A Simple Guide to Using Essential Oils for Young Kids

Everyone who has tried aromatherapy knows how beneficial essential oils are. There’s an oil remedy for almost every physical and mental health condition, and aromatherapy lovers know it. Whether you’re a beginner in the essential oils world or have been using them for a while now, you might be wondering how to properly introduce them to your family, precisely to your kids. Are essential oils safe for kids? If they are, what are the different uses and benefits? You’ll find the answers in this simple guide.

Are Essential Oils Safe for Kids?

Essential oils are considered too strong and potent to use on the gentle baby skin in babies 0-24 months old. You can still use them in a diffuser for babies older than three months. And, they’re perfectly safe for use in young children two years and up topically, in a bath, and for inhalation. However, children aren’t adults, and we should introduce them to essential oils carefully, with a mindful approach. You can stick to a few guidelines to make aromatherapy safe and sound. Although these are general recommendations for everyone, they’re especially important when using essential oils on kids.

Buy High-Quality Oils from a Trusted Supplier

Essential oils aren’t FDA regulated. This makes a lot of room for manufacturers to sell low-quality and synthetic oils from suspicious plant sources. They can even label these as natural and organic, and the labelling doesn’t have to include clear ingredient risk. These manufacturers claim that you can safely use their oils on your baby’s skin. Buying and using such essential oils is a dangerous practice that can cause severe damage to your child, from burns to skin sensitivities and even organ damage.

People have these in mind when they say essential oils aren’t safe for kids. That’s why buying from a trusted supplier is vital. Such suppliers provide you with clear instructions and an ingredients list. They’re honest about the potency of their oils and usually have a whole baby essential oils collection that’s even safer than the adults’ one.

Another thing is that you can never go wrong with purchasing certified organic baby products. When an essential oil is certified organic, it goes through a thorough examination from sourcing to packaging. Certified organic essential oils for babies are carefully sourced from organic plants without the use of pesticides and chemicals throughout the whole process. You can find certification numbers on the bottles, and you can rest assured you’re using the safest essential oil option for your children.

Other Practices to Enhance Safety

Here are some other things you can do to ensure safety when using essential oils for kids.

• Always dilute essential oils before you use them topically. This is important both for adults and children, but especially for the gentle baby skin. The most common carrier essential oils are fractioned coconut oil, jojoba oil and sweet almond oil. The advised dilution is 0.25% for 2-6-year-olds and 1% for six years and older. This is important for single oil use and when creating your own blends.
• Essential oils are very potent and can have adverse reactions when misused. When using them, ensure a well-ventilated area and a shorter usage time. Use a special aromatherapy diffuser. Never diffuse them in a nebuliser or a humidifier, as these can often change the nature of oils, and some oils can cause damage to them.
• Essential oils are never safe when swallowed. Some essential oils can be used for cooking in small amounts but still aren’t safe when consumed. So, make sure to keep them out of reach of your kids. If they reach and swallow them, call your pediatrician.
• You should never put essential oils in your child’s mouth, ears and eyes. If your kid accidentally rubs their eyes while massaging them with essential oils, use coconut oil to ease the burn.

How to Introduce Essential Oils to Your Kids?

Generally, kids love aromatherapy, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful if your final goal is for your child to love them. It’s like introducing a toy or a prop that it’s suitable for development. This is especially important for toddlers, as you know they and their preferences can be tricky and change from one day to another. First, let them smell the bottle. If you’re using rollerballs, let them touch and play with them. You can give them empty bottles so they can engage with them in imaginative play and then let them explore filled bottles. It won’t pass much time until your kid tells you which oils he likes the best.

The Best Essential Oils for Kids

Lavender Oils

If your question is what is a calming essential oil for kids, the answer is lavender. It’s one of the most gentle oils for children’s skin and kids usually love the gentle aroma. It’s also proven to help with colics and reduces swelling from insect bites. You can use it in several ways:

• Diffuse it before bedtime to calm down and unwind. You can also use it during a meltdown, as the smell will help the child ground and regulate.

• Make a bubble bath using diluted oil.

• Massage them after the bath. Gently rub diluted lavender oil in a carrier oil onto your child’s back, along the spine and their arms and legs. Make lavender a part of your children’s bedtime routine to make them fall and stay asleep.

Citrus Oils

Citrus lemon and citrus oils altogether can help lift energy and mood and are great for a post-nap wakeup call or at any time of the day your child needs an energy boost.

Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Oils

All these oils are great decongestants that you can use every time your kids have a runny or stuffy nose, cough or sneeze. They’re great immune boosters and help fight off flu and cold. If you avoid peppermint for some reason, eucalyptus and tea tree are great alternatives.

Why Buy Essential Oils Blends Instead of Making Your Own?

There are essential oil blend collections that you can buy. These certified organic baby products are great if essential oils are new to you and you aren’t sure about diluting and mixing them. These blends contain the best oils for kids mixed in the right proportions. Buying them instead of making your own can save you time and money, while you’ll ensure providing your children with the benefits of essential oils in the best way possible.