Essential Oils for Babies and Children

Essential Oils for babies and children are being integrated into family first aid kits all around the world and have become an important ‘all natural – toxin free’ treatment or ailment for parents.

Generally speaking our priorities as parents are to keep our kids safe, healthy and happy.

This should also mean free from exposure to harmful toxins and chemicals but often parents are unaware of the negative side effects and long term effects of using certain products on or around our children.

These ‘products’ include skin care, over the counter medications (antibiotics) and home cleaning products.

When you have kids, a clean home is important to avoid things like toxic mould but, using toxic chemicals as cleaning products can cause diseases, such as asthma, autism, and even cancer to name a few.

Children and pregnant women are most susceptible to these dangers.

There are many natural, homemade cleaning recipes out there that you can start to use.

Read this article on how to make an All Natural Household Cleaner or this one for a Natural Bathroom Cleaner & Scrub.

Starting children on antibiotics at a young age sets them up for antimicrobial resistance in later years and leaves them susceptible to illness which they may otherwise not have issues with.

So many parents are misinformed or confused about when and when not to give their children antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance is caused primarily by using antibiotics repeatedly, which then increases the formation of drug-resistant bacteria

According to the World Health Organization:

“Antimicrobial resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

It is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. Antimicrobial resistance is present in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally”

When it comes to babies and babies and children, common issues that you will be dealing with are things such as teething, colic, digestive issues, ear infections, respiratory infections, colds, fever, common viruses, skin irritations and cuts and scrapes.

A wide variety of pure grade essential oils for babies and children can be used for all of these issues and integrating them into your daily lives can help strengthen your family’s immune systems which in turn, enables them to fight infections, viruses, illness and reduce or even get rid of the need for antibiotics and other over the counter medications.

Store bought essential oils can often contain pesticides, herbicides, extenders, and solvents, so it is very important to use only pure grade essential oils for babies and children and even better to use pure therapeutic grade essential oils such as those from doTERRA, which undergo vigorous testing for purity and potency. You can read more about CPTG testing here.

Considerations when using essential oils for babies and children:

• Less is more – You only need a very small amount, each drop of essential oils is very potent as well as effective. A little goes a long way and dilution is always recommended for topical application. (there are some exceptions)
• Dilute – Children’s skin is not as thick as ours and much more sensitive. Most oils will not irritate the skin, in particular on the bottoms of the feet where the skin is thicker, but if you dilute the essential oil in a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil it will be easier to apply and is a way of also adding extra moisture to the skin.The doTERRA Touch products are great for this, by the way as they are already blended with coconut oil in a roller bottle ready for use! You can read more about how to dilute essential oils and check out our dilution chart by clicking right here.
• Diffuse the oils – This is a very safe and effective method of ‘applying’ essential oils for children without worrying about skin irritations or reactions. Diffusing oils can bring numerous benefits to the household in particular killing airborne bacteria, immune system support and in respiratory issues.

Not sure where to start?

The best doTERRA essential oils for babies and children and ways they can be used:

*Dilution recommendations – For babies and young children under 2 years, dilute 1 – 2 drop in 1 tablespoon of carrier oil. For older children dilute 2 drops in 1 teaspoon of carrier oil.

** It is not recommended to use essential oils on premature babies

BURNS – Apply lavender oil neat and directly to the burn.

CALMING & SLEEP – Rub lavender (neat) on the soles of the feet before bed time or when you are helping baby to fall asleep. Diffuse lavender or serenity soothing blend.

COLDS/IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT
Option One: Apply On Guard protective blend to the feet every 4 hours. Diffuse OnGuard at bedtime (only do this is there is sickness in the home and no more than 3 times a week during this period)
Option Two: Choose two oils from thyme, lemon, cedarwood, sandalwood, rosemary or rose, add two drops and dilute in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and massage a little on neck and chest.

BABY COLIC
Option One: Dilute 1 drop lavender and 1 drop wild orange and rub in clockwise direction on the belly every 30 minutes until they are settled.
Option Two: Dilute 1 drop roman chamomile, 1 drop lavender and 1 drop geranium and apply to stomach and back.

COUGH/RESPIRATORY ISSUES
Option 1: Dilute melaleuca and lemon and apply to the chest, back and feet every 30 minutes for 1.5 hours then reduce to every 2 hours.
Option 2: Dilute 2 drops of Breathe (Easy Air) and rub on chest and back every 2 hours.
Option 3: Apply a drop of Breathe (Easy Air) under the big toe and on the reflex points for sinus and bronchial tract on the feet

CRADLE CAP: Combine 2 tablespoons of almond oil with 1 drop of lemon and 1 drop geranium and apply a small amount to the the head.

CRYING
Option One: Diffuse 4 drops of any combination of: lavender, frankincense, ylang ylang, roman chamomile, geranium or cypress.
Option Two: Dilute 2 drops of any of the above mentioned oils and massage

CUTS/SCRAPES: Apply 1 drop of lavender and 1 drop of melaleuca provided it is not an open wound.

DIAPER RASH: Combine 1 drop of lavender and 1 drop roman chamomile with 1 tablespoon of coconut and apply on location

EAR ACHE – Mix 1 drop of lavender and 1 drop of melaleuca in one teaspoon of coconut oil and rub from top to bottom of the bone behind the ear. (Use lemon instead of lavender if your child is congested) Do this every 30 minutes for 90 minutes and then reduce to every 2 hours.

Alternatively put a drop of melaleuca on a cotton ball and wipe the top with coconut oil. Place gently in the ear opening being careful not to push it too far in. Leave it there while sleeping.

FEVER
Option One: Apply 1 drop of lavender and 1 drop peppermint to the sole of the feet every 3 hours.
Option Two: Dilute 1-2 drops of lavender and peppermint in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and massage behind the neck, feet, ears and on the back.

TEETHING – Apply diluted lavender, serenity soothing blend or roman chamomile to the jaw line every 30 minutes until baby gets some relief.

CHILD TUMMY PAINS/CONSTIPATION
Option One: Dilute Digest Zen digestive blend and rub in a clockwise direction on the belly every 30 minutes.
Option Two: Dilute 1 drop rosemary, 1 drop ginger and 1 drop wild orange in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and massage on stomach and feet.

RASHES: Dilute 1 drop lavender and 1 drop roman chamomile and apply on location

SORE THROAT: Mix 1 teaspoon of coconut oil with 1 drop of OnGuard protective blend and massage on both sides of the throat every 2 hours. Apply more coconut oil over the top and massage. After 1 day reduce to 3 times per day for 1 week.

Essential Oils Safety

Are essential oils safe to use on a young baby?
Essential oils for babies should be used on an as-need basis if they are under 3 months old. We always recommend diluting essential oils for babies and very young children to avoid sensitization and irritation, although, there are many oils that can be used undiluted and when applied to the feet of your children.

doTERRA pure grade oils are very safe, however, the liver can only process a certain amount at a time and so less is more (via dilution) is the best approach when it comes to children. We have specified in the list above if a particular essential oil can be used neat (undiluted) on your child.

Are Eucalyptus and Peppermint essential oils safe for use on children? Properly diluted and used appropriately, yes these oils are perfectly safe for use on your little ones. Unfortunately there is a lot of out dates ‘old aromatherapy’ information online which can be confusing and scary for parents.

Please bear in mind that this information refers ONLY to doTERRA essential oils as there are many different species of eucalyptus.

So why have you heard or read the statement that you should ‘avoid using Peppermint or Eucalyptus oils with young children’? Toxicity due to use of eucalyptus or peppermint essential oils has only ever been demonstrated with exposure to massive amounts that are well beyond any normal usage range.

In relation to eucalyptus, these were situations where the essential oil was taken internally or placed directly inside the nose. Of course, these excessive amounts are well beyond the normal usage range. You can read more about this in this article by Jessica Herzog a Board-certified Holistic Integrative Medicine physician and Pediatrician.

For young children (under the age of 2) we recommend using these oils as part of a blend such as doTERRA Breathe (Easy Air) respiratory blend or Digest Zen digestive blend, unless trying to reduce a fever.

Is it safe to diffuse essential oils in my babies room? Yes it is but we recommend using it with small quantities of oil in the diffuser. Make sure the room is well ventilated and if the smell is overly obvious/strong when you walk in the room then it’s probably too much.

What should If my child accidentally ingests an oil? You need to give your child an oil soluble liquid such as milk or cream and then seek medical attention. Whilst a few drops shouldn’t be life threatening, it depends on the quantity and which oil was ingested so best to be cautious.

What should I do if my child complains of skin irritation of discomfort after having an essential oil applied topically? Apply coconut oil directly on top of where you originally applied it and the discomfort should be relieved.