Essential Oils During Pregnancy: Safety, Uses, and Gentle Support

When used thoughtfully and properly diluted, a small number of essential oils may offer gentle support for relaxation and emotional well-being during pregnancy.

Are Essential Oils Safe During Pregnancy?

Many pregnant women wonder whether essential oils are safe to use. The answer is yes—some essential oils may be used thoughtfully during pregnancy, while others should be avoided completely. The key is choosing pregnancy-safe oils, using proper dilution, and following evidence-informed safety guidelines.

Many medical doctors, aromatherapists, and herbalists recommend avoiding essential oils during the first trimester because safety data remain limited.

As pregnancy progresses, a small number of essential oils are commonly used for relaxation, emotional support, and occasional discomfort when properly diluted.

Pregnancy Essential Oil Safety at a Glance

✔ Some essential oils may be used after the first trimester.

✔ Always dilute to approximately 1% for topical use.

✔ Never ingest essential oils during pregnancy.

✔ Diffuse in short intervals.

✔ Consult your healthcare provider before use.

Essential Oils Commonly Considered Safe During Pregnancy

Some essential oils are commonly used during pregnancy when diluted and applied thoughtfully:

Morning Sickness:

Ginger

Relaxation:

• Lavender – often used for relaxation and sleep

• Rose - the much loved rose is associated with calming and love and care

• Neroli – soft and gentle, sometimes used to support emotional balance

• Ylang-ylang – used gently for calming effects

• Jojoba oil – a carrier oil commonly used for safe skin application

Uplifting the Mood:

Sweet Orange - often used to uplift the mood, emotional balance

Grapefruit - cheerful, uplifting

Geranium - floral, peace, tranquility, beauty

Roman Chamomile - serentity, calming, uplifting

For Safety:

• Stick to a short list of essential oils that are considered safe for pregnancy and that are commonly found in popular pregnancy products

• Use essential oils sparingly, only once or twice a day

• Always use proper dilution to help protect both you and your developing baby

Methods of use of essential oils in pregnancy

Essential oils can be used in several ways:

• Inhalation

• Diffusion

• Applied to the skin when diluted In lotions or oils

• Do not ingest essential oils when pregnant.

Inhalation and properly diluted topical application are the methods most commonly recommended during pregnancy.

How Essential Oils Affect the Body During Pregnancy

When inhaling or applying essential oils (EO), remember that EO are organic compounds that are directly absorbed into the body at the molecular level. Current research shows us how essential oil molecules interact with the molecules in the human body. When we inhale or apply EO to the skin, the EO molecules bind with receptors in the brain and body and there is a neuro-hormonal response. The phytochemical constituents of the essential oil, cause an emotional and physiological body response which can be regenerative, relaxing, soothing, balancing and slightly uplifting.

Pregnant women are usually looking for a gentle way to enhance their natural relaxation response, in order to soothe fears, anxiety and normal pains. The essential oils recommended for pregnancy here contain specific phytochemical constituents that stimulate the brain and body to release neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine and beta-endorphins, that are part of the natural relaxation response.

Scent can have a subtle but meaningful effect on the nervous system, supporting relaxation, rest, and emotional steadiness during pregnancy.

Why Proper Dilution Matters During Pregnancy

In pregnancy, when using essential oils topically on your skin or when inhaling via diffusion, it is critical that you use a concentration of essential oils that is safe for the developing baby.

Essential oils (EO) are organic compounds that are absorbed into the body and reach the mother. These organic compounds can also cross the placenta barrier and reach the baby as well as the mother. Therefore, care must be taken to properly dilute EO in a carrier oil. In addition, only certain essential oils are found to be safe for use during pregnancy.

Remember, in pregnancy, the mom and baby must both be considered.

So, dilute and only use the essential oils on the short list known to be safe for mom and baby.

Safe Ratio for Topical Application

Use a 1% dilution of essential oil in carrier oil or lotion

1% dilution means 1 DROP OF EO to 2 teaspoons of carrier oil or lotion

The carrier oils or lotions you use for your base for your personal essential oil mixes are really a personal preference. The feel, color and natural scents of natural carrier oils and lotions are wonderful and most have wonderful nut-like or woodsy or neutral scents.

One suggested carrier oil and a whipped shea butter lotion is listed below.

Whipped natural, unscented shea butter is soothing, easily absorbed and usually tolerated by most people. Hard shea butter is unsuitable for easy mixing as it is, well, a hard lump. But the whipped shea butter is nice and soft and easily mixed.

Jojoba seed oil is neutral, and has a molecular profile that is close to human sebum. It is usually well tolerated by most people and is soft and glides on easily.

Safe Use of Diffusion

Diffuse in small intervals, no more than 30 minutes at a time, using a diffuser with a timer. There are many products out there that have a timer feature. This is just one, search around for one that fits in with your decor and that is integrated with your type of devices.

Essential Oils to Avoid Completely During Pregnancy

This list is derived from Robert Tisserand's Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals

• Anise

• Anise star

• Artemisia

• Basil

• Birch

• Black Seed

• Buchu

• Camphor

• Carrot Seed

• Chaste tree

• Cinnamon bark

• Clary Sage

• Cypress (blue)

• Dill seed

• Fennel

• Feverfew

• Ho leaf (Camphor)

• Hyssop

• Lanyaya

• Mogwort

• Myrrh

• Oregano

• Oak Moss

• Parley Seed or Leaf

• Pennyroyal

• Peppermint

• Rosemary

• Rue

• Sage

• Tansy

• Tarragon

• Thuja

• Thyme

• Wintergreen

• Wormwood

• Yarrow

This guidance reflects training in essential oil safety, including coursework based on the work of Robert Tisserand.

You might be interested in this: current research using MRI technology shows us that pregnancy also involves remarkable maternal brain changes.

Explore More

• BirthTouch: Perinatal Mental Health & Nervous System Support

• Understanding Matrescence: The Emotional Transition to Motherhood

• Pregnancy Changes the Brain: MRI Research on Matrescence and Motherhood

• Myths About Bonding and Attachment

• Mindfulness for New Mothers

Further Reading

To read more about the essential oils with aromatic phytochemical profiles that are safe for pregnancy, take a look at the gold standard reference used in professional aromatherapy training. Robert Tisserand's large highly technical volume called Essential Oil Safety  All reputable aromatherapy courses use Tisserand's book as a reference guide.

If you are looking for a more use friendly, less technical guide, this volume is written by Valerie Ann Worwood, who is one of the founding mothers of aromatherapy, bringing aromatherapy to the public with her lovely, lyrical books. She has a chapter in this book about pregnancy and essential oils.

Scope note:

This article reflects conservative, research-informed aromatherapy safety guidelines from a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist. It's intended for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider during pregnancy.

References

The following sources offer additional guidance on the safe and thoughtful use of essential oils during pregnancy.

• Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young. A comprehensive, research-based guide widely used in clinical aromatherapy training.

• National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. Safety guidelines and educational resources for the responsible use of essential oils.

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Guidance on complementary and integrative therapies during pregnancy.

• The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. A widely used, accessible reference for practical aromatherapy applications.