Litsea Cubeba Oil Around Pregnancy and Children

If you are pregnant, or share a home with small children, a lemon-bright oil raises fair questions. We would rather point you to the people and documents who can answer them than guess. What follows is a summary of what the published sources say, with the usual note that we sell an external cosmetic oil and make no medical claims for it.

Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil bottle

Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil

Our own Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil, in sizes from 0.5 oz to bulk.

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Pregnancy: a conversation for your clinician

The clearest general statement we found comes from MotherToBaby, a teratogen information service. It says that, depending on the product, there may be few studies on its use in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and that skin use usually does not lead to large absorption (A Slippery Topic: The Use of Essential Oils during Pregnancy). That is a general comment about essential oils, not about litsea cubeba in particular, and a gap in the research is not the same as a green light. Our practical reading is simple: pregnancy is a good moment to run any new scented product past your midwife, doctor or pharmacist first, and to bring the bottle with you.

What is documented about the oil itself

For litsea cubeba, the most useful document is EFSA's 2021 opinion on litsea berry oil as an animal feed additive. Its panel concluded that the oil should be considered an irritant to skin and eyes and a skin and respiratory sensitiser (Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil from the fruits of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. (litsea berry oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl)). That is about the oil in general and not about pregnancy. It does explain why we recommend a patch test, keeping dilutions modest (our guidance is 0.5% to 2% in a carrier oil, and we begin at the low end) and keeping the oil away from eyes. If you have ever reacted to a fragranced product, mention it to your clinician.

Children: a bottle belongs out of reach

The numbers on children come from poisons centres, and they apply to essential oils as a group. A review of 4,412 essential oil exposure calls to the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre found that most callers were reporting exposures in children, and the authors note that as little as 5 mL can cause life-threatening toxicity in a child (Essential oil exposures in Australia: analysis of cases reported to the NSW Poisons Information Centre). They point out that child-resistant closures are only required above 15 mL in Australia. Litsea cubeba was not among the oils the study named.

Some simple arithmetic puts that figure in perspective. With a relative density of 0.883, 5 mL is about 4.4 g, or around 100 drops, and a 0.5 oz bottle holds about 14.8 mL. Even our smallest retail size could hold roughly three times the amount the authors mention, which is why the advice from Essential oils: Poisonous when misused | Poison Control is so firm: lock bottles away, out of sight and reach of children and pets. The same page notes that children have thin skin and immature livers, which may make them more susceptible than adults. We found no published dilution table for children for litsea cubeba, so we do not offer one.

Questions to take to the appointment

If anyone has swallowed the oil, or has trouble breathing after exposure, call Poison Help in the US on 1-800-222-1222, or your local emergency number. More background on how we think about dilution is in our skin basics article, and our pets article covers the other members of the household.

Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil bottle

Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil

Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil from our own shop, in sizes from 0.5 oz to bulk.

From $12.99

Shop Now →

Sources & Further Reading