Antimicrobial essential oil
Manuka Oil
INCI name
Leptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil
Function
Antimicrobial essential oil
Pregnancy
Speak to your doctor
UV sensitivity
Not photosensitising
An essential oil distilled from the New Zealand manuka tree, the same plant whose flowers produce manuka honey.
How it works
Laboratory research associates manuka oil’s triketone compounds with antimicrobial activity, and it appears in cleansing products partly for that reason and partly for its herbaceous scent.
Sensitivity
As with all essential oils, sensitisation is possible in fragrance-reactive skin. Rinse-off use at cosmetic levels is generally well tolerated; patch testing is sensible where fragrance sensitivity is known.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Evidence on essential oils in pregnancy is limited; the conventional advice at cosmetic levels is to check with your doctor.
