While essential oils are soothing and soothing, they should be used with caution on babies. Below are recommended products for toddlers and their qualities.
For babies, essential oils are both an ally… and a potential danger. In fact, these (very) active substances can sometimes cause allergies or irritation.
Three months without essential oils
The first thing to know is that essential oils are strictly prohibited in self-medication for newborns until they are three months old. They are too young at this time to be exposed to these active substances.
That doesn’t mean they were never used. Thus, for example, in hospitals, vanilla essential oil used to perfume an incubator can improve the respiratory rate of premature infants.
What essential oils are good for toddlers?
Some essential oils are known to be very gentle, so they can be used even on very young children. Here they come:
Fights minor infections of the respiratory tract
Colds can quickly turn into bronchiolitis in young children. Some essential oils fight microbes and support the immune system: tea-tree, Ravintsara, Niaouli, and Eucalyptus radiata (be careful not to get this wrong, some eucalyptus essential oils are contraindicated for children).
-Calming, Stress Reducing and Sleep Promoting: Roman Chamomile, Mandarin Chinese, Marjoram.
- For minor skin wounds: Aspic Lavender, especially for stings and burns, and Rosewood for irritation.
How to use essential oils for babies?
Doses and routes of administration will obviously have to be adapted to more fragile organisms. To use aromatherapy on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to buy a book on essential oils, such as “Healing Your Child with Essential Oils” by Daniele Festy, and find a practitioner who understands them.
Some very general rules must always be followed:
Up to two drops of essential oil can be used three times a day.
Never use pure essential oils on the skin: essential oils must be diluted with fatty substances before application, even in the bath.
Oral use (e.g. consumption of essential oils mixed with olive oil or sugar) is contraindicated before the age of three.
How to use them?
Essential oils can be diffused into the air or added to vegetable oils for massage (macadamia, jojoba…). But we must be vigilant about the amount and frequency of use. Follow instructions for use carefully. Do not hesitate to seek medical advice. They are available in the form of suppositories made by a pharmacist on the advice of a professional.
