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Are Essential Oils Safe for Kids?

Essential oils have powerful physical and emotional benefits. But are they safe for kids? And, if so, how do you use them?

two cute, smiling kids in a field of flowers

Essential Oils and Kids

As long as you use only CPTG (1) essential oils and follow a few simple guidelines, essential oils are safe to use in children. And some can even be used in babies.

This is great news because essential oils are long lasting, portable, and don’t require a prescription. This makes them ideal for inclusion in travel kits and to keep on hand for dealing with minor every day problems.

As with adults, essential oils can be used aromatically, topically and, in some cases can even be even ingested by children.

Inhalation (Aromatic Use)

woman inhaling

When inhaled, the compounds in essential oils interact with the olfactory, limbic and respiratory systems to produce beneficial physical and emotional changes in the body.

Essential oils can be inhaled either by diffusing them into a room or by inhaling them directly.   


Diffusion

a diffuser

Diffusion, particularly water diffusion, is generally considered to be the safest way to use essential oils.

For kids, simply fill a water diffuser with tap water and then place 5-10 drops an essential oil or blend on top of the water.

Tips For Use

  • Replace Toxic Air Fresheners and Scented Candles. Diffusing essential oils is a great way to remove unpleasant or musty odors in a room without resorting to toxic air fresheners or candles. 
  • Relive Night time Stuffiness. Because they simultaneously humidify the air, water diffusers combined with essential oils like eucalyptus or breathe are great ways to combat night time stuffiness in kids.


Direct Inhalation

woman inhaling essential oil directly from a bottle

Older children can inhale essential oils without diffusing them by placing a few drops of the oil into their cupped hands or by inhaling them directly from the bottle. 

For travel, try placing a few drops of essential oil onto a cotton ball and then placing the ball in a small plastic baggie that can be opened as needed. Older children can also use a personal diffuser like the one here.  

Tips For Use

  • Combat Motion Sickness by placing a few drops of  peppermint (or spearmint for younger children) and ginger on a cotton bal. Insert the infused ball into your vehicle/s air vents or place in a sealed baggie as above. 
  • Ease Test Anxiety by infusing a personal diffuser your child can wear to school with lavender or Adaptiv (calming blend). 


Soaps, Bath Bombs and Linen Sprays

lavender soap and bath towels

Another way for children to enjoy the aromatic benefits of essential oils is to add them to soaps or bath bombs.

Soaps or Epsom salts infused with lavender oil or restful blend can create a relaxing bath-time atmosphere.

Serenity linen mist can also be sprayed on bedsheets to help a child sleep peacefully throughout the night.   


Topical Use of Essential Oils in Kids

baby feet large

Where to Apply Essential Oils on Kids

baby's feet

Essential oils are effective when applied topically because the small, lipid soluble molecules contained within them are readily absorbed into the skin.

Essential oils can be applied directly to site of concern or to other areas of the body.

The soles of the feet have relatively large pores and are often used as sites of application in young children.  For infants essential oils can also be applied along the spine. This ensures that the infant cannot accidentally ingest the oil. 

Tips For Use

  • To Relieve Minor Digestive Upsets rub Digestzen (Digestive Blend) onto a child's stomach area 
  • To Help Calm an Active Child Before Bedtime, try applying a couple drops of Serenity or Adaptiv essential oil blend to the bottoms of their feet.


Diluting Essential Oils for Kids

kids essential oil collection

Although some CPTG oils can be applied to skin without first diluting them, for younger children I always dilute them.  To learn what dilutions to use for which ages and how to get those dilutions using carrier oils, gels and creams see this article.

If you aren't into  messing with dilutions and creating DIY recipes, do TERRA offers pre-diluted essential oil blends specifically designed for the developing minds, bodies and emotions - as well as the sensitive skin - of kids. These can be purchased individually or all-together as a kit. 

If you see young children or the  parents of young children in your practice you may want to have some of these kits available so they can purchase them from your office. 

For more on this, click on this link. 


Ingestion of Essential Oils in Kids

kids supplements

For the most part, I avoid having younger children ingest essential oils.

However, the food-based oils such as lemon, lime, peppermint, cilantro, basil, oregano etc. can certainly be used in recipes to enhance the flavor of foods that will be eaten by children. Once again, it is critical to use only CPTG oils if you or your child will be ingesting them. (1)

doTERRA also makes supplements specifically for children, including an orange-flavored fish oil (IQOmega), chewable multivitamins (a2z chewable tablets) and a flavored probiotic (PB Assist Jr) that can be poured directly into the mouth for a fun way to get a blend of live probiotic bacteria formulated just for kids. 

Precautions

cedarwood do not ingestCEDARWOOD = This Oil is Not Safe to Ingest Because it Does Not Have an "I" Designation

Not all oils are safe to ingest. doTERRA indicates those oils that can be safely ingested with an "I"  on the product page of their website). Oils not marked with an "I" should never be ingested. 

The Image of Cedarwood above was taken from the product page for Cedarwood essential oil on the doTERRA website.

The "A" indicates this oil can be used aromatically (Cedarwood is very calming so great to diffuse into a bedroom at night time). The "T" means Cedarwood can be used topically. And the "S" means that this oil should be diluted before applying to sensitive skin.  Notice that there is no "I" designation.  This means this oil is not safe to ingest. 

In addition, those essential oils that are safe to ingest should only be taken in small amounts. And, of course, you want go guard against accidental ingestion by storing oils out of the reach of young children and using child-safe caps for additional protection.  

Tips For Avoiding  Accidental Ingestion

  • To avoid accidental ingestions, be sure to keep all essential oils out of the reach of young children. 
  • For extra protection, use child-safe caps on your essential oil bottles. 


A Word About Infants and Pregnancy

pregnant woman with knit baby shoes on her stomach

Essential oils are generally not recommended for children under the age of 3. But this may be overly conservative.

In her excellent book, "Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth and Babies", midwife Stephanie Fritz LM, CPM details how she uses essential oils during pregnancy and in newborns and very young infants.

And Mariza Snyder MD also has recipes for use in young children in her book "Smart Mom's Guide to Essential Oilss: Natural Solutions for a Healthy Family, Toxin-Free Home and Happier You

These are great reference books if you are the parent of young children. And, if you see parents or pregnant women in your practice, you may want to keep a few copies on hand to sell to your patients.

CPTG  To ensure that each bottle of their essential oils  is pure and free from contaminants or synthetic fillers, doTERRA created the CPTG or "Certified Pure Tested Grade®" protocol. This process includes a rigorous examination of every batch of oil, along with third-party testing to guarantee transparency. CPTG is a doTERRA trademark.

Next in the Series on Essential Oil Safety. . .

puppy

Safe Use of Essential Oils in Dogs. Essential oils have some pretty amazing benefits for people. And, when used properly, they can be really good for dogs as well.

To learn how to safely use these oils with your furry friends click on this link. 

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