Essential Oils Safe for Babies & Children

Essential oils have been used for healing since biblical times.  All throughout scripture we see the mentions of special oils.  Somewhere along the way, the use of essential oils has been lost, but I am so excited to be a part of sharing this information as we regain the confidence to use them once again.

While we do not hesitate to use essential oils on ourselves, the question has been asked time and time again,

Are essential oils safe for babies & children?

The answer is yes.

Yes they are.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Essential oils are the plant source in it’s most concentrated form, therefore they are very potent.  For precautionary reasons it is recommended to use with care.  If you usually use one drop on yourself as an adult, try half of that on your little one. One way of doing this is by inserting a toothpick into the orifice of your bottle and using the amount on your toothpick via the larger drop that would normally dispense through the orifice.
2. Dilute your essential oil before using on your little one.  Wait to see how they respond and than later you can try the undiluted (neat) application.
3. When using your diffuser, it is recommended to use the gentler essential oils.  Stronger oils can be applied directly to their feet but infant lungs are more sensitive than an adults and could make breathing uncomfortable for them.  (Think of placing your nose directly over a hot cup of tea with peppermint.  The first smell is one that catches your breath).

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Essential Oils

The following oils have been found safe to use on babies & children:

Lavender*

Peppermint*

Roman Chamomile

Geranium

Tangerine

Grapefruit

Lemon*

Orange

Rose

Frankincense*

Marjoram

Cedarwood

Jasmine

Melaleuca Alternifolia

Sandalwood

Thyme

Ylang Ylang

Ginger

Cypress

Fennel

*these essential oils are included in the Everyday Starter Kit.

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Gentle Baby

Item No. 3345

Gentle Baby™ is a soft, fragrant combination of essential oils designed specifically for mothers and babies. It helps calm emotions during pregnancy and is useful for quieting troubled little ones. It is also soothing to tender skin. Many of the essential oils in this blend are used in elite cosmetics to enhance a youthful appearance.

A recommended resource on using essential oils for babies is this book by Debra Raybern called Gentle Babies.  Here is the book’s description:

“Combining two decades of professional knowledge with tried-and-true techniques and first-hand testimonials, the author has compiled this insightful and easy-to-follow guide benefiting both experienced and first-time mothers. In addition, the book contains an introduction to therapeutic-grade essential oils and applications and provides safety information and a section on discerning the quality of essential oils. Every family taking proactive steps to better health should have this resource in their home library.” 

For more information on this book, click here.

As always: this page is for educational purposes only. 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products and techniques mentioned here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Lavender for Allergies

ALLERGY SEASON

Lavender is perfect for allergy season as it has natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties.  Lavender essential oil can be used in many ways to help combat allergies, here are just a few ways that we use it in our home:

1.  Itchy Eyes:  we place a drop of lavender in our palms, rub them together and cup our hands over our eyes.  With eyes open, we roll our eyes around looking left to right, up and down which allows the molecules from the lavender in our palms to enter our eyes and allow for cooling, soothing and healing to take place.

2. Runny Nose: we place a drop of lavender essential oil on a cotton swab and run around the inside of our nasal passages.  This allows the lavender to enter through the mucous membranes and get the antihistamine response into the body right away, it also prevents the nasal passages from becoming inflamed and brings a halt to the runny nose, making it easier to breathe (great for sinuses too!).

3.  Scratchy/Itchy throat: my son loves this one.  We place a drop of lavender essential oil on 1 tsp. of honey and take by mouth.

More Options

We have not tried these methods as of yet but they are not ruled out either, many have had success with simply dropping 1-2 drops of lavender directly under the tongue, holding it for 30 seconds and than swallowing.

Another is the cheek swipe where you can place a drop of lavender on your finger or cotton swab and swipe the insides of the cheek.

Know Your Essential Oil

No matter which method we choose, Lavender essential oil is our “go to” oil for the upcoming allergy season.  Please remember that not all essential oils are created equal and that you want an excellent quality brand that you can trust.   Young Living is the only essential oil company in the world with the Seed to Seal process.  From the land that they own, to the seed that they plant to the distillation process and quality control, it is all done on the Young Living farms and ensures the highest quality essential oil without synthetics or artificial enhancers.  When Young Living states that their essential oils are 100% pure, you can put your trust in knowing that they mean exactly what they say.  I would never encourage you to put another brand of Lavender in your nasal passages or to ingest and will only speak on Young Living essential oils. This is  because of incidence experienced by myself and others which resulted in burnt nasal passages and chemicals being  ingested by other brands marked 100% pure.  Please be cautious when choosing a brand and make sure it is a brand you can trust, read ALL sides of the label before using.

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is your responsibility to educate yourself and address any health or medical needs you may have with your physician. Please seek professional help when needed.