Thursday, June 19, 2014

Pregnancy and Essential Oils

There are many different schools of thought about what is safe and what is not for baby and mother during pregnancy and lactation.  At Selah we have decided to follow the advice given by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young in their book, Essential Oil Safety (2nd edition), for many reasons.   They are very conservative on their allowances, they have based their reasoning on sound research and testing and their information is the most up-to-date, as this book was published in 2014.

These are the Selah Essential Oils and Blends that should be avoided and used with caution during pregnancy.  Remember, we are following Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young's safety information that can be found in their book, Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Edition (2014) on pages 152-156.

PLEASE NOTE: 

If you use another brand of essential oils, check their safety before using.  
This list only applies to the items Selah Essential Oils carries in their store.  
There are more essential oils to avoid and use with caution than just what we have listed here

Selah Essential oils that should be AVOIDED throughout pregnancy and lactation:
Anise, Birch, Carrot SeedCinnamon bark, Dalmation Sage, Fennel, Hyssop, MyrrhOregano, Spanish Sage, Tansy.

Selah Essential Oil Blends that should be AVOIDED throughout pregnancy and lactation:
Ancient China, ArmorArmor Spray(Homeopathy Friendly) Armor SprayButterfliesBrenda's BlessingClarifyComfortDeterminationDudeEaseFamilyHelichrysum BlendIndigoInhaleJacob's BlendLiver CleanseLove, No Cedar, Pins & NeedlesResistanceRegulateSoftTransparencyTummy Troubles

Selah Essential oils that should be RESTRICTED during pregnancy and lactation:
Lemongrass, Clary Sage

Selah Essential Oil Blends that should be RESTRICTED during pregnancy and lactation:
CleansePower, Tick'd Off, Quiescent

Selah Essential Oils that CAN be used during pregnancy and lactation:
Balsam FirBasilBlack PepperCardamom, CedarwoodCistusCitronellaCloveCopaibaCoriander, CypressDillEucalyptus GlobulusEucalyptus RadiataFrankincense,Geranium, Geranium RoseGerman ChamomileGingerGrapefruitJuniper BerryLavenderLemonOrangePatchouliPeppermintPineRoman ChamomileRosemaryRosewoodSpearmintTea TreeThyme Linalool, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang.

Selah Essential Oil Blends that CAN be used during pregnancy and lactation:
Anchor, BondBreathing, BreezeCitrusItch No MoreLovelyResting, Sandalwood BlendShelterSigh

A note about Peppermint oil and Pregnancy:
We have found that several professionals recommend that peppermint not be used by pregnant women.  However, Tisserand and Price both categorize peppermint as OK.  In an effort to give you only the best information possible, we contacted Mr. Tisserand and asked his opinion regarding peppermint essential oil and pregnancy.  This was his reply:
"I have always believed that if peppermint oil was risky in pregnancy there would need to be warnings on peppermint-flavored gum and candy. There is evidence that menthol is safe in pregnancy (p 592 of my book) and there's none that I am aware of that either menthol or peppermint poses any risk. If others think differently, I don't know what their thinking is based on."