What Parents Need to Know Before Using Essential Oils on Babies

Essential oils can do much more than adding fragrance to a room. They provide aromatherapy that help relieve common health issues such as pain, anxiety, skin allergies, and insomnia. They are great for all ages including babies. However, there are a lot of important factors to consider before using essential oils on infants.

Even though essential oils are all natural, there are precautions to take when using them, especially for babies. This is because they are highly concentrated and come from different plants which have different effects on the body. Some essential oils are considered safe for babies but there are those that have potential risks.

It is highly critical to carefully choose the variety of essential oil to use for your baby. Infants have sensitive systems and using oils that are inappropriate for them may harm their health. Worse, it can negatively impact their growth. It is best to consult an aromatherapist if you are new to essential oil and unsure whether the oil you want to use is safe for babies. It is also helpful to ask your child’s pediatrician’s opinion to have an informed decision.

Essential oils are excellent for babies. Here are common problems that can be relieve with the extracts that are safe for infants.

• Colic: Roman Chamomile or lavender. Dilute either of them with a carrier oil then massage on stomach and back.
• Diaper Rash: Lavender, chamomile, or melaleuca. Mixed with a carrier oil and gently apply on affected area. You can also dip a cloth in a bowl of warm water with one drop of each or either oils. Then use the cloth to clean the baby’s bottom. Do not use melaleuca for babies below 6 months old.
• Sleeplessness: Lavender, citrus, ylang ylang or chamomile. Use for calming massage or diffuser.
• Teething: Chamomile or lavender. Massage in the jawline to help soothe the pain.
• Upset Stomach: Citrus oils such as tangerine, lemon, or orange. Dilute with a carrier oil and massage on stomach.

Note: All essential oils are unsafe for babies under 3 months old.

Always dilute oils heavily when using for babies. You can dilute them with any gentle carrier oils such as almond and jojoba when applying on skin. For diffuser or spritz, dilute with water. Use only 0.25 to 1% of essential oil to additive when diluting. Never use neat oil on babies as these oils are highly concentrated extracts and are too strong for them.

You can do aromatherapy for babies using essential oils by:

• Diffusing to infuse the oil or oils into the air and create a spa like experience.
• Spritzing the diluted oil into the baby’s room to create a calming atmosphere before bedtime. Make sure not to spray on infant’s clothes, beddings, and pillows so that your baby won’t accidentally ingest the oil.
• Baby massage to make them relax.

Never give essential oils orally. Some oils may be safe to ingest for adults but not for babies. It can poison them especially as their digestive and immune systems are still developing. In fact, the number of poisoning caused by essential oils are increasing each year. Having said that, it is important to place essential oils in out of reach from children area. It is also crucial not to use these extracts in baths. Remember that oils don’t merge with water. The floating oil in water increases the risk of ingestion.

Do a patch test before using an oil on your baby to check for any adverse reaction. You can do this by applying a drop of diluted oil into the baby’s skin. Wait for at least 24 to 48 hours and check for redness, swelling, or itchiness. If there is no reaction, then you may safely proceed to your preferred method.

Be careful of the quality of your oils. Make sure that they are authentic to prevent unwanted reactions. Ensure that your oil is labelled as “essential oils” and not “fragrance oils”. Fragrance oils may look like essential oils but are synthetic replicas and don’t have benefits. Also watch out for the fake oils as there are a lot in the market.

Essential oils can do much more than adding fragrance to a room. They provide aromatherapy that help relieve common health issues such as pain, anxiety, skin allergies, and insomnia. They are great for all ages including babies. However, there are a lot of important factors to consider before using essential oils on infants.

Even though essential oils are all natural, there are precautions to take when using them, especially for babies. This is because they are highly concentrated and come from different plants which have different effects on the body. Some essential oils are considered safe for babies but there are those that have potential risks.

It is highly critical to carefully choose the variety of essential oil to use for your baby. Infants have sensitive systems and using oils that are inappropriate for them may harm their health. Worse, it can negatively impact their growth. It is best to consult an aromatherapist if you are new to essential oils and unsure whether the oil you want to use is safe for babies. It is also helpful to ask your child’s pediatrician’s opinion to have an informed decision.

Essential oils are excellent for babies. Here are common problems that can be relieved with the extracts that are safe for infants.

• Colic: Roman Chamomile or lavender. Dilute either of them with a carrier oil then massage on stomach and back.
• Diaper Rash: Lavender, chamomile, or melaleuca. Mixed with a carrier oil and gently apply on affected area. You can also dip a cloth in a bowl of warm water with one drop of each or either oils. Then use the cloth to clean the baby’s bottom. Do not use melaleuca for babies below 6 months old.
• Sleeplessness: Lavender, citrus, ylang ylang or chamomile. Use for calming massage or diffuser.
• Teething: Chamomile or lavender. Massage in the jawline to help soothe the pain.
• Upset Stomach: Citrus oils such as tangerine, lemon, or orange. Dilute with a carrier oil and massage on stomach.

Note: All essential oils are unsafe for babies under 3 months old.

Always dilute oils heavily when using for babies. You can dilute them with any gentle carrier oils such as almond and jojoba when applying on skin. For diffuser or spritz, dilute with water. Use only 0.25 to 1% of essential oil to additive when diluting. Never use neat oil on babies as these oils are highly concentrated extracts and are too strong for them.

You can do aromatherapy for babies using essential oils by:

• Diffusing to infuse the oil or oils into the air and create a spa like experience.
• Spritzing the diluted oil into the baby’s room to create a calming atmosphere before bedtime. Make sure not to spray on infant’s clothes, beddings, and pillows so that your baby won’t accidentally ingest the oil.
• Baby massage to make them relax.

Never give essential oils orally. Some oils may be safe to ingest for adults but not for babies. It can poison them especially as their digestive and immune systems are still developing. In fact, the number of poisoning caused by essential oils are increasing each year. Having said that, it is important to place essential oils in out of reach from children area. It is also crucial not to use these extracts in baths. Remember that oils don’t merge with water. The floating oil in water increases the risk of ingestion.

Do a patch test before using an oil on your baby to check for any adverse reaction. You can do this by applying a drop of diluted oil into the baby’s skin. Wait for at least 24 to 48 hours and check for redness, swelling, or itchiness. If there is no reaction, then you may safely proceed to your preferred method.

Be careful of the quality of your oils. Make sure that they are authentic to prevent unwanted reactions. Ensure that your oil is labelled as “essential oils” and not “fragrance oils”. Fragrance oils may look like essential oils but are synthetic replicas and don’t have benefits. Also watch out for the fake oils as there are a lot in the market.