Melaleuca Alternifolia Oil

#### Melaleuca Alternifolia. **Melaleuca**** ****Alternifolia**** **is one of the smaller "tea- trees" from southeastern Australia. Its leaves are collected and water- or steam distilled locally. Until now, the oil has not been produced outside Australia, although the tree, a native of Australia, can easily be cultivated elsewhere, propagated from seed. The annual production of the oil is only between 10 and 30 tons, but this amount seems to be sufficient at present. The true figure for the annual production may be considerably lower since the above figures may very well refer to the total annual production of all so-called tea-tree oils. Oil of **Melaleuca**** ****Alternifolia**** **is a pale yellowish- green or almost water-white mobile liquid of a warm-spicy, aromatic-terpenic odor, reminiscent of nutmeg, cardamom and sweet marjoram, but with a strong emphasis on the terpinene- and terpinenol-notes (odor of the foreruns from rectification of synthetic terpineol). The flavor is warm- aromatic, somewhat burning, spicy and yet fresh, faintly camphoraceous, slightly bitter. The oil has served as an antiseptic for many decades, but only recently has it been proven scientifically, that the oil really possesses an outstanding germ-killing effect and high penetration power. The oil is sold locally and abroad under trade names, such as "**Ti-Trol**" or "**Melasol**", etc. as a germicide, gargle, skin-disinfectant, spray, etc. In perfumery, however, the oil has been gathering increasing interest for its warm-spicy, aromatic and fresh character, a type of fragrance, which has become particularly popular since the introduction of spicy colognes and after-shaves for men, etc. The oil is non-toxic and does not irritate the skin. Nutmeg oil cannot claim the same advantages or virtues. Oil of **Melaleuca Alternifolia **blends well with lavandin oil, lavender, isobornylacetate, clove oils, rosemary oil, oakmoss products, cananga oil, amylsalicylate, coumarin, geraniol and nerol, etc. The oil has been used as an adulterant for nutmeg oil and for sweet marjoram oil. If this oil were made regularly available in ton-lots, it would no doubt catch the interest of the larger perfume houses and perhaps become a favorite perfume material for the introduction of "new" notes in certain lines of perfumery.