Help! Does anyone know anything about essential oils and pregnancy?

[Bella0831]

Hi there,
I’m wondering if anyone can help…
a friend of mine bought me a shower gel / body lotion combo that I’ve been using off and on for the last few weeks. In the shower this evening I looked at the bottle and had a sudden flashback to reading something in my first pregnancy about essential oils in pregnancy and that they should be avoided….now I’ve sent myself into a total panic and not sure if I’m over reacting.

the essential oils in question are eucalyptus and spearmint - the former seems to be ok but I’ve found mixed things online re spearmint and now I’ve sent myself into a total google panic.

my thoughts are that shower gels are relatively diluted but does anyone know anything about this that can help put my mind at ease? This is the shower gel in question: https://www.next.co.uk/style/LS300872/K04193?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADm_5UV2TFxV6qfxvlZn1QIEYz9pw&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv9XLzevEhAMVnpFQBh2O1wfoEAQYASABEgK_ovD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#K04193

im 23 weeks and baby’s scans look fine but I know nothing about the lasting effects this can have! Needless to say I won’t use it moving forward….

They're fine. There's some to avoid but eucalyptus is all good. We use them with vinegar as cleaning products cause they're less toxic.

I think it's probably fine as shower gel is washed off almost instantly with very little time to absorb. I wouldn't use them for massage but I use a shower gel with essential oils. If it were a known issue the nhs would advise against and they don't. So switch up for peace of mind and relax.

Oh just seen it's body lotion as well. Most of the warnings I've seen about essential oils have been that they can relax the womb and cause miscarriage so given you haven't miscarried and your scans look good I still think don't worry!

I think you’re fine to use that. I use this by My Expert Midwife which is made to use during pregnancy and it’s advertised as containing essential oils - you massage it onto your bump
https://myexpertmidwife.com/products/fantastic-skin-elastic-150m
ive never checked my shower gel but it probably contains some essential oils too