Tea tree essential oil originates from Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant species that is native to Australia and can be identified by its alternate leaf arrangement. The indigenous people of Australia have been using tea tree essential oil for a wide variety of purposes for hundreds of years. In addition to this, it was a substance that was commonly utilised in the operations that were performed for the maintenance of their skin and hair. It is usually believed that sailors travelling from Australia to England in the seventeenth century brought tea tree plants with them. Tea tree oil saw a dramatic climb to fame in other regions of the world in a very short length of time.