Lavendar and tea tree oils are popular natural ingredients used in many products including diaper care products by cloth diapering parents. However, in the news recently, these two products have been found to, in rare cases, temporarily affect the hormonal balance on young boys.

Diaper Pin recommends that parents educate themselves on this information so they are aware of what to do if they see symptoms on their young son. Here are several articles that we found:

• Lavender Oil May Spur Breasts in Boys (WebMd)
• Lavender, Tea Tree Oils May Put Breasts on Boys (ABC News)
• Personal-Care Products Can Spur Breast Development in Boys (healthfinder.gov)

Here are articles that dispute the research:

• Neither lavender oil nor tea tree oil can be linked to breast growth in young boys (Natural Perfumers Guild)
• Tea Tree Industry Requests Retraction (Cosmetics and Toiletries)
• Alleged Estrogenic Effects: Lavender Oil Goes Tits-Up (Cropwatch)