Are essential oils safe during pregnancy?

There is no blanket answer. Small trials of lemon, peppermint and lavender reported no adverse effects, but none was large enough to rule out uncommon harms, and the Tisserand Institute advises pregnant people to consult a doctor first. Ask your OB-GYN or midwife.

Which oils should I avoid while pregnant?

Published lists differ. The one firmly sourced statement we read is that lavender should not be used orally during pregnancy (WHO monograph, cited by Vidal-Garcia et al., 2024). Take your specific oil and plan to your OB-GYN or midwife.

Can I use amyris oil while pregnant?

We found no pregnancy data for amyris, so we cannot call it safe, and we do not recommend it as a pregnancy product. Ask your OB-GYN or midwife.

What if I already used oils and did not know?

Tell your OB-GYN or midwife which oil, how much and how. If any was swallowed, call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Essential Oils in Pregnancy: Questions to Ask First

Pregnancy changes how people think about every bottle in the bathroom cabinet, and essential oils are no exception. Blogs offer long lists of "safe" and "unsafe" oils with great confidence. The better answer is less tidy: the research is limited, and the person best placed to advise you is the one who knows your pregnancy.

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It may help to know that you are not being fussy by asking. Many people find that their sense of smell shifts during pregnancy, and a scent they always liked can suddenly feel overpowering. Others find that a smell they never noticed is now impossible to ignore. Whatever you experience, it is yours, and it is a perfectly good reason to put the bottles away for a while.

What the research actually looks like

Most studies of aromatherapy in pregnancy are small. A 2024 systematic review of lavender for stress, anxiety and sleep in pregnant women found just six trials with 413 participants between them, using varied methods; the authors reported benefits and no adverse effects, and then said plainly that more studies are needed (Vidal-García et al., Healthcare 2024). That is a fair summary of the whole field: some encouraging signals about one oil, and very little about most others, including amyris.

The Tisserand Institute's general guidelines list pregnancy among the situations where you should seek the advice of a doctor or suitable practitioner before using essential oils (Tisserand Institute). We agree, and it is why this post does not hand out a routine.

Why this is not a list of safe and unsafe oils

Lists are tempting because they feel like an answer. But a pregnancy list built on a handful of small trials, a few traditional cautions and plenty of repetition from site to site is mostly confidence, not data. Whether an oil suits you also depends on how far along you are, your health history, how it is used and how strong it is. A midwife or doctor can weigh those things; a table on the internet cannot.

What we can say about our oil

We sell one product, an external cosmetic amyris oil, and we make no medical claims for it. Our own guidance is to dilute to 0.5% to 2% in a carrier for skin, keep it away from eyes, children and pets, and never take it internally. We do not have pregnancy-specific data on amyris, so we would not call it either suitable or unsuitable; we would simply suggest you ask first.

Getting ready for the conversation

A conversation with your midwife or doctor goes more smoothly when you come prepared. Before your visit, gather the bottles you are thinking of using, or take photos of the labels. Write down the full name of each oil, including the Latin name when it is printed, how you hope to use it and how often. A label with a clear name is much more useful than a description such as "the woody one."

Bring any blends you have made, too, along with a note of what is in them and how strong they are. If you are not sure, say so. Your provider would much rather work from honest, incomplete information than from guesses.

It is also fine to ask questions that feel small. Is it all right to have a diffuser on in another room? Should I stop using a scented body product? Is it better to wait until after the birth? There is no wrong question, and the answers may change as your pregnancy moves along.

Questions worth bringing to your midwife or doctor

If you are thinking about	Ask about
Skin application	Whether any oil is appropriate for you, and at what dilution
Diffusing at home	Whether it suits you, especially with nausea or asthma
Blends that include several oils	Each oil individually; your provider may know of ones to avoid
Anything for nausea, sleep or aches	Safe, tested options; these are medical questions

In the meantime, you can still enjoy plenty of fragrance-free comforts. Fresh air, a warm shower, a cup of something you like, a soft blanket and a quiet half hour are all nice companions. Many people also find that opening a window is the simplest way to freshen a room, and it asks nothing of anyone.

Remember, too, that the people around you can help. If someone gives you a scented gift, you can thank them warmly and put it on a shelf until you have talked to your provider. A good friend will understand.

If you have already used an oil and are worried, rinse it off, ventilate the room and call your provider; they would rather hear from you than not. Fragrance sensitivity also changes in pregnancy for many people, so an aroma you loved last year may suddenly not suit you, which is reason enough to start slowly with anything scented.

For wider reading see the essential oil safety guide and how patch tests work. Our contact page is there if you have a question about the product itself.