Using Essential Oils for Parents and Their Children

Essential oils can bring positivity and relaxation to your life and help you improve your mood. Your kids, just as well as anyone else, can benefit from essential oils. The advantages of using essential oils for parents can be plentiful as long as you know how to get the most out of them.

Keep in mind that essential oils are not meant to be a cure for any health condition. They can act as supplements to the care plan that you have developed with your physician. Essential oil products can be another tool to add to your caretaking toolbox to keep your children believe you are a magical wizard that knows all there is to know in the world.

Safety First

Although the appeal of using essential oils is that they are all-natural and homoeopathic, it is good to be informed of any product you are using on your children. There are certain essential oils you’ll want to keep away from children for safety’s sake. However, there are several kid-friendly essential oils that are appropriate for you to use on them or even let them use themselves.

The following is an extensive but not complete list of essential oils that can be harmful to a child under the age of 10:

• Birch (sweet)
• Chaste tree
• Benzoin
• Black Seed
• Cassia
• Clove bud, clove leaf, clove stem
• Garlic
• Ginger Lily
• Honey Myrtle
• Hyssop
• Lemon leaf
• Lemon Myrtle
• Lemongrass
• Massoia bark
• May Chang
• Melissa
• Oakmoss
• Opopanax
• Oregano
• Peru balsam
• Saffron
• Sage (wild mountain)
• Savory
• Styrax
• Treemoss
• Tuberose
• Turpentine
• Verbena (lemon)
• Ylang-ylang

Some children may have reactions to other oils that are not included in this list. Try a skin test on a small area to see if it triggers a reaction to protect your child. Until you have had the opportunity to do a fair amount of research to feel confident in your use of essential oils, it is best to keep them stored away with other home remedies out of reach of children.

Relaxation

Relaxation can help you achieve success in your everyday life just by providing you with a bit of mental clarity. Reducing stress is vital to running a healthy and happy household, and essential oils can help you accomplish this. Your full-time job (not being a mom, the job that pays the bills) may be causing you a lot of stress, even making you sick, but essential oils can help lessen the anxiety that comes with a hard job.

If you are lucky enough to be a mom with a lock on their bathroom and bedroom door, escaping to the shower or tub is a great way to unwind after a long day. You can also utilize the following to help soothe your child at the end of a stimulating day: Start by removing any chemical-filled bath oils or bath bombs and replacing them with soothing essential oils to get the same, if not better, result. If you only have time for a quick shower, step into a steamy shower with some lavender or eucalyptus oils to create your home sauna.

Potential Uses

Depending on the ailment, there are different ways to utilize essential oils. They can be used topically, as an inhaler, ingested (if graded for edibility) or as aromatherapy. Use your knowledge as a consumer when considering the purity of the oils that you are choosing.

No matter the purity of the oils, all oils should be diluted before use, especially when administered to kids. It should be reduced to 0.25 per cent for children, which equates to one drop to four tablespoons of carrier oils.

Here are some convenient uses for essential oils when addressing common ailments for children:

Chest colds: Cypress oil

Calming and relaxation: Lavender or sandalwood oil

Nail fungus and lice: Tea tree oil

Bug bites: Chamomile oil

Psoriasis and eczema: Frankincense oil

Stomach distress: Peppermint oil

As with any significant changes that you are looking to make to your healthcare, it is wise to consult your doctor beforehand. If you or your child have chronic conditions that you feel could be subsided with the use of essential oils, discuss how oils can complement your current medications and how to avoid complications.