Pregnancy raises awareness for women to adopt healthier lifestyles and lifestyle changes including switching their skincare products from unnatural to all-natural or organic. However, not everything natural, organic or botanical is considered safe during pregnancy.
A lot of herbs and essential oils used in clean botanical skincare products should be approached with caution. Although they are all natural and derived from plants but are so volatile and have very small molecular weight; therefore, can have an impact on the body as a whole and the unborn child.
Many of these oils increase the skin's sensitivity to UV rays and because pregnant women are at higher risk of pigmentation, it is always advised to stay away from essential oils except the ones that are considered to be safe during pregnancy. Herbs and herbal products have not been studies well enough nor their side effects and there is not enough data to proof their safety; therefore, it is recommended to avoid herbs or herbal products.
Are Essential Oils Considered Safe During Pregnancy?
Essential oils are a class of volatile aromatic compounds derived from plants and are loaded with many healing and therapeutic properties. For pregnant women, they are commonly used to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, nausea & morning sickness. However, before using essential oils or essential oil containing products, it is always advised to consult with your doctor because what might work for you might not work for others as every woman's pregnancy is different. Choose pure, high quality & therapeutic grade essential oils from reputable suppliers that focus on responsible sourcing and have certifications of analysis and purity. It is also advised that essential oils are not to be ingested or applied topically without first diluting them. The following essential oils are considered to be safe during pregnancy: Cardamom, Frankincense, Lavender, Chamomile, Neroli, Lemon, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Wild Orange & Geranium.
Other essential oil that should be avoided are: Aniseed, Basil, Birch, Camphor, Clary Sage, Hyssop, Mugwort, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme, Wintergreen, Peppermint, Rue, Parsely seed or leaf, Oak Moss, Pennyroyal, Rosemary & Thuja.
Herbs During Pregnancy
When it comes to using herbs and herb containing products during pregnancy, there is not enough evidence on the safety of many herbs out there and current research does not recommend the use of herbal products during pregnancy until further evidence of their safety is available.
Pregnancy Skincare Routine From Scentual Aroma
A pregnancy-friendly body routine from Scentual Aroma combines one of our Bar Soaps and our Lotion Bars. These can be used all over the body to cleanse, nourish & improve skin's elasticity.
For the Face, we recommend starting your daily routine with our Replenish Gentle Cleansing Balm as a gentle cleanser to lift impurities without stripping skin from its natural moisture following with our Balance Rose Hydrating Elixir to balance and hydrate then our Illuminate Vitamin C Booster to brighten, even skin tone and protect from environmental aggressors and to hydrate and nourish skin follow with our Antioxidant Protective Serum. Exfoliate once to twice weekly with our Rose Petal Rejuvenating Face Scrub to unclog pores, remove dead skin & renew.
References:
1. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/is-it-safe-to-use...
