Are tea tree products safe for colour-treated hair?

by Gillian
(Canada)

Tea Tree Shampoo for Color Treated Hair

My 5 year old son came home from school with head lice. We immediately treated it and seem to have gotten rid of all the lice and eggs, so now we are using a tea tree shampoo until we have to retreat in 7 days.

My friend went through my hair and found one insect so I treated myself, but so far no one has found any eggs. I have used the drug-store lice treatment, but would like to use the tea tree oil shampoo now too, just to be safe because I have long, thick hair where things could hide!

The only problem is that my hair is color-treated (high-lights). My bottle of tea tree shampoo from Thursday Plantation says "not recommended for chemically treated hair". Are tea tree products safe for colour-treated hair?

Editors Comments:

Gillian, thanks for the comments. Thankfully, you don't have to switch to a different shampoo if you already have a favorite!

Tea Tree Oil shampoos as found on the personal care products shelves contain between 0.2% and 2.5% tea tree oil

According to the Australian Tea Tree Industry Association ( ATTIA) "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, 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%).

You can make your own tea tree oil shampoo by adding 15 drops of tea tree oil to each ounce of your favorite shampoo. That means if you already have a favorite for colour-treated hair, you can keep using it, and have the added benefits of tea tree oil.

If you'd like a copy of the ATTIA report, a beautiful full color brochure with pictures and valuable information, you can download a copy in PDF form right here. Tea Tree Oil Safety and Effectiveness