Drug & supplement interaction

Tea Tree Oil + Escitalopram

Escitalopram brand name: Lexapro.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Escitalopram and Tea Tree Oil in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Tea Tree Oil at all — not against Escitalopram, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Tea Tree Oil safety at a glance

Tea Tree Oil overall Use caution Generally safe when used diluted on the skin, but it is toxic if swallowed.

Pregnancy Possibly Safe When used topically and appropriately. Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Possibly Safe When used topically and appropriately. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Escitalopram and Tea Tree Oil? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

A higher chance of infection Worth acting on Additional detail
Tea Tree Oil
“There is some concern that topical use of tea tree oil in the middle ear for treatment of ear infections might cause ototoxicity. There is preliminary evidence from animal research that preparations of pure tea tree oil can cause ototoxicity and impaired hearing. However, so far there are no reports of ototoxicity in humans.”

Tea Tree Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in drug-induced hearing loss.
1 source cited

7025. Zhang SY, Robertson D. A study of tea tree oil ototoxicity. Audiol Neurootol 2000;5:64-8. PubMed
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Drowsiness Additional detail
Tea Tree Oil
“Orally, tea tree oil can cause or worsen systemic contact dermatitis. Topically, tea tree oil is usually well tolerated. However, it can cause allergic contact eczema and allergic contact dermatitis in some children and adults. Corticosteroids may be needed in some cases.

In young children, ingestion of 10 mL or less of tea tree oil can cause significant ataxia, drowsiness, disorientation, and coma.”

Tea Tree Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.
6 sources cited

4028. Carson CF, Riley TV, Cookson BD. Efficacy and safety of tea tree oil as a topical antimicrobial agent. J Hosp Infect 1998;40:175-8. PubMed

19168. De Groot A. C. and Weyland J. W. Systemic contact dermatitis from tea tree oil. Contact Dermatitis 1992;27(4):279-280. PubMed

658. De Groot AC. Airborn allergic contact dermatitis from tea tree oil. Contact Dermatitis 1996;35:304-5.

4027. Rubel DM, Freeman S, Southwell IA. Tea tree oil allergy: what is the offending agent? Report of three cases of tea tree oil allergy and review of the literature. Australas J Dermatol 1998;39:244-7. PubMed

4029. Bhushan M, Beck MH. Allergic contact dermatitis from tea tree oil in a wart paint. Contact Dermatitis 1997;36:117-8. PubMed

10015. Knight TE, Hausen BM. Melaleuca oil (tea tree oil) dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 1994;30:423-7.. PubMed
Escitalopram

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Escitalopram. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Tea Tree Oil but not commonly for Escitalopram: an allergic reaction, hearing loss, confusion and dry skin.

Effects for Escitalopram come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Tea Tree Oil come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 139,512 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Escitalopram that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Tea Tree Oil in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Safe

When used topically and appropriately.

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Ingestion of tea tree oil can be toxic.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Tea Tree Oil or Escitalopram

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Tea Tree Oil or Escitalopram, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Escitalopram

This page covers Tea Tree Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Escitalopram page lists 55 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Lithium (major), 5-htp (moderate), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate) and Ayahuasca (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 38 moderate · 15 minor.

Open the Escitalopram interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Tea Tree Oil

Steady interest

#801 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Medication Escitalopram

Top 1%

#13 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?

Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Tea Tree Oil reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.

Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Tea Tree Oil

What is Tea Tree Oil?

Acne
Fungal skin infections (athlete's foot, nail fungus)
Dandruff
Minor wounds and insect bites
Lice

Tea tree oil is an essential oil used on the skin for acne, fungal infections, and other skin problems, with some supportive but limited evidence. It is for topical use only and should never be swallowed, as it can be toxic. Always dilute it, do a patch test first, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before using.

Melaleuca alternifolia · Myrtaceae · Leaves and twigs (steam-distilled into essential oil) · Essential oil, creams, gels, ointments, soaps, shampoos, mouthwash

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Tea Tree Oil is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Tea Tree Oil record says about it on its own.

Tea Tree Oil: dosing

There is no official standardized dose for tea tree oil. Many skin products contain it at low concentrations, often diluted to a small percentage of the total product.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not apply more or more often than directed. If you are using pure essential oil, dilute it with a carrier oil before use. Never take it by mouth.

From our Tea Tree Oil monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Tea Tree Oil monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Escitalopram

What Is Escitalopram Used For?

Brand name: Lexapro

Escitalopram treats major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults and in adolescents 12 years of age and older. It also treats generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults.

Lexapro (escitalopram) tablets are additionally approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder in pediatric patients 7 years of age and older. Escitalopram Capsules are indicated for MDD and GAD in adults younger than 65 years of age, and for MDD in pediatric patients 12 years and older — the capsule form is not indicated for patients 65 and older.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Escitalopram

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (139,512 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 9,542 reports

Nausea 9,514 reports

Headache 7,397 reports

Diarrhea 7,045 reports

Anxiety 6,668 reports

See full Escitalopram drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Tea Tree Oil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Tea Tree Oil — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major

0Moderate

0Minor

2,829No known interaction

2,829 No interaction

No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Tea Tree Oil against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Tea Tree Oil list.

See the full Tea Tree Oil interactions page

See every supplement checked against Escitalopram, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Tea Tree Oil References

The 31 references that drive our Tea Tree Oil monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Robbers JE, Tyler VE. Tyler's Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. New York, NY: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.
Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal, 4th ed., Binghamton, NY: Haworth Herbal Press, 1999. DOI
De Groot AC. Airborn allergic contact dermatitis from tea tree oil. Contact Dermatitis 1996;35:304-5.
Rubel DM, Freeman S, Southwell IA. Tea tree oil allergy: what is the offending agent? Report of three cases of tea tree oil allergy and review of the literature. Australas J Dermatol 1998;39:244-7. PubMed
Carson CF, Riley TV, Cookson BD. Efficacy and safety of tea tree oil as a topical antimicrobial agent. J Hosp Infect 1998;40:175-8. PubMed
Bhushan M, Beck MH. Allergic contact dermatitis from tea tree oil in a wart paint. Contact Dermatitis 1997;36:117-8. PubMed
Del Beccaro MA. Melaleuca oil poisoning in a 17-month-old. Vet Hum Toxicol 1995;37:557-8.
Jandourek A, Vaishampayan JK, Vazquez JA. Efficacy of melaleuca oral solution for the treatment of fluconazole refractory oral candidiasis in AIDS patients. AIDS 1998;12:1033-7. DOI
Zhang SY, Robertson D. A study of tea tree oil ototoxicity. Audiol Neurootol 2000;5:64-8. PubMed
Bassett IB, Pannowitz DL, Barnetson RS. A comparative study of tea-tree oil versus benzoylperoxide in the treatment of acne. Med J Aust 1990;153:455-8. PubMed
Jacobs MR, Hornfeldt CS. Melaleuca oil poisoning. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1994;32:461-4.. PubMed
Elliott C. Tea tree oil poisoning. Med J Aust 1993;159:830-1. PubMed
Knight TE, Hausen BM. Melaleuca oil (tea tree oil) dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 1994;30:423-7.. PubMed
Bruynzeel DP. Contact dermatitis due to tea tree oil. Trop Med Int Health 1999;4:630.
Greig JE, Thoo SL, Carson CF, Riley TV. Allergic contact dermatitis following use of a tea tree oil hand-wash not due to tea tree oil. Contact Dermatitis 1999;41:354-5. PubMed
Varma S, Blackford S, Statham BN, Blackwell A. Combined contact allergy to tea tree oil and lavender oil complicating chronic vulvovaginitis. Contact Dermatitis 2000;42:309-10.
Khanna M, Qasem K, Sasseville D. Allergic contact dermatitis to tea tree oil with erythema multiforme-like id reaction. Am J Contact Dermat 2000;11:238-42..
Satchell AC, Saurajen A, Bell C, Barnetson RS. Treatment of interdigital tinea pedis with 25% and 50% tea tree oil solution: a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study. Australas J Dermatol 2002;43:175-8.. PubMed
Morris MC, Donoghue A, Markowitz JA, Osterhoudt KC. Ingestion of tea tree oil (Melaleuca oil) by a 4-year-old boy. Pediatr Emerg Care 2003;19:169-71. PubMed
Martin KW, Ernst E. Herbal medicines for treatment of fungal infections: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Mycoses 2004;47:87-92. PubMed
De Groot A. C. and Weyland J. W. Systemic contact dermatitis from tea tree oil. Contact Dermatitis 1992;27(4):279-280. PubMed
Enshaieh S, Jooya A, Siadat AH, and Iraji F. The efficacy of 5% topical tea tree oil gel in mild to moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2007;73(1):22-25. PubMed
Christoffers WA, Blömeke B, Coenraads PJ, Schuttelaar ML. Co-sensitization to ascaridole and tea tree oil. Contact Dermatitis. 2013 Sep;69(3):187-9. PubMed
Corazza M, Borghi A, Gallo R, Schena D, Pigatto P, Lauriola MM, Guarneri F, Stingeni L, Vincenzi C, Foti C, Virgili A. Topical botanically derived products: use, skin reactions, and usefulness of patch tests. A multicentre Italian study. Contact Dermatiti
Kwon HH, Yoon JY, Park SY, Min S, Suh DH. Comparison of clinical and histological effects between lactobacillus-fermented Chamaecyparis obtusa and tea tree oil for the treatment of acne: an eight-week double-blind randomized controlled split-face study. D PubMed
Martínez Campayo N, Goday Buján JJ, Fonseca Capdevila E. Allergic contact dermatitis due to tea tree oil. Actas Dermosifiliogr (Engl Ed). 2020;111(9):787-788. DOI
Lauriola MM, Sena P, De Bitonto A, Corazza M. Allergic contact dermatitis due to "therapeutic uses" of tea tree oil on the lips and toenails. Dermatitis. 2021;32(3):e40-e41. PubMed
Navarro-Triviño FJ, Prados-Carmona Á, Ruiz-Villaverde R. Systemic allergic contact dermatitis caused by tea tree oil in a cream for treatment of molluscum contagiosum. Contact Dermatitis 2022;87(3):285-287. PubMed
Bekhof AMW, van Hunsel FPAM, van de Koppel S, Woerdenbag HJ. Safety assessment and adverse drug reaction reporting of tea tree oil (Melaleuca aetheroleum). Phytother Res 2022.
Ambrogio F, Foti C, Cazzato G, et al. Spreading Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Tea Tree Oil in an Over-the-Counter Product Applied on a Wart. Medicina (Kaunas) 2022;58(5):561. PubMed
Samaran Q, Litovsky J, Girod M, Dereure O, Raison-Peyron N. Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Tea Tree Oil With No Sensitization to Fragrance Markers. Dermatitis 2023. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Related: nutrient depletion

Escitalopram Is Linked to Lower Levels of One Nutrient

Natural Medicines records Escitalopram as a medicine that can lower these. This is not an interaction with Tea Tree Oil — it is a separate effect of the medicine, and it is a reason some people are advised to supplement rather than to avoid one:

SODIUM›

Read the full Escitalopram nutrient depletion report ›

Depletion records come from the licensed Natural Medicines database. Do not start a supplement on the strength of this page — ask your pharmacist or doctor whether it applies to you.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Tea Tree Oil with Escitalopram?

We do not list a known interaction between Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.

Do Tea Tree Oil and Escitalopram have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.

Does Escitalopram interact with any supplements?

Yes. Escitalopram has documented interactions with 55 supplements in our database — Tea Tree Oil is not one of them. The Escitalopram interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Tea Tree Oil monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Escitalopram drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Escitalopram supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Escitalopram, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 31 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Escitalopram and Tea Tree Oil?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.