Is Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash Safe?

by Arista
(USA)

I've read that tea tree oil can be toxic if taken internally? So how is tea tree oil mouthwash safe? What if I swallowed a tiny bit of it?

Editors Reply :

Arista, that's a great question!

First let me assure you, that although tea tree oil in large quantities can be toxic to your system, the small amounts in products like tea tree oil toothpaste, mouthwash, toothpicks, throat lozenges, and other oral use products should be produced within generally recognized as safe parameters.



In the Australian Tea Tree Industry Association report on the "Tea Tree Effectiveness and Safety Report", we find on page 4, the following quote that I have formatted to make it easy to read

The cosmetics to which tea tree oil is added – and its typical concentration in the formulation – are

• moisturisers (1.25%),


• body lotions (1.25%),


• shampoos and conditioners,(0.2%)


• mouth washes(0.2%),


• face cleansing washes (0.7%),


• hand washes (0.7%),


• soaps (2%),


• foot sprays (2%),


• foot powders (1%),


• shaving products (2%),


• post-waxing treatments (1.25%) and


• deodorants (2%).

As you can see, mouthwash typically contains 2/10 of 1 percent tea tree oil.

Get a Mental Picture

You can visualize this amount by putting 100 pennies on the table, and picking up just one of them. Imagine that the 100 pennies are equal to the amount of mouthwash in your tea tree oil mouthwash bottle.

Now, cut the one penny you've picked up into ten pieces. Out of the entire bottle of mouthwash, just two of those ten pieces are the equivalent to the amount of tea tree oil in the bottle.

Now divide the bottle into the number of days it will last, and you can see you are actually getting only minuscule amounts of tea tree oil each day. Additionally, the amount of tea tree oil ingested accidentally are even more minuscule.

Finally, tea tree oil is not the most toxic essential oil used in your daily mouthwash products, lotions, rubs, toothpaste, cough drops, or vaporizers.

How I Make My Own Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash

Personally, I often use my favorite brands of mouthwash, preferably mint, and add a drop or three of tea tree oil to it, and then swish it around my mouth. This is a far greater amount than you would find in any store bought mouthwash, yet far less than toxic still should I perchance swallow a small amount.

Again, great question Arista, thanks for asking!

You can find more on the topic
Is Tea Tree Oil Toxic here.