOW and $7.61 to $7.98 at the three stores we opened.

• The lot certificates are NOW’s own. We could not open one for tea tree, and ConsumerLab’s product-level results are for members.
• No country of origin, farm or distiller is named, and this oil is not organic.
• We found no phthalate test of any tea tree oil.
• Tea tree oil is hazardous to cats and dogs, should never be swallowed and can irritate or sensitize skin, especially once oxidized. Keep it away from children’s skin and faces, and store it closed, dark and cool.
• The page title and wording lean toward skin care and “purifying”; keep to the aromatherapy use NOW’s label gives and dilute for anything else.

Tested by

ConsumerLab (independent, 2022); NOW Foods’ own lab for lot certificates

Certificate of analysis

Yes

1. NOW Essential Oils Tea Tree Oil: product page. Maker’s page. Sizes, prices, ingredient, extraction method, usage and caution as seen on 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. ConsumerLab: Lavender and tea tree essential oils review (free summary). Test report. Products tested in 2022, page updated 2026-10-01. Lists NOW Essential Oils 100% Pure Tea Tree among eight oils; the summary says all tea tree oils were authentic and free of heavy metals and microbes. Full results are for members. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. ConsumerLab: About ConsumerLab.com. Test report. Says revenue comes mainly from member fees plus certification-program fees and survey sales, no advertising, and that its Product Reviews are directed by CL with products bought at retail. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. NOW Foods certificate of analysis site. Maker’s page. Lookup by lot number; its sample lot is a peppermint oil. Says results are not yet online for every product, especially oils made before 2023. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. NOW: Essential Oil Safety FAQs. Maker’s page. Aromatherapy only, not for internal use; caution for children, pets and pregnancy. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. NOW: Ambassador Program FAQs. Maker’s page. Free product and case-by-case sponsorship for athletes and coaches with at least 5,000 followers. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. iHerb listing for NOW Tea Tree, 1 fl oz (30 ml). Independent source. $7.61 and in stock on 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. Walmart listing for NOW Tea Tree Oil, 1 ounce. Independent source. $7.98 on 2026-11-03, sold by Walmart.com. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. Mamavation: essential oils tested for toxic phthalates. Test report. February 2025. Lavender and peppermint oils only; no tea tree oil was tested. Mamavation earns affiliate income on Amazon sales. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. openFDA food enforcement reports: NOW Health Group. Certifier or regulator listing. Six terminated reports under this spelling and 14 under “Now Foods”; foods and supplements only. Searched 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search for “NOW Health”. Certifier or regulator listing. 18 notices naming NOW Health Group, 2005 to 2025: lead or cadmium in supplements and foods, lovastatin in red yeast rice, PCBs in fish oil, hormones in creams, lead in toothpaste (2025) and pulegone in pennyroyal oil (2015). A search for “NOW Foods” adds one withdrawn 2017 notice. None names tea tree or peppermint oil. Searched 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. California Attorney General: Prop 65 notice 2015-00413 (pulegone, pennyroyal oil). Certifier or regulator listing. Filed 2015-04-20 against Piping Rock, Lotus Brands, NOW Health Group, Penn Herb and Camden-Grey Essential Oils; chemical pulegone, source “Pennyroil oil”. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
13. Vitacost listing for NOW Foods Essential Oils Tea Tree, 1 fl oz (30 ml). Independent source. $7.61 and in stock on 2026-11-03; UPC 733739076250. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
14. Bischoff and Guale, 1998, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation: Australian tea tree oil poisoning in three purebred cats. Independent source. The PubMed record has no abstract; we read the title and citation only. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
15. Henley et al., 2007, New England Journal of Medicine: Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils. Independent source. Three boys; the breast growth resolved when the lavender and tea tree products stopped, and cell studies showed estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity. The authors concluded the oils probably caused it. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• NOW Peppermint Essential Oil Same maker; we opened its sample lot certificate and GC profile, and Mamavation’s independent test found 223 ppb phthalates.
• Mountain Rose Herbs Organic Lavender Essential Oil A different plant, USDA organic through its handler listing, but its GC/MS report is on request only; $16.25 for 1/2 oz.

• Essential Oil Safety: Dilution, Toxicity, and Quality Article Essential oils are pharmacologically active compounds that demand respect. Proper dilution, pet safety, phototoxicity awareness, and quality verification are non-negotiable.
• Antimicrobial & Skin Health Article How tea tree oil's active compound terpinen-4-ol fights bacteria, fungi, and acne — and where the clinical evidence is strongest
• Essential Oil Diffusers and Indoor Air Article Diffusers add terpenes and ultrafine particles to indoor air. What measurements show, who may react, the pet and baby cautions, and how to use one more safely.