Essential oils and pregnancy

[stoutgrovewv]

I have read that a few essential oils are not good for pregnant women. Does anyone have any idea if that only means that pregnant women should be extra cautious when using these oils, or does it mean that pregnant women should be cautious when using soaps with these oils? Just curious.

 

[coffeetime]

Well, it's not really ethical to test things on pregnant women, so the data is spotty. But I use essential oils in my soap, always at 3%, and I put cautions on the label for any essential oils that are listed as not safe during pregnancy. Better safe than sorry.

 

[IrishLass]

Here's a great sticky about essential oil safety by Lindy that I found over in the EO section:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=23653


IrishLass

 

[LunaSkye]

If a EO is not good for a pregnant woman, then it's best to avoid using it for her products. Some EOs are ok for a pregnant woman, but most (if not all) of them should not be used until the second trimester. This is info from both my friend and research I did some years ago.

Here are some examples: some EO's like jasmine & rosemary have properties that encourage contractions in the uterine muscles (hence, jasmine can be used during labor). Lavander, chamomile, & rose are said to be safe, though.

 

[KristaY]

I bought Valerie Ann Worwood's book "The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy". Vast wealth of info in the book with a large chapter devoted specifically to women. In her book she states: "These are the essential oils you can safely use during pregnancy: Tangerine, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Geranium, Chamomile (Roman), Rose Bulgar, Rose Maroc, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Lavender. You can use the oils in a bath, shower, as a massage, or in one of the room methods." In the next paragraph she goes on to say "When you are pregnant you should always use the minimum quantities shown" (This is in reference to a chart at the beginning of the book that specifies the range of oil to use for various methods).

In researching EO's safe for pregnancy, I found many authorities vary on their opinions. Many disagree with Ms. Worwood and eliminate some from the list, or add some. The main point of agreement I've found in all is they can only guess at the potential side effects as no pregnant woman will allow themselves to be used as guinea pigs!

 

[Dorymae]

Might be prudent to include a warning on the label such as:

Warning: Contains rosemary essential oil, if pregnant please consult your doctor before using.

or

Warning: Not intended for use if pregnant or nursing.

 

[stoutgrovewv]

Thanks for all the input. Does anyone use such warnings? I haven't looked at too many handmade soap bars but I don't know if I have ever seen such a warning.

 

[Cindy2428]

I use EO in my therapy practice primarily for dementia mgt and pain. Generally 3% formulation using jojoba as my carrier oil. First things I look for in medical history - allergies, seizure disorder, hypersensitivity to anything and pregnancy. As the mystery of what survives during saponification has not been solved, always to the side of caution. An article I found about EO absorption: http://yellowstaressentials.wordpre...imination-of-essential-oils-through-the-skin/ Concur with Dorymae - warnings are clear and to the point.

 

[Dorymae]

The reason I would put the warning on is because the FDA leaves it up in the air BUT they make it very clear that the responsibility of having a safe product lies with the manufacturer.

If someone were to lose a pregnancy and later read about a EO that shouldn't be used, realized they used your soap and blamed you.....

Well they would sue for millions, I'm not saying they would win, but could you afford that kind of litigation?

 

[KristaY]

I use EO in my therapy practice primarily for dementia mgt and pain. Generally 3% formulation using jojoba as my carrier oil. First things I look for in medical history - allergies, seizure disorder, hypersensitivity to anything and pregnancy. As the mystery of what survives during saponification has not been solved, always to the side of caution. An article I found about EO absorption: http://yellowstaressentials.wordpre...imination-of-essential-oils-through-the-skin/ Concur with Dorymae - warnings are clear and to the point.

Thanks for the link to this article, Cindy2428. Very informative info on the absorption and elimination of EO's.