The Ingredient Library
Tea Tree Lemon
Melaleuca alternifolia + Citrus limon
Tea tree and lemon oil is a blend of two essential oils: tea tree, distilled from Australian leaves, and lemon, cold-expressed from the peel of Mediterranean and South American lemons.
Get to know tea tree and lemon oil
- Source
- Leaves plus lemon peel
- Origin
- Australia and Italy
- Extraction
- Distilled and expressed
- Aroma
- Sharp, bright, citrus
What it is
Tea Tree Lemon is an aromatic essential oil distilled from the plant.
Why it belongs in your routine
A blend of Australian tea tree and cold-pressed lemon peel oil.
How to use
Always dilute in a carrier oil before it touches skin. Never use undiluted. Patch test first.
Where does tea tree and lemon oil come from?
This is a blend, not a single plant oil. The tea tree part comes from Melaleuca alternifolia, a paperbark shrub of north-eastern New South Wales grown on plantations there. The lemon part comes from Citrus limon, a small thorny evergreen tree grown mainly in Sicily and southern Italy, Spain, Argentina and California. Lemon essential oil sits in small glands in the yellow outer rind of the fruit.
The blend is pale yellow with a sharp, green scent from tea tree lifted by the fresh, bright top note of lemon. Tea tree brings terpinen-4-ol, while lemon oil is mostly limonene, with small amounts of citral. It is used in soaps, cleansers, foot sprays, room sprays and home cleaning blends. Lemon peel oil is photosensitising, so leave-on skin use needs care.
Sourcing & extraction
How tea tree and lemon oil is sourced and extracted
Why it is rare
Each component has its own limit: tea tree comes from one small region of Australia, while lemon oil depends on the citrus crop, as thousands of lemons are needed for a single kilogram of oil.
How it is gathered
The two oils are sourced separately. Tea tree leaf is typically cut once a year on plantations in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales and distilled on or near the farm. Lemons are picked in winter and spring in Sicily and Spain, and later in the year in Argentina, then sent to juice factories. There, machines rasp or prick the peel before juicing to release lemon oil, which is collected as a by-product.
How it is made
Blend of distilled and expressed oils
- Tea tree leaves and twigs are harvested, chopped and steam-distilled, and the oil is separated from the condensed water.
- Whole lemons are passed through machines that prick or rasp the peel, and the oil released is washed off in a fine spray.
- The lemon oil and water emulsion is spun in a centrifuge to separate the oil, which is then filtered.
- The two finished oils are measured into a set ratio and mixed, then bottled in dark glass.
How to use tea tree and lemon oil
- Add a few drops to a diffuser for its aroma.
- For skin, dilute 1 to 2 drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil before applying.
- Keep away from eyes and never use undiluted on skin.
For external use only. Patch test on a small area before first use and stop if irritation occurs. If you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition, ask a healthcare professional before use.
From ingredient to routine
Products with Tea Tree Lemon
Find this ingredient in our collection.
Questions about Tea Tree Lemon
Where does Tea Tree Lemon come from?
The two oils are sourced separately. Tea tree leaf is typically cut once a year on plantations in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales and distilled on or near the farm. Lemons are picked in winter and spring in Sicily and Spain, and later in the year in Argentina, then sent to juice factories. There, machines rasp or prick the peel before juicing to release lemon oil, which is collected as a by-product.
How is Tea Tree Lemon extracted?
Blend of distilled and expressed oils. Tea tree leaves and twigs are harvested, chopped and steam-distilled, and the oil is separated from the condensed water. Whole lemons are passed through machines that prick or rasp the peel, and the oil released is washed off in a fine spray. The lemon oil and water emulsion is spun in a centrifuge to separate the oil, which is then filtered. The two finished oils are measured into a set ratio and mixed, then bottled in dark glass.
Why is Tea Tree Lemon considered rare?
Each component has its own limit: tea tree comes from one small region of Australia, while lemon oil depends on the citrus crop, as thousands of lemons are needed for a single kilogram of oil.
