What I’m about to discuss is not anecdotal evidence from years of experience using essential oils safely for children. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a research-driven practitioner, so my dive into essential oils has not been without hours of reading about the chemical structures and constituents of essentials oils. I know that people have been using essential oils safely for children in much more liberal ways than what I’m about to present. But this summary is for those who are just getting started (like myself) and want to follow the textbook version of toxicological and biochemical evidence for using essential oils safely for children.
My interest in using essential oils safely for children is for therapeutic use for my daughter with cystic fibrosis. There are a number of CF families using essential oils in a variety of ways and everyone seems to have a differing opinion about the safety profile of certain oils for young children. I therefore thought it would be helpful for other beginners to know about the research in order to form their own opinions about using essential oils safely for children.
Reason for Concern
When you look at the constituents for any essential oil, you’ll quickly see that you’re dealing with bioactive chemicals. These chemicals are not unlike drugs in that they interact with the body in different ways to elicit some type of result. For example, distilled lemon essential oil contains limonene, gamma-terpinene, beta-pinene, sabinene, citral and beta-bisabolene. See what I mean? You’re dealing with chemicals.
Some of the chemicals that are present in select essential oils can have a number of undesirable side effects, including:
- Photosensitization – oils such as citrus oils contain furanocoumarins (FCs), which can react with the skin in the presence of UV light.
- Neurotoxins – there are a number of a neurotoxic constituents that can lead to a variety of responses, including seizures. For example, oils containing thujone or camphor (Spike lavender, hyssop, sage, ho leaf, etc.) should be used with caution in children.
- Carcinogens – some alkenylbenzenes can undergo metabolism to form carcinogenic compounds in rodents. Other animal studies demonstrate similar results for other constituents.
- Termination of Pregnancy – emmonogogic (promote menstrual bleeding) constituents could lead to miscarriage.
Don’t Be Scared, Just Be Smart
Yes, there is reason for concern, but this shouldn’t deter you from using essentials oils. Many of the toxicological studies looking at negative side effects of essential oils are conducted on animals, which aren’t always transferable to humans. Animal studies are the best we can do in many instances, because you’re just not going to find people willing to expose themselves to high doses of chemicals for the sake of science.
The other important fact to consider when looking at this list of potential side effects is that these studies are often performed at relatively high doses. So, as long as you’re using an essential oil as instructed, you wouldn’t expect to suffer any of the above affects. With that said, a child’s body is MUCH smaller than an adults, they have quicker metabolism and their detoxification mechanisms aren’t fully developed. This means toxicity is MORE likely in a small child. Children are also curious and put everything in their mouths up to a certain age. Most essential oil fatalities occur when infants and toddlers accidentally ingest essential oils.
So, what can you do to be safe?
- Do not store essential oils within a child’s reach.
- Do no allow children to handle undiluted oils.
- Don’t assume something is safe just because someone else is doing it… do some research.
- Know which oils are in your blends and whether each of the ingredients are safe for children.
- Always dilute an essential oil before using it on a child.
- Remember that less is best; err on the side of caution.
Oils Unsafe for Children
There is much controversy as to which oils are safe for children and many people are using them much more liberally than myself. There’s no issue with using oils more liberally, but you want to do your research and feel confident in your decision. Again, I’m just introducing the topic of using essential oils safely in children for those like myself who feel a little overwhelmed by all of the new information. For me, I’ve decided that using essential oils safely for children means following the toxicological recommendations and completely avoiding the following oils for kids under 5 years of age:
- Blue spruce
- Fennel
- Lavandin
- Spanish Sage
These recommendations are based on the fact that certain constituents are considered to be potentially harmful for children. In general, the constituents to avoid in young children include:
- 1,8-cineole (above 50%) – Eucalyptus, cajuput, sage, niaouli, cardamon, rosemary, spike lavender, etc.
- Camphor (above 20%) – Ho leaf, wormwood, basil, thujone, sage, etc.
- Menthol (above 25%) – Peppermint, other mints, basil, etc.
- Thujone (no percentage indicated) – western red cedar, genipi, wormwood, thuja, sage, etc.
- Methyl Salicylate (no percentage indicated) – wintergreen, birch, ylang-ylang, etc.
How Do You Know Which Oils Contain These Constituents and In What Percentages?
You look it up. I have additional resources listed below, but one of the main reasons I decided to purchase from Aromatics International and Pompeii Organics is that the chemical constituents of each oil are clearly listed on their web page. The exact percentages of these constituents will change for every batch of oil depending on the growing conditions, when the plant was harvested, where it was grown, etc. So, an oil such as ylang-ylang can contain anywhere from 0-20% of methyl-salicylate. If you happen to buy a batch that is particularly high in methyl salicylate, you might want to be more cautious with using it on your 2 year old. Aromatics International is a particularly helpful site as they’ve also listed safety information for each oil.
Other oils that are controversial and should be researched before using on a young child include:
- Bay Laurel
- Birch
- Cajeput
- Camphor
- Cardamom
- Eucalyptus
- Niaouli
- Nutmeg
- Peppermint
- Ravensara
- Ravintsara
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Spike Lavender
- Wintergreen
Oils Unsafe for Topical Use, but Okay for Diffusing
The following oils are listed by Valerie Ann Wormwood as only to be used in a diffuser for children over the age of 3. These oils are safe for diffusing, but should not be used topically:
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Thyme red
- Citronella
- Bay
- Clove
- Fennel
NOTE: These are by no means exhaustive lists. Do not assume an oil is safe because it is not listed above. This is a select list from some of the most commonly used oils.
Oils Safe for Children
Hydrosols, Hydrolats or Floral Waters (whatever you want to call it)
Water is used during the essential oil distillation process and these oils are infused with the plant essence, and then sold as hydrosols (or hydrolats or floral waters). These aren’t exactly diluted versions of the oil because only the water soluble components of the plant are present in the water. However, hydrosols contain far fewer constituents at far lower concentrations than essential oils and are therefore much safe for use in children. I even listened to a podcast in which an experienced aromatherapist recommended only using hydrosols for children under the age of 1 (see link to podcast below in additional resources).
Hydrosols can be sprayed in rooms, placed on bedding or used as compresses.
Age-Specific Oils
Oils used for children should always be heavily diluted before topical application (more on that later) and very small amounts used for diffusion. Valerie Ann Wormwood has listed the most conservative approach to using essential oils safely for children, so I’ll present her ideas below. Again, not everyone is following this approach and there are much more liberal uses of oils, but this is a great starting point for the beginner:
1-2 Years of age:
- Chamomile (Roman)
- Chamomile (German)
- Lavender
- Mandarin
- Dill
- Neroli
- Tea Tree
- Geranium
- Rose otto
- Palmarosa
- Petitgrain
- Tangerine
2-5 Years of age (all of the above, plus):
- Thyme linalol
- Ginger
- Lemon
- Grapefruit
- Ravensara
- Ormensis flower
- Coriander
- Helichrysum
- Yarrow
6-8 Years of age (all of the above, plus):
- Bergamot
- Marjoram
- Eucalyptus
- Citriodora
- Myrtle
- Pine
- Ho Wood
- Myrrh
- Spikenard
- Orange
Children over 9 Years of age (all of the above, plus):
- Frankincense
- Cypress
- Melissa
- Elemi
- Ylang ylang (some sources say safe for over 2 years of age. My guess is that it depends on the amount of methyl salicilate contained in that particular batch.)
NOTE: These are by no means exhaustive lists. As noted earlier, please do your own research to see what’s best for you and your family.
Dilluting and Using Essential Oils Safely for Children
When using essential oils safely for children, the oils should be diluted before topical application. Oils are diluted by being placed into a carrier oil of some type. A suitable carrier oil could be any of the following:
- Almond oil
- Jojoba oil
- Sunflower oil
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Castor oil
- Any mix of beeswax, shea butter and other unscented lotions
There are a number of methods to use essentials oils include compresses, diffusers, dressings, baths, inhalation, etc. I encourage you to explore all of these methods, but I’m only covering dilutions for diffusers and topically applied lotions or oils.
Topical application
Start with 1 ounce (1 ounce = 2 Tbsp) of carrier oil and add the following number of drops of essential oil:
- 1 – 4 years of age: 1 – 5 drops
- 5-7 years of age: 3 – 6 drops
- 8 – 12 years of age: 5 – 9 drops
- 12 years and above: 5 – 10 drops
It’s hard to remember that sometimes less is best. So, always start with a smaller amount and see if you can elicit the desired response before creating a more concentrated mix.
Diffusion
I ended up purchasing the QUOOZ Lull Ultrasonic Diffuser in blue (it’s super cool looking!), but there are tons of good options out there. Place a small amount of water in the diffuser and use the following number of drops of essential oil.
- Up to 2 years: 1 – 2 drops
- 2 – 5 years: 1 – 3 drops
- 6 – 10 years: 1 – 4 drops
- 11 years and above: 1 – 5 drops
Just as a side note, it makes sense that the number of drops of essential oil you use greatly depends on the size of the room in which you’re diffusing. If I were to place the diffuser in my child’s bedroom with a closed door, I would use lesser amounts. However, I often use our diffuser in the living room which is open to the rest of the house, so I’m a little more liberal.
Where to Buy
I am not affiliated with any essential oil companies, so please enjoy my unbiased opinion. The two most popular brands of essential oils are Young Living and doTERRA. After extensive research and recommendations from others, the only reason I chose not to use these brands is because of the price. If you do choose these brands, I’m sure you’ll be perfectly happy with your choice.
I chose to use one of the top rated brands listed on Lea Harris’ site, Using Essential Oils Safely. The brand is Aromatics International, and they have a great site for learning about essential oil safety and recipes. But, the primary brand I purchased from is lesser known. Their prices were far better than most other top brands, yet they still appear to be a quality supplier – Pompeii Organics.
One of the ways that you can distinguish between a legit essential oil company is by the information provided on their website about the chemical constituents of their products and the source of their plants. Pompeii Organics had equally as much information available as Aromatics International, including MS/GC quality control reports for all oils. I also really like how Aromatics and Pompeii Organics have plainly listed the chemical constituents for each oil on their website. This was particularly important for me since I was comparing the constituents to toxicological data.
Additional Resources
- Lea Harris’ site, Using Essential Oils Safely
- Aromatics International – recipes and safety information
- Aromahead Institute – Free Online Introduction to Oils Class
- Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child – an introductory book for using oils with children. A great book for figuring out what to do when you’re just getting started.
- The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy – Great book with lots of general info. I also like all of the recipes in here, from cleaning products to anti-aging oils.
- Evidence-Based Essential Oil Therapy – this is probably my favorite quick reference for using oils with any member of the family. It offers in-depth evidence, but nothing over your head.
- Essential Oil Safety – This is a heavy duty chemistry book… probably not for everyone, but I love having it for reference and for learning a bit more about essential oil chemistry.
- Aromatic Wisdom Institute Podcast – lots of interesting podcasts, but I’ve linked to the episode about children.
References
Dr. Scott A. Johnson. Evidence-Based Essential Oil Therapy: the ultimate guide to the therapeutic and clinical application of essential oils. Scott A. Johnson Professional Writing Services, 2015.
Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young. Essential Oil Safety, 2nd ed. Elsevier, 2014.
Valerie Ann Worwood. Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child. New World Library. Novato, CA: 2000.
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