How to use Essential Oils on Babies

It’s hard to watch a baby or small child deal with a cold or flu. Trying to keep clean that perpetual runny nose that gets so crusty on the top lip or having to pull out the suction bulb for your infant and hear him/her cry about it.

These are never fun. There really isn’t much you can do to treat the virus itself so you end up treating the symptoms. Essential oils are a good way to do that.

How To Use Essential Oils for Babies

• With any essential oil topical treatments, remember to follow the guidelines in the Essential Oils for Children article.
• There are some really good respiratory essential oils that would be excellent to diffuse -- Respiratory Ease, Eucalyptus citriodora, Myrtle, and one of the Chamomiles are ones to consider.
• Steam inhalations are really good. You can run a hot shower in the bathroom and sit on a chair with your child on your lap. Keep the child upright. You can keep them occupied by reading a book, singing a song, or whatever you can think of to keep the child distracted. You can also put a drop or two of essential oil(s) in the shower at the farthest end from the spray when you run the water. Spend about 15 minutes in there. (It should go without saying that you are not going to put your child in the shower.) You need the room filled with steam so stay in there with the door closed.
• Watch the child’s temperature. If a fever goes over 101 degrees Fahrenheit, call your pediatrician immediately.
• Do not have your children ingest any essential oils.
• While Peppermint and the Eucalyptus oils are excellent for the usual respiratory infections, you have got to be very careful using them with small children. According to Robert Tisserand, Peppermint contains a high percentage of Menthol and Eucalyptus globulus and radiata contains a high percentage of 1,8 Cineole as one of their key constituents. These trigger a reflex in young children which can slow down their breathing too much, which is dangerous in at risk children. If you have a child who has serious respiratory issues, it’s best to not apply either of these oils topically, by themselves, on children younger than 3. Eucalyptus citriodora is safer, as is Rocky Mountain Oils' Myrtle.

What to do

This time I’m going to go over each age. Each one will have which essential oils for babies are good to use topically, as well as how much they should be diluted. You can do a good chest massage with the oils. Also, apply to the bottom of their feet and to their backs. Apply them 2-3 times a day. Of course any of these can be diffused.

Infants

• Essential oils for babies: Roman Chamomile, German Chamomile, Lavender, Red Mandarin
• Dilution Rate: 1 drop in 1 ounce Carrier Oil

When your baby gets the sniffles, it’s really easy to panic. We want them healthy and it’s so sad to watch their nose running and listening to their congestion. However, you need to remember something: most colds are something that is actually good for the baby. It helps their immune system because they build up antibodies. So you should carefully suction the congestion out of their nose, keep them upright, and help break it up by patting and rubbing their back. The time to worry is if a high fever starts, if the baby is struggling to breathe, and is unable to eat. Other things to watch for are a thick discharge from nose, unusual irritability, and a cough producing yellow, green, or gray discharge. If you have those, your baby may have RSV and you need to take him/her to a doctor immediately.

2-6 Months

• Essential oils: Geranium, (and all of the ones listed in above age)
• Dilution Rate: 1 drop in 1 ounce Carrier Oil

7-12 Months

• Essential oils: Cardamom, Ginger Root, Myrtle, (and all of the ones listed in above ages)
• Dilution Rate: 1-2 drops in 1 ounce Carrier Oil

JC’s Chest Massage

• 1 drop Myrtle
• 1 drop Lavender
• 1 tablespoon Carrier oil

Massage a small amount carefully into chest area on front and back. Cover child with a shirt or onesie when you are finished.

2-6 Years

• Essential Oils: Ginger Root, Lemon, Grapefruit, Ravintsara, Helichrysum italicum, Eucalyptus citriodora, Melaleuca, (and all of the ones listed in above ages)
• Dilution Rate: 2-5 drops in 1 ounce Carrier Oil

JC’s Foot Massage for Chills

• 1 drop Ginger Root
• 1 drops Roman Chamomile
• 1 teaspoon Carrier oil

Massage feet with blend before your child goes to bed. After you finish, cover your child’s feet with socks.

And finally,

I hope this helps. What do you like to use? Share with all of us in the comment section at the bottom of the page. Let’s all work together to get our kids healthy so they can enjoy life again.