Last updated on September 14th, 2025 at 08:57 pm
I love to use essential oils for health, cleaning, mood enhancing and just for the smell of it, but there are some thing so be aware of – just because something is natural does not make it non-toxic!
So a few commonly asked questions about essential oils and pets, pregnancy and children:
Q. Are essential oils safe to use with pets?
A. Essential oils can be toxic for pets. Never leave bottles open or in reach of animals. Each pet will differ, so please use caution when diffusing oils around pets. Watch out for changes in their behaviour, such as leaving the room while oils are burning or changes in eating habits. If you notice changes then we recommend to stop using that particular oil.
These oils are known to contain phenols and be toxic to cats and/or dogs: Peppermint oil, Citrus oils (including Lemon oil), Tea Tree oil, Pine oil, Eucalyptus oil, Cinnamon oil, Ylang Ylang oil.
The higher the concentration of essential oil, the greater the risk to your pet. If your pet ingests any oils accidentally, go to the veterinarian immediately.
(This answer is sourced from Australian company Eco. Modern Essentials, whose oils I use. )
Q. Are essential oils are safe for use during pregnancy?
A. Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils can be a great support for an expecting mother, with benefits including pain relief, calming, sleeping, energy and mental grounding. However there are also some warnings that you should consider before using essential oils in your pregnancy journey.
Some common used essential oils to AVOID during pregnancy? • Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) • Basil • Clary Sage • Eucalyptus • Fennel* • German Chamomile (Chamomillia recutita) • Juniper Berry • Marjoram* • Myrrh • Nutmeg* • Peppermint* • Rose* • Rosemary • Sage • Spearmint • Vetiver • Wintergreen • Yarrow
*Safe to use in the last few weeks of pregnancy and during labour if desired.
Q. What about using essential oils with children?
Some essential oils are definitely not safe for children, and especially for babies.
The advice from ECO. Modern Essentials is: for children of 2–8 years use a low dilution of 1% when applying to your child’s skin. Stick to the gentler essential oils such as Lavender, Rose, Mandarin, Sandalwood, Chamomile, Spearmint, Lemon, Orange, Lemon Myrtle and Neroli (I LOVE neroli).
For children under 2 years, essential oils are considered too strong for use on their skin, even diluted, and a little overwhelming on their developing systems. Diffusing for up to 30 minutes is the best way to use them, but there are still some oils to avoid. As I’ve said before, think how a strong inhalation of peppermint might make you cough, and imagine it in a baby.
Essential oils not recommended for children are:
- CLARY SAGE: Too sedating, not appropriate emotionally
- PEPPERMINT: Too stimulating, may affect respiratory and nervous systems
- CINNAMON: Too stimulating, especially for children under 6 years of age
- CEDARWOOD: Not appropriate emotionally
- BASIL: Too stimulating
- FENNEL: Too stimulating, may affect digestive and lymphatic systems
- JUNIPER BERRY: Too stimulating to kidneys and detoxification pathways
- VETIVER: Too sedating, not appropriate emotionally
- BUDDHA WOOD: Not appropriate emotionally
- WINTERGREEN: Skin irritant, toxic in large doses
- OREGANO: Skin irritant, toxic in large doses
- LEMONGRASS: Skin irritant
- EUCALYPTUS: Much disputed but it has been shown that exposure to Eucalyptus before the age of 2 can have negative effects on the respiratory and nervous systems
