We so often hear “never use essential oils for pregnant women”… This sentence really needs to be nuanced. Aromatherapy can indeed be dangerous during pregnancy, this very special period in the lives of many women. And it is also strongly recommended not to use essential oils before the first three months of pregnancy, quite simply to avoid poisoning the fetus. But once this period is over, essential oils can become your best friends and, if used with common sense and sparingly, will even allow you to have a pleasant pregnancy.

This article was updated on 20/07/2023
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General precautions for using essential oils during pregnancy

Pregnancy is full of emotion and questions, and you must pay attention to your health, your morale and your well-being more than ever. During this period, take care of your body, and that of the baby you are expecting, with the benefits of essential oils. But beware, certain precautions should not be neglected :

In the event of problems involving fever (flu, otitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis if accompanied by fever), in case ofurinary infection, of severe headaches, Or persistent or unusual, of abdominal pain, or repeated vomiting, consult your doctor immediately to rule out an emergency,

  • Do not use essential oils during the first 3 months of pregnancy unless advised otherwise by your doctor, caution is the rule
  • Do not use essential oils rich in ketones during the entire period of pregnancy orally, without medical advice.
  • Favor the cutaneous route, limited to local and temporary treatment, avoiding the abdominal area and areas close to the baby.
  • Refer to the advice pages of the site to follow the specific usage advice for each essential oil.
  • Do not apply essential oils to your skin before sun exposure

Essential oils authorized during pregnancy

from the 4th month of pregnancy

Without medical advice

These essential oils are made for you, from the 4th month of pregnancy, without specific medical advice:
  • Roman chamomile,
  • Cardamom,
  • Lemon,
  • Lemon eucalyptus,
  • Eucalyptus radiata,
  • Rose geranium,
  • Italian Helichrysum (under conditions),
  • Fragrant inula,
  • Noble laurel,
  • True lavender,
  • Fine lavender,
  • Super lavandin,
  • Green tangerine,
  • Marjoram with shells,
  • Neroli,
  • Petit grain bigarade,
  • Ravintsara,
  • Saro,
  • Tea tree,
  • Thyme in Thujanol,
  • Thyme in Linalool,
  • Fragrant verbena,
  • Complete ylang ylang.

With medical advice

These oils can be used from 4th month of pregnancy, but only with medical advice:
  • Basil,
  • Matricaria chamomile,
  • Cistus,
  • Cypress of Provence,
  • Black spruce,
  • Fragrant wintergreen,
  • Ginger,
  • Pistachio mastic,
  • Field mint,
  • Niaouli,
  • Rosemary with verbenone,
  • Annual tansy,
  • Savory leaf thyme.

Essential oils prohibited in pregnant women throughout the entire period of pregnancy

Some of our essential oils are prohibited for ingestion and through the skin throughout pregnancy:
Ajowan, Dill, Angelica, Bergamot, Bergamot without Bergapten, Cade, Cajeput, Wild Chamomile, Cinnamon, Caraway, Atlas Cedar, Java Lemongrass, Clove, Combava, Coriander Seeds, Criste Marine, Turmeric, Frankincense, Tarragon , Eucalyptus Globulus, Eucalyptus Smithii, Sweet Fennel, Galbanum, Juniper, Madagascar Helichrysum, Khella, Aspic Lavender, Lavandula Stoechas, Greenland Ledon, Lemongrass, Lovage, Sylvester Marjoram, Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Spearmint, Nutmeg, Green Myrtle, Red myrtle, Lemon myrtle, Himalayan spikenard, Sweet orange, Compact oregano, Green oregano, Spanish oregano, Palmarosa, Grapefruit, Patchouli, Douglas fir, Scots pine, Black pepper, Hemlock, Camphor rosemary, Cineole rosemary , Siberian fir, Balsam fir, Mountain savory, Lavender leaf sage, Clary sage, Turpentine, Thymol thyme, Goldenrod, Exotic verbena, Vetiver.

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Bibliography

Work : de la Charie, T. (2019). Treat yourself with essential oils. Why and how does it work? Editions du Rocher.

About these tips

This aromatherapy article was written by Théophane de la Charie, author of the book “Treat yourself with essential oils”, accompanied by a multidisciplinary team made up of pharmacists, biochemists and agronomists. 

La Compagnie des Sens and its teams do not encourage self-medication. The information and advice provided comes from a reference bibliographic database (books, scientific publications, etc.). They are given for information purposes, or to suggest avenues for reflection: they should in no case replace a diagnosis, consultation or medical follow-up, and cannot engage the liability of the Compagnie des Sens.