Tea Tree Oil is the essential oil steam distilled from the leaves and terminal branchlets of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree. This tree is indigenous to Australia and only grows in a relatively small area on the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. For several hundred years, the Aborigines have used the antiseptic properties of Tea Tree Oil. It has been shown to be many more times effective than other antiseptics like phenol, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide and quartarnary ammonium compounds.