How to Use Essential Oils Safely with Babies and Children

Essential oils can be an amazing tool to utilize with our little ones, especially when done so safely and properly. Essential oils are extremely potent and using them with kids doesn’t look the same as when using them with adults. Let’s dive in. 

Knowing what is safe:

Many essential oils are actually unsafe for children, despite being marketed as such. Young Livings gentle baby is a prime example, containing Ylang Ylang essential oil- not to be used topically on children 2 and under. While safe for diffusing, many recommendations with this oil have you rubbing the oil (sometimes un-diluted) onto your baby. Many kid safe lines are anything but safe as well, both Young Living and doTerra lacking in safe guidelines for children. Thieves (and similar blends) is another oil I see being used on children and that one is definitely not safe under 10. Once you know what is safe, and what isn’t safe, you can begin to use oils confidently with your little ones. If you want a complete list on kid safe oils you can check out my post on that here.

Knowing when to start:

When can you start using essential oils on your baby? I know some people just begin applying and diffusing the minute their baby comes home, but that just isn’t safe. My rule of thumb is at least 3 months but preferably 6 months. And when I say 3 months I mean it’s okay to use oils around or near your baby but not necessarily ON your baby. Very rarely is there a topical need for essential oils so young. Starting with diffusing gently is your best bet. Small increments, in a large ventilated room, is the way to go. When I started diffusing again after my youngest was born I let the diffuser go for 5 minutes. Slowly we worked to be able to diffuse for 30 minutes at a time. Do not exceed 30 minutes with children, as this can cause reactions or irritations. 30 minutes 3-5 times a day is better than letting the diffuser run for hours anyways. And always start small when diffusing, once a day and then work up to multiple times a day. Start with one oil at a time, see if there is a reaction and then slowly move onto other oils. The use of oils in babies is really rather rare however, and I found in my own experience that I was simply diffusing for me or my toddler and not so much my baby. I just don’t reach for essential oils to use with a purpose on my baby right now, I reach for essential oils for me while making sure they are still kid safe because I know my baby will be exposed to them. I wouldn’t start topical use until at least over the age of 1 unless there is a need however. Waiting until 2 is ideal, but you can safely utilize oils topically younger. Do not use topically under 6 months though as a baby’s skin is much thinner and their immune system isn’t very mature yet. 

Know your dilution:

Kids are not the same size as adults, so we can not use the same amount of oils as we would an adult. for ages 2-10 use a 1-2% dilution, although in toddlers if if you are looking for daily use I would stick with a .5% dilution which is 1 drop in 10ml. For kids ages 1-2 do not exceed a .5% dilution and under age 1 using a .1% dilution is best. A .1% is 1 drop in 30ml. It’s important to get dilutions right with children. If you are wanting to use multiple oils in a mix than mix the oils together before adding the appropriate amount of drops to your carrier. Always use a carrier and NEVER use essential oils neat on children or babies. Plant therapy has a ton of information about dilution as well, definitely go check out what they have to say on dilution for kids.

Test, test, test:

While I don’t recommend topical use of essential oils under 6 months, when the time comes its important to test the essential oils of choice before using. To do this, dilute the oil to the appropriate amount, apply to the inner part of the elbow and cover with a bandage for 24-48 hours. Check for reactions. If a reaction occurs discontinue use and gently wash the area in warm water and unscented soap. While tedious, it is important to test each new oil especially with younger children and babies. Often times reactions take a while to show up in children, be aware of this. Also, many people recommend testing oils neat, do not do this. Dilute to the dilution you plan to use to patch test and also make sure you are using a carrier oil that you know your child isn’t allergic to.

Always have a purpose:

As much fun as it is to bathe yourself in oils (seriously though, don’t do this) we can not not take this approach when it comes to children and babies. Always have a purpose in mind when using essential oils. Is there something else that can accomplish what you’re looking to accomplish? Instead of using an essential oil for an upset tummy, maybe try a gripe water or some natural herbs instead. Instead of mood lifting oils in babies, try to find other ways to soothe them first. It’s better to explore other options before turning to essential oils especially in young children and babies. Maybe try a hydrosol instead of the oil. Which leads me to my next point. 

Hydrosols:

Especially in babies, a hydrosol is a much better option. They are milder, gentler and so versatile. Consider using a hydrosol in place of the essential oil instead. You can read even more about this in my post on Hydrosols.

Ingestion?

Never, not with kids. Do not ever do this. If you are an adult, you may do as you please. While my stance is to discourage casual daily ingestion, or ingestion without guidance, I will always say do not let children eat essential oils. I don’t have a lot to say on this, kids just don’t need to be ingesting essential oils. It is never safe, never acceptable and never beneficial. In the event that your child does swallow some essential oil, call poison control and encourage them to drink some milk (full fatty milk is best) to help slow the spread of essential oils in their system. In most cases nothing more needs done than to monitor them, but for more directions poison control is equipped to handle these things.

Reactions?

Like I mentioned before, if there is a reaction discontinue use and wash the area. However reactions can look very different in each person. Reactions can even stem from diffusing. Look for weird rashes when introducing new oils, watch for any breathing problems or complaints of headaches. All of these things are reactions. Stop using the essential oil altogether, wash clothing and furniture that might have any residue and make sure all traces of the oil are washed gently off your child. Avoid reactions by respecting dilutions and diffusing guidelines.

Great starting oils:

Starting to use oils can be a little scary, especially if you don’t know which essential oils to start with. So here are some oils I love to use with little ones, and that I think are great starting oils (especially for younger kids): Frankincense, Roman Chamomile, Tea Tree, Lavender, Dill, Mandarin, Ho wood, Spearmint and Black Spruce. Pick one or two from this list (HIGHLY recommend Roman Chamomile and Tea Tree to start) and test them out. See how they work, these might be the only 2 oils you need for a while. Once your child is over the age of 2 all kid safe oils (make sure they are truly kid safe and safe for ages 2 and up) are pretty much fair game. I don’t recommend just diving in still, even if your child is older, but you don’t need to be as cautious when introducing oils. But the younger they are, the slower you should go. My baby is 6 months right now and I still don’t really use oils with her. I have moved into diffusing around her, and I am comfortable with that right now.