I’ve had a solid relationship with the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special shampoo probably since before I was into health and wellness. I think I was using this product before I knew anything about essential oils and the role that they play in natural medicine and cosmetics. I was simply drawn to its look, I really liked the smell of it, and for a long while, it served me well.

Many people use shampoos every day or two. Because that’s the case, it’s best to use one which suits you and helps keep you (and your hair) happy and healthy. This isn’t to say that this one shampoo is the answer to everyone’s hair prayers. I don’t think such a product exists. But this shampoo is a viable go-to option for those who want to invest a little bit beyond picking up a bottle of the cheapest in-house brand at your local grocery store or supermarket.

Who Is Paul Mitchell?

Paul Mitchell and his business partner, John Paul DeJoria, founded John Paul Mitchell Systems in 1980. DeJoria is now 75-years-old, and he is still managing the company and calling the shots. Paul Mitchell died of cancer in 1989, but the brand carries on his name and legacy.

The two partners met at a beauty show in Miami, FL, in 1971. They became friends, and over some years of knowing each other, they formed ideas, recipes, and formulas. They basically concocted the plan for what later became the basis of their company and the professional hair care products it offers.

The duo went to work in 1980, executing their plans by selling their own products door-to-door. In that sense, this is a classic story of the American Dream. Two friends establish a company and work hard to break out. The two of them were dedicated and tenacious, even when – at one point – DeJoria was homeless and sleeping in his car. But their hard work and commitment paid off. Today, Paul Mitchell is worth several billions.

This is a company best known for its line of professional hair care products, but also for its beauty schools and other cosmetics-related entrepreneurial endeavors. There are beauty salons which carry their products exclusively, and some which carry them alongside other companies’ products.

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Benefits Of Tea Tree Oil Explained

Tea tree oil in a bottle.

As I said, tea tree was an essential oil that I came into contact with relatively early. It remains one of my favorites to this day because it has so many uses inside and outside the house. Among the benefits of tea tree oil are that it’s an antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antiviral agent. It can fight fungal infections, clean up your floors and tiles, and also serve as a natural insecticide. It does a lot.

Its official name is Melaleuca alternifolia, and it’s been in the service and aid of mankind for many years. The Aborigines of Australia have been using the tree and its oil for countless generations, taking full advantage of its many healing and life-affirming properties. Even though the Western world got wind of the existence of this oil back in the 18th century, it wasn’t until the 20th century kicked in that people really began to take notice of this curious little liquid and its many significant attributes.

The benefits of tea tree oil are seemingly endless.

Here is a partial list of the problems it can be used for:

• Skin Issues

  • Acne
  • Blackheads
  • Athlete’s foot
  • Eczema
  • Warts
  • Boils
  • Styes

• Hair Issues

  • Lice
  • Dandruff
  • Hair loss
  • Hair strengthening

• Other Treatments

  • Yeast infections
  • Minor burns cuts, wounds and any resulting infections
  • Used in aromatherapy for calming the body and relaxing the mind

There are more uses and treatments for it, but you get the idea. What makes this oil so potent and powerful is the compounds it harbors. Inside of it there are substances which can kill bacteria and help the body out when in need. In World War II, Australian soldiers were even given tea tree oil as part of their first-aid kit, so that they could clean, disinfect, and tend to cuts, wounds, and burns.

The most active component in tea tree oil is Terpinen-4-ol. It’s one that has a dramatic effect on many processes that go on in the body. According to different studies, introducing it properly and adequately to your system can prove to be highly beneficial. 

Tea tree oil works wonders for the human body, skin, hair, and mind. But we’re not the only ones who can benefit from it. Cats and dogs (of most breeds) can make good use of this oil as well, but be careful. Tea tree, like other essential oils, is an uncommonly strong substance. So whoever or whatever you are, use it with caution.

Clinical testing of tea tree oil is still being carried out around the world. There will always be those who claim it’s a great substance, right alongside those who claim it’s an over-hyped, modern-day snake-oil scam. Tea tree oil does have benefits, but of course, Paul Mitchell’s shampoo does not contain purely oil. It has other substances in its formula, and some are more wanted than others. Let’s go a little deeper into the formula and see what this shampoo contains. 

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo Ingredients Breakdown

Paul Mitchell’s tea tree special shampoo.

I’m becoming more of a fan of natural shampoos. And the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special shampoo is far from 100% natural. On the other hand, it boasts some really valuable substances in its formula. It’s a ratio that is at least understandable, unlike some of the other products I’ve encountered over the years.

Some of this shampoo’s ingredients are seriously good for you, your scalp, and your hair, while others… not so much. The more potentially harmful ones are the classic telltale signs of a modern-age, mass-produced, run-of-the-mill hair care product: sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, propylene glycol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, and more. These are preservatives and synthetic scents, foaming agents, detergents and cleaners, etc.

To be clear, the jury is still out on whether or not these substances are in fact harmful at the amounts in which they are present in your hair care and skin care products. The part most people are worried about is the accumulation of these substances. I don’t think anyone is claiming that using the shampoo will cause you cancer immediately. I feel that the primary concern is in regards to the long-term use of such products.

Let’s take SLS and SLES as an example. Do they cause any real harm? Often times, those who claim them to be seriously harmful are also the ones pushing the more natural alternatives. I’m not here to sway you one way or another, by the way. I just want to get the facts straight. Just because a detergent of some kind is present in both a human hair care product and a floor cleaner, doesn’t mean that the amounts and effects are the same. So, that’s the bad in a nutshell.

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo

$30.17

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The Good Stuff In Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo

There’s tons of good stuff in Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Special shampoo. There are plenty of positive and beneficial ingredients present – ones which are not in dispute. These include tea tree oil, white ginger extract, wheat germ oil, algae extract, jojoba extract, menthol, panthenol, rosemary extract, chamomile extract, and more. And thankfully, these positive substances are not so far down the list of ingredients as one may think. True, that is sometimes the case with many other mass-produced shampoos. But Paul Mitchell does care about your hair, I believe.

The Paul Mitchell company makes use of different preservatives and cleaning agents, yes, but they do it wisely and in a way that is not overbearing. It is not simply a question of SLS and SLES being there, but primarily a question of quantity. Having detergents and cleaners of some kind in your shampoo is not a bad thing, it’s more about quantity (on the manufacturer’s part) and frequency of use (on your part).

Read your labels, people. I know it is a time-consuming thing. But after you get used to it – and especially after you know what to look out for – it becomes much easier. You should know your limits as a consumer. What are you willing to use, and what are you not? What is a deal-breaker, and what can you let slide? It can be frustrating, I know. I’ve been there. There have been times when I would be staring at a bottle of something and getting angry at companies for putting together ingredients lists which are so completely incomprehensible for anyone without a chemistry degree.

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo Review: Before And After Results

The Before

As previously mentioned, I have some history with the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special shampoo. But I will try to not let that get in my way. So, let’s talk about before and after. The ‘before’ wasn’t too bad in my case. It’s not like I was in some desperate hair emergency and Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo saved the day. I was glad to revisit it since I’ve always loved the way that it smells and the prickly feeling on my scalp when I let it sit for a minute and work its magic. I know that the scent of tea tree oil can be a little bit much for those who are not used to it. But I enjoyed it from the beginning, and I still do.

This time around, I used the shampoo in the wintertime. I usually get somewhat drier (and sometimes even flaky) in the winter months. The cold, the wind, the laziness calling me to bed and not to the shower… heck, probably the difference in temperatures as a result of air-conditioned buildings and cars – these all contribute in some way to my scalp getting dry, itchy, and in need of repair or other attention. 

Because of this, I wanted a shampoo that would cause me less itchiness rather than contribute to it or aggravate it. I knew from my personal experience with tea tree oil that it does have the potential to dry me up if I overuse, which is why I took it easy. I washed my hair with this shampoo more than a few times over the course of several weeks.

The After

In general, this isn’t my daily shampoo. But using it again made me want to switch back to Paul Mitchell, at least a little. That hot and tingling sensation I get when I use the shampoo is great. I always like feeling the product “working” my scalp and hair. 

My results were good, and it seems that their formula still works well! After a few days, I noticed my scalp being less itchy between showers. And this was the main reason for me wanting to try it out, so in that sense, it was a success.

There was one sunny afternoon when I went out with the family. I knew I’d need a shower when I got home. And I’m happy to say that after using the shampoo that evening, I woke up with a great-looking and great-feeling head of hair.

For me, the test of a hair care product is less in the day-of-use. It’s more in the overall experience in the following days, and especially during days when I do NOT wash my hair. Do I experience more or fewer conditions of breakage, itching, flaking, or general feelings of uncleanliness?

Still, this isn’t going to make a permanent comeback into my life at this time. I care about the ingredients too much. I know that the potentially harmful ingredients are not being over-represented in the formula and that chances are they exist only in minuscule and non-threatening amounts. Nevertheless, I’m using a different shampoo for my regular routine, and I’m quite happy with it.

But if I ever go back to buying something close to a non-100%-natural shampoo, it could very well be that I’ll go back to Paul Mitchell.

Is Paul Mitchell Cruelty-Free?

So is Paul Mitchell cruelty-free? Yes, it is. More than that, this is one company that is determined to remain cruelty-free, even at the cost of some revenue. Some years ago, Paul Mitchell left a ton of money on the table when the company stopped selling its products to China. They did this due to China’s policies on cosmetics-importing and animal-testing. In 2012, Paul Mitchel pulled out of that huge and lucrative market in order to prevent animals from being harmed unnecessarily.

When asked about the dramatic move, DeJoria declared: “Paul Mitchell has been and always will be cruelty-free.” I have a lot of respect for businesses that stand behind their words and live in accordance with their core principles. This isn’t just some CEO spouting off marketing buzzwords for a press release. This is a bona fide business owner and entrepreneur who is willing to make less money for the sake of compassion and ethics. Commendable, in my opinion.

And speaking of morals, most – though not all – of Paul Mitchell’s products are vegan. In other words, they contain no animal products and are not derived from animals or their products. I say “most”, and not all, because some products are not vegan (but still cruelty-free!). So if animal rights are a deal-breaker for you, please remember to check that label before you leave the store or click that button. PETA’s list of vegan/non-vegan companies and products is updated every now and then, so be on the lookout for changes.

Let’s hope more businesses and entrepreneurs are able to follow in Paul Mitchell’s footsteps and embrace a business strategy that takes our fellow Earthlings into account and prevents unnecessary suffering.

Conclusion

There’s no single conclusion to come to other than: try it for yourself! It’s not something that can be understood by reading a review, however honest it may be. It’s a subjective and very flexible truth!

You could follow the same routine I did and still wind up with different results. This could be due to other hair care products you use. Or it could perhaps be because of your diet, stress levels, genetics, current state of health, or a million other reasons. I will say this: there are many who can benefit from it.

I would love it if it cost a little bit less, though. At $14 (MSRP) for a 10 oz bottle, it’s not crazy expensive but is also far from being one of the cheaper options. I understand that there is money to be made, but something tells me they could afford to sell this for $10-12 and still make a profit.

Another important note: counterfeits. This shampoo has fallen victim to the art of cosmetics counterfeiting. Make sure that you buy your products from a reputable vendor. You don’t want to use a shampoo for a few weeks and then discover it has an entirely different effect on your hair. 

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special shampoo won’t work for everyone. But overall, it seems that this is one of the best tea tree shampoos in the popular “non-natural” category of hair care products. It comes highly recommended, but it’s ultimately a judgment call. If you want to try it out, I urge you to. You may decide it’s not for you, but you may decide that from now on it’s the ONLY one for you!

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