Here are my top 5 hacks on things to consider when using essential oils with your kids!

Hack #1

There are some definite oils you should be very cautious and avoid with your little ones. 

Clary Sage

Eucalyptus

Peppermint

Sage 

Wintergreen

Blue Tansy

Hyssup

This is not an exhaustive list but it’s a starting point of oils you should strongly investigate before introducing to your children. My suggestion would always look up the oil before you use it on your child to be safe. 

Hack #2

Always test the oils in small amounts for sensitivity first. If you’re like me, I dive right in and roll the new oil all over, but not everyone can handle oils in the same way. Our chemical make up in our body are different and each person can react differently to the same oil. Especially with the little ones, you should always introduce slowly in the beginning.  Remember to dilute with a carrier oil then apply to a inconspicuous spot on your child’s skin ( the feet is a great place) and observe over the next few hours. This will give you a chance to see how your child’s skin reacts with that particular oil.

Also, keep in mind the sensitive areas to avoid are eyes, inner ears, broken, injured or damaged skin, and inner nose.  All of these areas tend to have more sensitive skin. 

Hack  #3

Dilution is the key to using the oils with your children! Diluting the essential oils before using them on children will help to reduce the risk of sensitivity. My favorite carrier oil that I use all the time is fractionated coconut oil. It’s a great one to have on hand at all times so you can grab it when you need to dilute quickly. There are some basic guidelines for dilution amounts. I have provided a FREE Download of an easy guideline of how to dilute so you can print it out and have it handy when you can’t remember!

Hack #4

Diffuse a little less where the kids are going to hang most of the time at first until you see how your kids are going to react. I would put fewer drops of the oils in the diffuser. I am the first one to admit I LOVE to put extra drops in my diffusers! I love to smell my oils throughout the house! My diffusers are going all the time so if my boys were little and  were at home I would have to accommodate by using less oil than I do now!  If it is the common area where your children hang in the house, just use fewer drops. Save the strong recipes for your bedroom and bathroom or where the adults tend to hang out! There are Essential oil recipes out there that are for adults so make sure the recipes you use have kids in mind. Or rule of thumb, use less!

Hack #5

Basic safety!  Follow all proper safe storage guidelines to always keep essential oils out of the reach of children. When oils are being used with kids, make sure the adult is the one applying. 

Using Essential oils with your kids will become a natural daily routine once you go through the steps of remembering which oils to avoid, test for sensitivities, dilute with a carrier oil, use less oils in recipes and use basic safety! If you are interested in oils that are already diluted and ready for kids to use, please go to my Oils tab to check out the Kids line Doterra offers! They are AMAZING and a good way to start your kids using roller bottles!