FACIAL OIL & Pregnancy
There currently isn’t a Wild As The Wind facial oil option which is suitable for pregnant and breast feeding mothers.
This article contains important advice and a very workable solution at the end…
I’ve been inspired to put this article together by customers who have written in…
Hi Rachel, I’ve been enjoying using the products I bought from you and my skin has been so much clearer. I noticed recently on the facial oil no. 2 bottle that you advise against using it if you are breastfeeding which I hadn’t noticed on your website. I’m currently breastfeeding my 15 month old daughter so wondered which of the oils in the facial oil no. 2 are not recommended while breastfeeding and if you have any facial oils that are ok to use?
Jo, Somerset
I love it when people care enough to read the labels! It’s so important.
Because Jo did this we were able to figure out a workable solution, which will now be the precedent for all existing customers who find themselves in ‘the family way’ or feeding an infant. ♥
Please read to the end for the offered solution…
My response…
Hi Jo,
I’m really glad you’ve been seeing real benefits from using No. 2 🙂
The advice on the label is only precautionary where breast feeding is concerned, and only relates to Myrrh Essential Oil on the basis there’s been insufficient research to establish whether it’s safe to use or not. So, the only advice given by the experts is it should be avoided until sufficient research is done and the results are in.
Myrrh and Rose Essential Oils are to be avoided during pregnancy, but Rose has been tested and is considered safe during breast feeding.
I’m sorry it’s not more clear cut, but I hope that helps.
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for your message. I think I’ll have to wait until I finish breastfeeding before I start using it again just to be on the safe side. I don’t think you have another facial oil suitable to use that I can purchase unless you can make up a batch without the myrrh essential oil?
Thankfully we found a great workaround! Jo ended up using a facial oil based on a similar recipe to the one I advise at the end of this article.
What Do I Do Now I’m Pregnant?
Hi Rachel, I love your facial oil number 2 (I buy it a lot!) but I’ve just found out I’m pregnant (very early days) and remember you saying it shouldn’t be used. Is there an alternative that would be safe for me to use from your range? I really don’t want to have to stop as it’s done wonders for my skin!
Charlotte, London
My response…
Hi Charlotte,
That’s amazing news! Congratulations! I’m so pleased for you!
And yes, you do buy a LOT of No. 2… it’s not gone unnoticed!
So, here’s what we can do…
You say it’s early days, so you need to stop using your No. 2 immediately, as several essential oils are contraindicated in the first trimester.
These include Geranium and Lavender, as well as Rose and Myrrh.
However, this is mainly due to insufficient research having been carried out on most essential oils as there’s no financial imperative to do so, i.e. no patent and therefore no financial gain. So, contraindications are stated in the absence of supporting information even though there’s no information to suggest there’s an issue with the essential oils in question either.
This is what the Aromatherapy Trade Council has to say about it with regards pregnancy…
There is a lot of misinformation about precisely which essential oils should not be used and some aromatherapy books produce a huge list of contraindicated oils that are completely out of proportion to the facts.
Much of this misinformation is based on the internal use of the plant in herbal preparations, and this is certainly not the same as the external use of a diluted essential oil in massage. Most essential oil experts argue that since many contraindicated essential oils are used as food additives they can hardly be considered dangerous.
However, if you have a history of miscarriage do not use any essential oils at any time during your pregnancy since it is better to err on the side of caution under these circumstances. Essential oils best avoided throughout your pregnancy include:
Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)
Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Savin oil (Juniperus sabina) – Never use in aromatherapy
***It is not widely known, but remains true, nonetheless, that insufficient Progesterone in the first trimester is one of the leading causes of miscarriage at the end of the first trimester. I have just published an article this evening that discusses how women can protect their Progesterone by avoiding stress…
Nevertheless, I would advise you to definitely consider avoiding the No. 2 face oil in the first trimester, or at least diluting it 1:3 FACIAL OIL No. 2 to Organic Almond Oil, even though I believe reducing your stress levels will be the best thing for you to have a very straightforward pregnancy.
I also advise reading Gut Health, as this will shed some light on how to keep your skin nice and clear throughout your pregnancy as well.
Pomegranate is also potentially an issue in FACIAL OIL No. 2.
Scientists have found that a naturally occurring steroid, present in pomegranate seed, could be used to stimulate uterine contractions. … The research suggests that pomegranate extract could be used as a natural stimulant to encourage the uterus to contract during labour.
Science Daily
Again, we are probably dealing with way more hormone influencing substances within our food and homes than we are through using minuscule amounts of this gorgeous oil, but I want to arm you with all of the information. (I have personally experienced an increase in Oestrogen through eating a lot of Pomegranate recently.) However, the above is the only study I can find to suggest a Pomegranate Seed Oil contraindication.
Recent discoveries have proven that the gut plays a central role in our health. It not only produces and regulates a lot of our neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, but it also produces and regulates a lot of our hormones as well.
Neurotransmitters and hormones form our internal communication system, so if the production of these things are compromised, because our gut health is compromised, then the systems within the body start breaking down very quickly.”
***I also recommend getting some Clary Sage for the birth as this is the exceptional oil for use in helping keep you calm and relaxed as well as being able to help bring the baby along… it’s an amazing oil for use in childbirth. 🙂
I hope this has helped without being overwhelming!
Wishing you all the very, very best 🙂 🙂 🙂
Rachel x
Hi Rachel,
This is very helpful, thank you.I’ve just seen such a difference in my skin since using the oil and don’t want to give it up!
As an aside, one of the reasons I buy so much is that everyone uses mine! My boyfriend uses it, and my mum is now a huge fan and all my friends recently tried it when we were away and loved it too – hopefully you’ve got a few new customers from me sharing!
Thanks so much,
Charlotte
As with Jo, Charlotte ended up using most of the base oils in FACIAL OIL No. 2 and some of the essential oils as her pregnancy face oil. She gave birth to the most gorgeous, smiley girl, and her life was transformed forever!
More Insights About Essential Oils From ‘The’ Leading Authority
Robert Tisserand is considered the leading authority regarding the safe use of essential oils.
He has written, what is considered to be, the ‘Bible’ of essential oil safety, somewhat unsurprisingly entitled Essential Oil Safety
The list Robert Tisserand has put together for Morag below is probably the most accurate list for essential oils to be avoided in pregnancy. Sadly, it lies hidden in a very long comments section attached to a reasonably obscure article.
Hopefully this article will shed a little more light on it!
Lavender Essential Oil & Pregnancy
In many texts Lavender Essential Oil is stated to be an emmenagogue and a uterine stimulant, but Robert Tisserand, in his brilliantly researched article on the subject concludes:
Proving safety in pregnancy is always a challenge, but all the indications are that lavender oil is completely safe to use. It is certainly not a uterine stimulant – in any dose. The online references to lavender oil as a uterine stimulant presumably originated from the few books (probably beginning with Valnet in 1964) that describe it as having an emmenagogic action. An assumption was then made that this was due to a uterine stimulant effect, and a further assumption was made that therefore lavender oil could pose a risk of miscarriage in pregnancy. However, there is no evidence that either lavender flowers or lavender oil stimulate menstruation. Thus are myths conceived. Patricia Davis, I’m sure, felt her caution was well-founded, but with the benefit of hindsight we can see that it was an over-reaction. Erring too heavily on the side of safety has a downside – it creates fear, doubt and confusion.
Finally…while searching the internet for the alleged dangers of lavender oil in pregnancy, I came across this advice on a Vitamins and Health Supplements Guide page: “Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using lavender, as it is a uterine stimulant.” What, breastfeeding women too? The logic of this escapes me. Surely a woman wants her uterus to contract back to it’s normal size after childbirth. (Not that lavender oil would do this anyway.)
In the comments section Tisserand reveals which essential oils he believes should really be avoided during pregnancy…
Morag :: Hi Robert, I have been reading your myth busting pages with great interest! My pregnancy aromatherapy CPD course I did supports using many oils that are generally contraindicated in pregnancy, so it is fantastic to see strong researched evidence to back up what I have been told with regards using lavender and clary sage, thank you! I am interested in your views if there are commonly used oils that really should be avoided in pregnancy?
Robert Tisserand replied :: Hi Morag, I would recommend avoiding these: anise, birch, carrot seed, cassia, cinnamon bark, fennel, hyssop, myrrh, oregano, pennyroyal, Dalmatian sage and wintergreen.
FACIAL OIL No. 8 contains Carrot Seed Oil, and should therefore be avoided during pregnancy.
FACIAL OIL No. 2 contains Myrrh, and so the same applies.
The Best Face Oil For Pregnant Women
This is the recipe I recommend you make if you are or are trying to get pregnant. I also recommend it during breastfeeding.
The base oils have a minimum of 2 years use as long as you keep them in an air tight bottle. All of the essential oils have a longer life span.
Use organic and/or wildcrafted oils wherever possible…
Always sterilise your blending bowl / jug as well as the bottle you will store your face oil in.
I actually recommend your pour your oils directly into the bottle as long as you have a steady hand.
Ingredients & Quantities
10% Rosehip Oil
20% Jojoba Oil
30% Sweet Almond Oil
The following aromatherapy oils should be added to your blended base oils at a 2% dilution. This means your face oil should not exceed a 2% concentration of essential oils.
Learn more about diluting essential oils.
Fragonia Essential Oil In Brief
Copaiba Balsam Essential Oil
Chamomile (German) Essential Oil
Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
If you are feeling extravagant then adding Helichrysum Essential Oil would deliver amazing benefits.
If you are on a strict budget, then consider replacing Fragonia Essential Oil with Palmarosa Essential Oil
This facial oil recipe will go a long way to keeping your skin looking great during pregnancy, (and will smell lovely)… but, looking after your gut and getting enough sleep whilst also avoiding stress will definitely help keep your hormones well balanced, and your skin glowing too.
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