Essential oils have become popular over the years and are widely available in the market. Many parents use Essential oils on their children for a variety of purposes like to help them sleep, reduce stress, etc. Although essential oils are generally safe to use, it is important to know how to use them.
Essential oils are concentrated extracts from flowers, leaves, seeds, bark, and other parts of the plant. Children are more likely to have adverse reactions to essential oils than adults as their skin is very soft.
Even if you are dealing with allergies, cold and flu season, anxiety, sleep problems, or similar health and wellness issues, essential oils can be a great addition in tool kit in addition to traditional medicine to help moms! But using essential oils safely are of supreme importance!
But, there are two questions
always raised in moms mind are:
- How to use essential oils safely with children, and
- Which oils should be avoided for a specific age.
There are different thoughts
given by different specialists on the safe use of essential oils. There are a few
aromatherapy courses that do not recommend essential oils use for kids 5 and
under and rather recommend using hydrosols, which provide wonderful
health-giving properties with trace amounts of essential oils. This is the most
conventional approach and the safest. With the use of hydrosols, you can get the
desired effects without running any risk of using powerful essential oils.
However, many aromatherapists take a slightly less traditional approach similar to that of Robert Tisserand, another essential oils expert. In Tisserand's book, as well as in other sources, he points out the proper and safe use of various oils at different ages. Personally, I like the way he works, although sometimes I rely on more aggressive thinking on oils and alter the use of oils depending on the situation.
How to safely use essential oils around your children
- In general, diffusing essential oils is safer than topically using them on the skin.
- Essential oils must always be diluted with carrier oils like Almond oil, Coconut oil, Jojoba oil before applying it on the skin. Be careful to dilute an incorrect percentage for the age group
- Always do a patch test before applying on larger areas on the skin as even diluted oils can sometimes cause irritation. Rub the oil on a small area of skin and wait 24 hours to see if there’s any redness, swelling or rash occurs.
- Keep oils away from the eyes, nose, and mouth of children. Do not apply essential oils to children with sensitive skin, eczema, or other chronic skin conditions, as they can be irritating.
- Store essential oils in a cool, dark place and away from sunlight.
Essential oils not safe for babies under 6 months of age
The following list of essential oils is
not safe for kids under 6 months of age. All other essential oils not
written in the list are considered safe but should be used at 1% dilution or
lower.
· Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
·
Carrot Seed (Daucus carota)
·
Cedarwood, (Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus deodora,
Juniperus virginiana)
·
Cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum verum)
·
Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus)
·
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
·
Cypress (Cupressus sempervires)
·
Fir needle (Abies sibirica)
·
Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
·
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) Expressed
grapefruit is phototoxic.
·
Helichrysum (Helichrysum angustifolium)
·
Lemon (Citrus limon)
·
Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)
·
Neroli (Citrus aurantium)
·
Palma Rosa (Cymbopogon martinii)
·
Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium)
·
Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica)
·
Rose Otto (Rosa damascena)
·
Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum)
·
Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)
·
Tangerine (Citrus reticulata)
·
Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Essential Oils Not Safe for Kids Under 2
The following list of essential oils are
not safe for kids under 2 years of age. All other essential oils not
written in the list are considered safe but should be used at 2-3% dilution or
lower.
·
Basil (lemon) Ocimum x citriodorum
·
Basil, Sweet (Ocimum basilicum)
·
Benzoin (Styrax all varieties)
·
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
·
Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum aromaticum)
·
Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)
·
Clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum)
·
Copaiba Basalm (Copaifera officinalis)
·
Garlic (Allium sativum)
·
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
·
Ginger Lily Hedychium coronarium
·
Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
·
Jasmine absolute (Jasminum sambac)
·
Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis)
·
Lemon Petitgrain (Citrus x limon, Citrus
limonum)
·
Lemon leaf
·
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus and all
varieties)
·
Lemon Verbena
·
Melissa/Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
·
Myrtle (honey) (Melaleuca teretifolia)
·
Myrtle (lemon)/Sweet Verbena Backhousia
citriodora
·
Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri)
·
Opopanax (Commiphora guidottii)
·
Oregano (all varieties)
·
Peru Balsam (all varieties)
·
Saffron (Crocus sativus)
·
Sage (Wild Mountain) (Hemizygia petiolata)
·
Savory (Satureia hortensis, Satureia montana)
·
Styrax (Liquidambar orientalis, Liquidambar
styraciflua)
·
Sweet Marjoram (Marjorana hortensis)
·
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
·
Spearmint (Mentha cardiaca, Mentha spicata)
·
Tea Leaf/Black Tea (Camellia sinensis, Thea
sinensis)
·
Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
·
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris, Thymus Zygis)
·
Treemoss (Pseudevernia furfuracea)
·
Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)
·
Turpentine (all varieties)
·
Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides)
·
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
· Ylang-Ylang (Cananga odorata)
Essential Oils Not Safe
for Kids Under 6
The following list of essential oils are
not safe for kids under 6 years of age. All other essential oils not
written in the list are considered safe but should be used at 3% dilution or
lower.
·
Anise/Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum)
·
Anise (Star) (Illicium verum)
·
Cajuput (Melaleuca cajuputi, Melaleuca
leucadendron)
·
Cardamon (Elettaria cardamomum)
·
Cornmint (Mentha arvensis, Mentha canadensis)
·
Fennel (bitter), Fennel (sweet) (Foeniculum
vulgare)
·
Galangal (lesser) (Alpinia officinarum, Languas
officinarum)
·
Laurel Leaf/Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
·
Marjoram (Spanish) (Thymus mastichina)
·
Myrtle (aniseed) (Backhousia anisata)
·
Myrtle (red) (Myrtus communis)
·
Niaouli (cineole chemotype)
·
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
·
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
·
Rambiazana Helichrysum gymnocephalum
·
Sanna (Hedychium spicatum)
·
Saro (Cinnamosma fragrans)
Essential Oils Not Safe for Kids Under 10-12
The following list of essential oils are
not safe for kids under 10-12 years of age. All other essential oils not
written in the list are considered safe but should be used at 3-4% dilution or
lower.
·
Birch (sweet) Betula lenta
·
Chaste Tree Vitex agnus castus
·
Any Eucalyptus
·
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
·
Wintergreen (avoid for any kids)
Another question that comes to mind is where I should buy my essential oils. I strongly recommend Moksha Lifestyle Products. They have a wide range of essential oils, hydrosols, Carrier oils, and other cosmetic ingredients. What I love most is their products are certified and authentic and I don’t have to fear getting adulterated products. I love that you would get free shipping, pure oil and high quality, and a guarantee of satisfaction.
Comments
Post a Comment