Tea tree oil use

[Northernsoul90]

Hi, I have a fungal nail infection at the moment and have been applying tea tree oil once a day to treat it. This does seem to be working but was wondering if anyone has any knowledge about using tea tree oil during pregnancy (I'm 28 weeks) obviously I'm only using a small amount on a cotton pad which I wipe over the nail and surrounding skin. Is tea tree oil considered safe during pregnancy?

I'm pretty sure it's fine and I think Olbas Oil contains it which I used frequently.
I'd have to Google it to be sure...but you can do that too

Thanks, yes I've googled but there isn't much about it online a couple of sources say it's fine whilst others say to use caution. Was just wondering if anyone had used previously or had any further knowledge

sorry, didn't mean it rudely!

No problem

I used pure tea tree topically on spots on my face all through my first pregnancy- I always assumed it was safe as never found anything to say different. Perhaps ask your midwife at next appointment? Or contact a local aromatherapist/homeopath? There is an insta account called essential midwife which gives advice on oil use in pregnancy so could always try DM-ing her too?

Thank you, yes I will do I'm seeing her next week so will ask her then. Thanks for the Insta account suggestion I'll try messaging her! I can't seeing it being a major problem just applying a small amount topically - it didn't even occur to me until yesterday to check it out. Xx

I’m a lover of essential oils and they actually advise you not to use tea tree oil in pregnancy. I’m sure a very small amount is fine, however to be safe, you should dilute it in a carrier oil before applying. Or check with a health professional.

I usually do scalp massage with tea tree oil and peppermint oil, but stopped when I tested positive. My hair misses them!

@ChaiTRex oh gosh that is good to know!! I’ve been slathering on my hormone induced chin and jaw spots and it’s essential I use. I have almond oil I could use as a carrier oil but feel like that Will negate the drying power of the tea tree and the almond oil Will just make the spots oilier.

@Makingnumber2 oh yeah it’s rough! You would definitely need to find an oil that doesn’t clog your pores… or just switch to something else for acne care?
I have two preg-safe acne treatments from The Ordinary that I like: the niacinamide + zinc mineral blemish formula is really great! And the azelaic acid one they make is good too, but a bit bettter for preventing rather than making a zit go away.
The price is right, too!

I had such awful acne in my first pregnancy… I was prepared this time! Can’t tell if it’s the regimen or just an easier pregnancy overall, but my skin has stayed pretty clear.

Thank you everyone. Just thought I would update in case anyone has a similar question in future, I messaged essential midwife @Makingnumber2 and she said it was safe for use in pregnancy. Thank you for recommending her! I also saw my own midwife today for a hospital app who also said it was totally fine to use tee tree oil in this way, so I'm going to continue topical application. It is only on my nails though so I'm not sure if the same applies to application on the skin etc

Tea tree oil is perfectly safe to use topically (i.e a dab on your spots)
It cannot absorb deep enough in to your skin to do any damage.

Thanks for the update @Northernsoul90! So pleased essential midwife account was helpful And backed up what your midwife advised ☺️
Thanks for the info too @Waitingforbabypage it’s reassuring I can continue to battle the pregnancy acne with my usual method!

OP,
When you open a bottle of neat tea tree oil (i.e. not mixed with any other agent), it oxidises (reacts with the light and oxygen in the air). This creates by products (a chemical change in the original liquid). One of these is called peroxide. You may have heard of this chemical. Its what some of us ladies (and men!) have put on their hair to make it lighter – yes that’s it – bleach.

So, when you are putting on the neat oil you are essentially putting on neat bleach and all it does is bleach the nail and make it look better.

Many podiatrists were trained using this product in years gone by, and many who haven’t kept up with research still may recommend it. It is also all over google with no mention of the risks associated of using this highly toxic chemical. Its recently been added to the Poison List in Australia at number 6!

Please stop doing this and see a Podiatrist for your treatment options.

Just make sure you mix it in a carrier oil e.g olive oil. No essential oil ( with the exception of lavender) should be used neat.

@Makingnumber2 pregnancy acne is awful, I suffered really bad with it when I was expecting. It started around the 14 week mark and finally cleared up about 26ish weeks. It was really sore and was all over my cheeks and jaw. The good thing is it did clear up eventually, you just need to be gentle with it.

I used the body shop products- tea tree face wash, if I felt I needed it I would use an exfoliating sponge, then a gentle toner- I went for the vitamin e toner, then tea tree oil on the worst ones (I used a q tip rather than my finger and the seaweed moisturiser as my skin was still quite dry even though I was having an outbreak.

@Elsa888 thank you, do you have a link to the poison list or research about the oxidisation process?

I know that it is considered poisonous when ingested orally (have found several citations of people using it as mouth wash or enema 🙈 and being poisoned this way) as are lots of products that you would use topically - I wouldn't swallow a fungal nail treatment for instance. I can't seem to find anything online about the hydrogen peroxide byproduct