Are you considering using essential oils with your children? If so, there are some questions you should ask yourself first in order to make sure that you are using them in the safest and most effective way possible. Using essential oils with children is different than using them with adults so you need to take into account some special considerations.
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Why are you wanting to use essential oils with your children? Even though it may be somewhat of a trendy thing, you want to have specific reasons. Examples may include supporting digestive health, boosting their immune system, helping when they start to feel under the weather, or helping to improve their focus and concentration.
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What is the quality and testing of the essential oils you are looking to use? Not all essential oils are created equal and some will even tell you not to use them with children. I recommend making sure the bottles have latin names, and that you can find lab testing results to start with.
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How will you dilute the essential oils? Will you buy roller bottles that come already diluted? (I recommend this for ease of use) or do you want to buy your own carrier oils and do it yourself? These would include jojoba, coconut, olive etc. Essential oils must be diluted before being given to children. This is especially important for children under the age of 12.
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Where will you get the education and training you need to use them properly? The internet can be a bit of the wild west when it comes to education on essential oils and you won’t get what you need from most companies directly either. If you need help, contact me and I can help.
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Does your child have allergies? While in theory an actual allergic reaction in the sense that we think about them as in a peanut allergy isn’t possible with essential oils. Essential oils don’t have any proteins in them which is what causes most allergies, if your child has a lot of allergies, some kind of a reaction is still possible.
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Is your child taking any medications on a regular basis? While most essential oils don’t conflict with medications, some can make certain medications work even better, or can cause reactions so if your child is taking medications, you will want to see what you can do about finding a medical professional with experience in aromatherapy. Alternatively, you can experiment on your own but make sure you start slow and pay attention to any abnormal rashes, sickness etc your child gets.
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Do you have any pets? Most of the right kind of pure therapeutic essential oils are fine around pets, however, some should never be given to pets or put on them, so if you have pets, you will need to educate yourself about their usage with animals. You also will need to train your children to understand essential oils and pets, so they don’t give your cat or dog something they shouldn’t have.
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How do you want to start using essential oils with your children? I recommend starting with a diffuser. This is the method least likely to cause any kind of a reaction plus it’s a great way to replace the toxic chemicals in things like candles, and room sprays. Diffusers can be found for less than $30 for a good one and then you just add water plus 3-6 drops of essential oil so a little can go a long way.
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What kinds of house cleaners are you using? Many of these have toxins that can cause health issues including asthma and allergies. In most cases, you can make or buy essential oil-based cleaners that you can use to replace these toxic chemical-based cleaners. If you are going to get serious about using essential oils with your children, then you want to do this too.
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How is the diet of your children? Essential oils are great but they aren’t a quick fix, nor are they a replacement for healthy eating. If your children are only or mostly eating junk or processed food, then you will need to gradually change their diet along with starting to use essential oils or you won’t get the good results you are likely hoping for.
Got any more questions about essential oils? I’m always here for a conversation.
Author: AnnaLaura Brown
Check out her podcast, free self care journal template, blog, and more. https://linktr.ee/
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