Tea Tree Oil - yes or no?

[Teachervoice]

15 weeks pregnant: have been using about 5 drops of undiluted tea tree oil, mixed with my usual moisturiser every night to combat acne.

Have now read TTO should be avoided. Is this true and if so, why?

Thanks!

Just had a look online because I was interested and it said this...

Use cautiously in pregnant and breastfeeding women or those undergoing childbirth, due to reports that tea tree oil decreases contraction strength. Use cautiously when applied to the skin or when used as an eyelid scrub.

Eyelid scrub?! 😳😳

Really?! I'm 20 weeks and literally just gone out today and bought tea tree oil face mask and spent the afternoon pampering myself?! I'd never heard this before but will research...

Not sure who the hell would tea tree as an eyelid scrub 😣 😐

Rest assured, I have no 'eye-lid' scrub plans! I read that too @dede124 but surely that would only be an issue immediately prior to birth?

Unless it's a cumulative effect?

I want to keep using it as I'd rather not be a spotty mess! Grrrr.

Don't know about during pregnancy but tea tree oil is amazing to use on your pad after child birth :) I had stitches and the fumes took away the sting of weeing and acted as an antiseptic.

Who scrubs their eyelids anyway, with or without tea tree oil?! Yikes!! 😳😂

Okay, done some research: The Body Shop didn't want to sell me their tea tree oil products today because the manager said he believes it is too strong for pregnant lady skin...

Didn't really find that convincing so popped into L'Occitane and a very clued up lady in there told me it was because essential oils have been linked to premature contractions. TTO is not one of the 'big no-nos' but sage, peppermint and another one that I can't remember are. TTO has not been proven to be worrisome but also hasn't been proven 'safe.'

Think I'm going to cut mine out for now and put up with the resulting spots. Isn't pregnancy joyous.

Hmm I don't like this from retailers. Smacks of scare mongering and fear of being sued! Personally I wouldn't use tea tree oil in labour/prepping for labour due to contraction slowing/ softening side effects but in pregnancy I can't find any other reports of why it wouldn't be safe. Says do not ingest but that's for everyone not just pregnant women LOL. As a few drops in a moisturiser or shampoo I would. I have been using it on my feet with peppermint oil so interesting that the lady you spoke to said no so I googled it (post made me nervous) but baby centre says peppermint is also fine?! If you decide not to what about witch hazel neat on your face as a cleanser/toner great for spots! (I have a bottle on the go!)

I'm an holistic therapists. Tea tree is a top note so is fairly strong and can be secreted in through the skin into internal organs. But when I was training 16 years ago it was only advised to avoid during the 1st 3 months unless a health professional had advised otherwise. And as far as I'm aware the advise hasn't changed.

Please explain exactly how it is secreted through the skin into internal organs
Smells like pseudoscience to me

I don't bloody know. I do massages I'm not a scientist. Just what I was told in college.
Apparently traces of some oils have been found in internal organs in postmortems.

Personally I don't buy the absorption into organs line and I'm also aware that when guidelines phrase it as "haven't been found dangerous yet also not been found to be safe" that tends to just mean that no research has taken place- realistically pregnant women are unlikely to sign up for experimenting during pregnancy! Same goes for a lot of meds. I'm happy to keep using TTO until NHS tells me otherwise!

No idea why but have also been told to avoid TTO and Olbas oil when pregnant

Teacher I switched from TT oil to Witch Hazel for spots in my first pregnancy, it worked wonders, and I've kept it in my routine ever since.

The witch products are good. I used them during pregnancy. You might find that your spots clear up while you are pregnant. Mine disappeared and are just starting to come back (dd is 7months)

I think Cleary sage is the other big one you're told to avoid.

@SprinkleOfInsanity I am def going to do this. Thought they may clear up and for the first few weeks they seemed to reduce but no luck now.

Think dairy is a cause of mine so pre-pregnancy I was cutting it out completely but don't want to avoid any whole food groups over the next few months.

Teacher I'd also have a look at the La Roche Posay 'effaclar' range, I use it daily to keep my hormonal acne under control (and gone), and use the witch hazel for any eruption. Congrats on your pregnancy

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/957.aspx?CategoryID=54&

I've decided I'm happy to continue using my TTO scrub, NICE guidelines also state no known ill effects of essential oils during pregnancy (apart from the during labour bit for TTO).

How is everything now!? I’m having the same concern! I was spot treating pimples all through my first trimester. I’m so worried now!