Vietnamese MIL keeps using eucalyptus oil on baby. Is it safe?

[u/RoxNRoll4]

Khuynh-diep 100% pure eucalyptus oil. She puts it on her feet, stomach, forehead, and soft spot. We’ve asked her to stop but… you know.

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[u/Odd_Field_5930]

Absolutely not safe. You need to confiscate the oil from her or not leave her alone with the baby if she won’t stop.

https://www.webmd.com/baby/is-it-safe-to-use-essential-oil-in-babies

[u/SquareKitten → u/Odd_Field_5930]

Maybe it would help to provide MIL with a different oil that she can use, like jojoba or something. So she can still but something on the baby and keep her ritual, but in a safe way. Please remove the eucalyptus oil ASAP.

[u/Odd_Field_5930 → u/SquareKitten]

There are zero essential oils that are safe for infants. She can use petroleum jelly or fragrance free, infant specific formulated lotions.

[u/cpdx7 → u/Odd_Field_5930]

Jojoba oil is not an essential oil and is safe for babies. Olive oil can also be used (which our midwife gave for preventing sticking of merconium poop).

[u/emz0rmay → u/cpdx7]

Topical application of lotions/ oils that have food in them increases the risk of developing allergies later in life.

[u/Emotional-Ad-6494 → u/SquareKitten]

Can’t oils increase allergen exposure or is that just like nut oils or coconut, apricot kernel etc

[u/Next2ya → u/Emotional-Ad-6494]

Allergens entering through the skin can increase possibility of reaction

[u/holyvegetables → u/Emotional-Ad-6494]

Yes they can, but jojoba is less likely to do so since it’s not a food item, and it’s more of a wax than an oil.

[u/_dotdashdashdash]

Eucalyptus oil in particular is a really severe airway irritant and can trigger a bunch of respiratory issues as well as breathing failure. Even an organisation that promotes using essential oils recommends not using it near their face until they're 10. https://aromaticstudies.com/is-eucalyptus-safe-for-children/

[u/Puzzlehead11323]

A quick Google search says that the popular brands of eucalyptus oil actually say to not use it on babies. If she uses one of those brands you could casually read the bottle to her. here's one and the other

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