Blue Mallee Eucalyptus vs Regular Eucalyptus Oil: What's the Difference?

By Mark from Outback, The Outback Series customer care6 min read

The short answer

Blue mallee (Eucalyptus polybractea) is a small, many-stemmed eucalyptus that grows in dry inland Australia, mainly around West Wyalong in New South Wales and in north-central Victoria. Its leaf oil is naturally among the richest in cineole, the compound behind eucalyptus's clean, fresh smell.
"Regular" eucalyptus oil usually comes from Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), grown in large plantations in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Chile and China. It dominates world supply and is often redistilled to raise its cineole level.
To know what you are buying, look for the botanical name and the country of origin on the label. Whichever kind you choose, eucalyptus oil goes on the skin or in the air, never in the mouth.

What is blue mallee?

"Mallee" is the Australian word for a eucalyptus that grows as a cluster of slim stems from a woody base hidden under the soil, rather than as one tall trunk. Blue mallee reaches about 8 to 10 meters, and its young leaves are a dusty blue-grey, hence the name.

Because it regrows from that base, growers can cut the leafy stems, distill them and let the plant sprout again. Around West Wyalong, blue mallee leaves were first distilled for oil around 1900, and commercial production there started in 1907. Family distilleries in the district, some farming blue mallee since the 1960s, still steam-distill it today.

The method is simple: steam passes up through a vat of leaves, carries the oil out as vapor and cools in a condenser, where the oil floats to the top and is collected.

What is "regular" eucalyptus oil?

When a label just says "eucalyptus oil", it most often means oil from Tasmanian blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus. Blue gum is a tall tree planted widely for timber and paper, and its leaves are easy to distill in volume. That is why it dominates world supply and usually costs less.

Two things are worth knowing. First, blue gum oil is often redistilled, or "rectified", to raise its cineole level and remove some sharper notes. Second, not everything sold as eucalyptus oil comes from a eucalyptus. Much of the cineole traded from China is taken from camphor laurel trees and other plants, then sold under the eucalyptus name.

Blue mallee vs blue gum at a glance

Feature	Blue mallee	Blue gum ("regular")
Botanical name	Eucalyptus polybractea	Eucalyptus globulus
The plant	Small, many-stemmed mallee	Tall single-trunk tree
Where it grows	Inland New South Wales and Victoria, Australia	Plantations in Spain, Portugal, Chile, China and elsewhere
Harvest	Stems cut and regrown from the same plant	Leaves, often a by-product of timber and paper
Cineole	Naturally among the highest of any eucalyptus	Often redistilled to raise it
Scent	Clean, fresh and slightly softer	Fresh and sharper, more "medicine cabinet"

Neither one is "bad". They are different plants, and the label should tell you which one you have.

What is cineole?

Cineole, also called 1,8-cineole or eucalyptol, is the main natural compound in most eucalyptus oils. It is what you smell when you crush a eucalyptus leaf: that cool, clean, open-the-windows scent. You will also see eucalyptol on some mouthwash labels.

Blue mallee is prized because its leaves give cineole-rich oil straight from the still, which is why Australian growers have focused on it for more than a century.

How to read a eucalyptus oil label

The botanical name. "Eucalyptus polybractea" means blue mallee. "Eucalyptus globulus" means blue gum. No botanical name? Then you do not know what is inside.
The country of origin. Australian blue mallee should say Australia.
"Oil" vs "fragrance". "Eucalyptus fragrance" or "eucalyptus scent" is usually a perfume, not the plant oil.
"Rectified". The oil was redistilled. Common, and not a problem.

Why we use blue mallee in Outback

Outback Original Oil has four ingredients: Blue Mallee eucalyptus, Australian tea tree, olive oil and vanilla. The eucalyptus is the fresh note you notice first. The olive oil carries everything and lets it rub in, and the vanilla rounds off the smell so it is not the sharp medicine-cabinet scent people expect.

Mark's tipThe first thing new customers tell me is "I thought it would smell like a chest rub." It does not. You get a breath of fresh eucalyptus and a little vanilla, and then it is gone. If you would rather nobody notices it at all, wipe away anything still sitting on the skin after 30 seconds.

How to use eucalyptus oil safely

Never swallow it. A small amount of pure eucalyptus oil can be dangerous, especially for a child. If someone swallows it, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Keep it out of reach of children and pets, and do not use eucalyptus oil on children under 2.
Dilute pure essential oil in a carrier oil before it goes on the skin. Ready-made blends, like an oil already in an olive oil base, are made to be applied as they are.
Try a small spot first if your skin tends to react, and stop using anything that irritates it.

The oil we make with Blue Mallee

Outback Original Oil Roll-On

Blue Mallee eucalyptus, Australian tea tree, olive oil and vanilla. Nothing else. No menthol, so nothing burns or freezes, and the light scent fades within minutes. Rubs in in about 30 seconds. Covered by our 365-Day Returnless Refund.

See the roll-on

See every ingredient and where it comes from: What is in Outback Original Oil. Trying Outback for the first time? Our roll-on bundles come with a free 7-Day Pack of single-use sachets.

Try Outback for a full year

Four Australian plant ingredients, nothing that burns or freezes. Every order is covered by our 365-Day Returnless Refund, ships the same business day when you order by 2pm ET, and ships free on orders of $40 or more.

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Frequently asked questions

Is blue mallee eucalyptus the same as Eucalyptus globulus?

No. Blue mallee is Eucalyptus polybractea, a small many-stemmed Australian eucalyptus. Eucalyptus globulus is Tasmanian blue gum, a tall tree grown in plantations around the world. Both make eucalyptus oil, but they are different plants.

Which eucalyptus oil is best?

It depends on what you want. If you want an oil that is naturally rich in cineole and grown in Australia, look for Eucalyptus polybractea from Australia on the label. Blue gum oil is more common and usually cheaper.

What is cineole in eucalyptus oil?

Cineole, also called eucalyptol, is the main natural compound in most eucalyptus oils. It gives eucalyptus its clean, fresh smell. Blue mallee leaves are naturally among the richest in it.

Can you put eucalyptus oil directly on your skin?

Pure eucalyptus essential oil should be diluted in a carrier oil first. A finished product that already blends eucalyptus into a base oil, like Outback Original Oil, is made to be applied as it is. Avoid your eyes and broken skin.

Is eucalyptus oil safe around children?

Keep it out of their reach and never let anyone swallow it. Do not use eucalyptus oil on children under 2. If a child swallows eucalyptus oil, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

More Outback guides

Sources: Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, VicFlora: Eucalyptus polybractea; Eucalyptus polybractea, Wikipedia; G.R. Davis: The Blue Mallee of West Wyalong; Eucalyptus oil, Wikipedia; Poison Control: Eucalyptus Oil.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Eucalyptus oil is for external use only. If you have sensitive skin, a medical condition, or are pregnant or nursing, talk with your doctor or pharmacist before using essential oils. Use any product as its label directs.