Essential Oils For After Childbirth

K. asked via Ask Dr. Streicher:

Dear Dr. Streicher,

Thank you for your last recommendations re: essential oils to diffuse during winter to keep viruses away – we all stayed healthy!

I hope to pick your brain again: I've just had a baby and was wondering which essential oils I could use topically to help tighten skin and to reduce appearance of cellulite? I am breastfeeding and am wondering which are safe to use. Also, which percentage dilution for local use, and how often per week?

Thanks in advance. I am a huge fan of your work.

Best,

K.

Dr. Christoph Streicher answered this as follows:

Here is some information for you, and please let us know how this works for you.

For Skin Tightening:

Use Carrot, Rose Geranium and Helichrysum essential oils. These are all safe during breast-feeding.

For Cellulite:

You can use Cypress and Juniper, but these are not safe during breast-feeding.

Before using any of these essential oils, please dilute them to 2 - 3 % (i.e. 10-15 drops of essential oils per tablespoon of rose hip seed oil). Apply once or twice a day to affected areas.

Disclaimer: The statements made on this page have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. If a condition persists, please contact your physician or healthcare provider. The information provided is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a healthcare provider, and should not be construed as medical advice.

Original Published: 2016-06-20 / Last Modified: 2021-10-11