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Aromatherapy Essential Oils for Kids
With today's hectic
schedules and family lives, parents welcome effective natural wellness
alternatives to support their child's health and happiness. Essential
oils offer simple, effective means to calm kids down, give them quality
rest, and support healing the little injuries of childhood through
natural means. There's a great many essential oils
available with a wonderful variety of healing actions. Here we'll have
a look at five oils commonly used to support children's health, and
simple ways to incorporate them into your lifestyle.
There are three primary methods of using oils with little ones: Topical
application through massage or applying directly to wounds or sores;
Inhalation from a handkerchief, spray bottle, warm bowl of water, the
bed sheets, or diffuser; and Baths, which actually combines the topical
and inhalation methods. The main difference in using essential oils
with children and adults is that children will simply need smaller
amounts. There are a few oils that should not be used with children -
peppermint, for example, is considered too powerful for the wee ones
under two (spearmint is called for instead, which can be helpful with
tummy trouble). Ask someone with experience or consult a reputable
guidebook if you are unsure about a particular oil.
The dosages and dilutions used for children are generally significantly
lower than those used with adults. Dilutions for caring touch massage
can start as low as 1 drop per ounce of carrier (hazelnut is excellent
for most applications) for newborns, moving up approximately 1 drop per
year, within a range of about 3 drops per ounce. For example, a massage
blend for a four year old might contain anywhere from 3 to 6 drops of
essential oil per ounce, depending on the oil and the child. Oils like
Lavender, Roman Chamomile and Vanilla are exceptionally gentle - more
could be used without worry. An oil like Rose, while wonderful for
children, is fairly potent, and using a little less may be prudent. The
child's weight and overall condition can also be considered; a child
that is big for their age could use slightly higher amounts of
essential oil, whereas a child that is week from illness could use a
little less.
So what are these few important essential oils we've alluded to? We'll
start with Vanilla...Mmmm, everyone loves vanilla, right? It turns out
that babies especially respond well to the comforting sweet aroma.
While a good vanilla essential oil is a little expensive, only a very
small amount is needed to create an exceptionally soothing massage oil
for belly, back and foot rubs. Vanilla, being so gentle, can be used in
concentrations of up to 1% (that's 10 drops per ounce of carrier).
Really all that's needed is a hint of the aroma for it to work wonders.
I've received reports of children being instantly calmed by a gentle
vanilla massage, then immediately asking for more!
Another highly regarded oil for relieving stressful moments is Roman
Chamomile. Its sweet herbaceous aroma is also very gentle, being noted
particularly useful to calm tantrums or soothe after nightmares. A drop
or two of Chamomile can be massaged undiluted into the solar plexus for
quick effect. For an aromatic bath, first blend the appropriate number
of drops as noted above into one tablespoon of carrier oil. Add this to
the bathwater after the bath is drawn to best retain the aroma
(otherwise it may all evaporate as the tub is filling). Chamomile (and
Lavender) makes a great room spray; just add 5-10 drops per cup of
water in a spray bottle, shake well then mist the air.
Lavender essential oil is also highly regarded for its soothing
qualities, along with a host of other healing actions. Lavender oil has
been called 'a medicine chest in a bottle', as it is anti-inflammatory
(good for small burns - apply directly as needed), relieves pain and
supports wound healing. Clinical studies have proven Lavender oil's
effectiveness for improving sleep. For children, blend 2 to 1 with
Roman Chamomile. Apply one drop of this blend to the pillow at nap or
night time. Lavender works well in a bath, too. Additionally, Lavender
can be mixed in equal parts with Tea Tree oil to add a soothing quality
to Tea Tree's antiseptic action. Really, every parent should have a
bottle of Lavender on hand (be sure to seek out true Lavender, the
Lavendula angustifolia variety).
When sour moods are in need of a lift, citrus oils supply the aromas of
choice. Tangerine and Sweet Orange are especially liked, and Mandarin
has a certain calming effect not found in any other oil. Citrus oils
are often cold-pressed from the peels of the fruit; these can be mildly
irritating to the skin. Stick to using these in room sprays or
diffusers. Steam distilled citrus oils, often made from the leaves or
flowers of the citrus trees (like Neroli, Petitgrain, or Mandarin
Petitgrain - an especially nice oil for young ones) can safely be used
in topical applications like massages and baths. All these oils are
known as antidepressants, and might just lift your mood as well as your
child's (not to terrible of a side effect!)
And for all those little abrasions of childhood, Tea Tree is highly
regarded as a natural antiseptic for cuts and scrapes. Once a wound is
washed, it may be covered with a Band-Aid which has a drop of Tea Tree
placed on the gauze. Tea Tree may be a bit strong to apply directly to
the injury, though when mixed with equal parts of Lavender, Tea Tree
will prevent infection while the Lavender will relieve pain and
actually speed wound healing. A few drops of the Tea Tree/Lavender
mixture can be added to a warm cup of water to use as a cleansing wash.
An effective, home made antiseptic spray can also be made: use 2 ounces
water, 1/2 half ounce rubbing alcohol, 8 drops Lavender, 12 drops Tea
Tree and 8 drops Roman Chamomile. Shake vigorously and store, shaking
again before each use. Tea Tree is considered a 'universal antiseptic',
with a great many uses in first aid and around the home. At 20 drops
per cup of water, it can be used as a non-toxic (if not pungent!)
general cleaner which you'll be happy to use instead of many chemical
laden household cleaners where your children will be crawling about -
and you can mix with lemon oil for a more pleasing aroma.
This is just a brief look at how you can easily incorporate the
wonderful healing potential of essential oils into your child's natural
health and wellness program. There are many, many essential oils
available with an array of healthful effects and pleasant scents. A
note about essential oil quality: consider spending a little bit more
on your oils, rather than going for the least expensive available. The
oil's aroma, and its therapeutic value, may be significantly different.
Try to find a company you trust, that offers consistently high quality
oils; when you buy a new oil for the first time, they're more likely to
carry first-rate oils of each type. As your knowledge and experience
grows, you'll find there are aromatherapy remedies for most common
childhood ailments. There are many fine books on aromatherapy
available, often with several chapters devoted to using essential oils
with children. Most importantly, start slowly, be creative, and have
fun; aromatherapy can easily become a key component in support of your
family's health and wellness.
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