Tea tree shampoo gets its tingle from an oil distilled from a tree that grows wild in only a small corner of Australia. Here is Paul Mitchell's tea tree routine, with a scalp serum and a primer from two other brands.
Tea Tree Shampoo, and the Tingle Paul Mitchell Built a Line Around
Tea tree oil comes from Melaleuca alternifolia, a tree that grows naturally only in a small part of northeastern New South Wales and southern Queensland, around the Clarence and Richmond Rivers. In the 1920s the Sydney chemist Arthur Penfold published papers on its antiseptic strength, which started the commercial industry, and interest came back in the 1970s, when plantations began. Paul Mitchell turned it into a haircare line. The company was founded in 1980 by the hairstylist Paul Mitchell and John Paul DeJoria with three products, and it describes itself as the first professional haircare brand to speak out publicly against animal testing. DeJoria says the company plants trees to offset the carbon from its Tea Tree line. The Special shampoo is the original tingle, and the Lavender Mint version is the moisturizing one for dry hair. The Lemon Sage formula thickens fine hair, and the Regeniplex version cleanses the scalp so thin strands look fuller. A tea tree shampoo can feel strong on sensitive skin, so try it on a small area first.
Four Paul Mitchell shampoos
Detox and conditioning
The second row follows the shampoo. The Special conditioner carries the same cooling tingle, and the kombucha rinse uses apple cider vinegar to clear away product buildup, dirt and dead skin. The foaming scrub is for weeks when dry shampoo and styling products pile up, and I would use it once a week at most. The Lavender Mint leave-in spray nourishes dry hair and brings lavender, mint and tea tree together. An early Paul Mitchell best-seller was Awapuhi shampoo, made with Hawaiian ginger, so a line built on one plant was nothing new for the company.
A conditioner, two detox steps and a leave-in
Tea Tree Special Conditioner for Invigorating Hair & Scalp
Paul Mitchell
$20
Tea Tree Special Detox Kombucha Clarifying Hair Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar
Paul Mitchell
$32
Tea Tree Special Detox Foaming Scalp Scrub for Buildup
Paul Mitchell
$32
Tea Tree Lavender Mint Lightweight Leave-In Conditioner for Dry Hair
Paul Mitchell
$27
Leave-on tea tree, and the skip
Tea tree works outside the shower too. Nancy Twine left almost a decade at Goldman Sachs to start Briogeo in 2013, inspired by the remedies her family made in the kitchen, and the Scalp Revival serum pairs charcoal and tea tree for an itchy scalp. Paul Mitchell's hair and body moisturizer works on both, and the shaping cream gives long-lasting hold. Bumble and bumble, which Michael Gordon started as a salon in 1977, makes Tonic Lotion, a tea tree primer that detangles and preps hair for styling. What I would skip is dabbing pure tea tree oil on your scalp. Undiluted oil can irritate skin, and a formulated product is safer. If flaking continues, see a dermatologist.
How often to use it
Use the shampoo two or three times a week if your scalp is oily, and less if it is dry. Alternate with a gentler formula if the tingle starts to sting. Leave the shampoo on for a minute before rinsing so the scalp feels the cooling effect. Follow with conditioner on the lengths only. On the other days, rinse with water and let the scalp rest.
