Using Essential Oils Safely with Young Children
Essential oil safety is an important topic to know and understand well if you’re interested in using aromatherapy in your home around children. More and more people are working with essential oils as a natural wellness choice, and for good reason: They work.
However, essential oils are powerful. These beautiful smelling concentrated volatile oils from various plants and plant parts can be extremely helpful, but keep in mind that the organ systems and immune system of young children aren’t fully developed. They’re also much smaller humans! And weight matters. Thus, they’re more susceptible to potential adverse risks with essential oil use than adults are.
There’s a great deal of debate about using certain essential oils around children. These discussions center around the essential oils that contain high levels of menthol (peppermint and other mints), camphor (rosemary), 1-8, cineole (eucalyptus), and others. I’ve heard some experienced aromatherapists say it’s fine to diffuse these in large rooms where the child is away from the diffuser. I’ve heard other aromatherapists say unequivocally not to diffuse them with children under certain ages ranging from age 2 to age 10, depending on the aromatherapist and the essential oil.
Even though there will always be debate in the herbal and aromatic worlds, it’s a great idea to err on the side of caution, start with smaller amounts (titrate the dosing and dilution), and make adjustments accordingly. In herbalism, the dose determines the toxicity, and the same applies in the aromatic world with dilution and diffusion.
FTC Disclosure: There may be affiliate links in this article. If so, if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a very small commission at no extra cost to you.
You’ll love this free guide on using essential oils for calm and peace. Great resource for kids, too!
HYDROSOLS
When in doubt, use hydrosols. Hydrosols are the liquid by-product from the essential oil steam distillation process, and they smell amazing on their own. They’re also still quite therapeutic, especially with young children as old as five and definitely younger than 2 years. You should ease into essential oil use with young children slowly, and hydrosols are the perfect way to do this
Let’s consider what an essential oil actually is. Essential oils are the volatile oils of the plant made up of two groups of chemicals called terpenes and phenylpropanoids (Source). They contain only these chemicals and no water, no plant fiber, and no other plant parts or chemical groups. This is why essential oils are so wonderfully potent and deserve the respect of cautionary use with the very young and the very old.
You might also hear hydrosols being referred to as the aromatic waters or the floral waters of the plant. If you choose to distill your own hydrosol at home with fresh plants, you’ll want to shake it well before use because there will still be a very tiny amount of essential oil left in the fluid.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LATIN NAMES:
One item of importance when you’re making decisions about which essential oils to use is to understand and know Latin names. I’ll use eucalyptus as an example.
I’ve heard the blanket statement, “Eucalyptus isn’t safe for kids” so many times. Let’s take a look.
There are MANY species of eucalyptus, and most of them are high in compounds that make some of them unsuitable for young children.
However, there are a couple of eucalyptus species which are fine, even with very young children. So, while the most common form of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) is NOT safe near the noses or chest of children under 10, Eucalyptus dives and E. citriodora are generally fine for children over the age of 2, which gives you some options if you want to try Eucalyptus.
This is the importance of understanding Latin names with your medicinal herbs and essential oils.
DIFFUSING ESSENTIAL OILS WITH CHILDREN:
Diffusion is the safest method of application for essential oil use. With that said, care should still be taken. If you’re diffusing essential oils, even with safe ones, be sure not to diffuse for long periods of time and know that intermittent use is generally a good idea. Also, use your common sense. Don’t diffuse near the faces or cribs of babies, toddlers, children, or even adults.
Here are some essential oils that need extra caution with diffusion:
Peppermint and other essential oils high in menthol whouldn’t be diffused or applied near the nose of children under age six.
Eucalyptus and other essential oils high in 1-8, cineole should be avoided with children under the age of 10, and the same with oils high in camphor.
NOTE: An essential oil like rosemary is generally just fine to diffuse. However, some plants distilled for essential oil are higher in some chemicals, and this is where we get the term, “chemotype” from. Rosemary is one of these plants, and can have a wide range of different chemotypes. One of these is ct (chemotype) camphor. I would put rosemary ct. camphor in the category of not to be used under the age of two.
As a parent or grand parent, always be sure to be watching the children. If you see signs of slowed respiration or other indication of physiological stress, then turn off the diffuser immediately and get the child into some fresh air. Diffusers should NOT be running constantly either. My general rule of thumb is 30 minutes on, and an hour or so off, depending on the need.
Interested in herbalism and aromatherapy? This five day email course will bring you up to speed on important herbal and aromatic foundations and get you started making home remedies today! Click here! **Short on time? You can save the emails for later!
TOPICAL USE OF ESSENTIAL OILS ON CHILDREN:
The younger the child, the more sensitive their skin and also the thinner it is. This also goes for elderly people.
Personally, I don’t recommend ever using essential oils topically on infants under the age of 2 unless absolutely necessary and you’ve checked in with a trained aromatherapist. Hydrosols (the by-products of the steam distillation process) are much gentler and also still effective.
For children under 2, I say proceed with caution with your essential oils. A common safety guideline is to use a small amount of essential oil diluted in a carrier oil. Using child-safe essential oils only, the dilution should generally be 0.25%, which means just 1 drop of essential oil in 4 teaspoons of carrier oil, such as olive oil.
Some people believe that “neat” use (without dilution) of essential oils are fine, and I’m here to tell you as an experienced aromatherapist that dilution in a carrier oil, no matter the age of the human, is WAY more effective than neat use. This is because the carrier oil adheres to the skin, allowing the essential oil to have the opportunity to be absorbed much more easily as opposed to just evaporating into the atmosphere.
Yet another argument for dilution is that the essential oils are oil soluble, and therefore dispersed well into the carrier oil. This once again reduces the loss of the essential oil into the air and enhances absorption.
Finally, dilution is far better in a carrier oil because it greatly reduces the chance of sensitization and other adverse or dangerous skin reactions.
My favorite carrier oils for young children as well as adults and animals include jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, and fractionated coconut oil.
You would want to choose topical use for things like rashes, bruises, minor cuts and scrapes, bug bites and other itchy conditions, and itching from eczema and dermatitis.
NOTE: One of the reasons I just love hydrosols is that they smell great and can be misted gently on skin, perfect for little ones.
The following essential oils should be AVOIDED on or around young children. They contain certain compounds such as aldehydes and others that are just very harsh. Especially when there are gentler options available, always go with the least invasive and potentially damaging choice no matter who you’re working with.
Even young children can learn to be responsible with safe essential oils.
ESSENTIAL OILS TO AVOID WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
First, this list is for children 2 and up. Once again, please defer to hydrosols for toddlers and infants.
Second, this is not an extensive list! These are the most common essential oils available, though, so be sure to ALWAYS do further research before using essential oils not listed here.
Anise (Pimpinella anisum and Illicium verum): Not for topical use or diffusion on children under 5 years. Anise should also not be used during pregnancy or nursing.
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): This lovely spice oil is rather high in 1,8-cineole, thereby deserving of caution for children under 10 years near the face.
Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum aromaticum): Not for topical use with children under 2.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)—LEAF: Topical use over two years is fine. Be sure to keep the dilution to 0.6% or much less for little ones. BARK: Do not use the bark essential oil on children because it’s sensitizing and “hot.”
Clove Bud, Clove Leaf, and Clove Stem (Syzygium aromaticum, Eugenia caryophyllata, E. aromatica): No topical use under the age of 2. Diffusion is fine.
Eucalyptus (E. globulus, E. maidenii, E. plenissima, E. polybractea, E. radiata, E. smithii and some others): Avoid diffusing under the age of 10. Avoid topical use under the age of 10, especially near the nose and chest.
NOTE: Eucalytpus dives is an option for children 6 and older. Plant Therapy has an excellent Kidsafe line and E. dives is one of their singles with this designation.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare): Avoid using with children under 5
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp): Avoid using with children under 2.
Niaouli (Melaleuca quinquinervia) the cineole chemotype only: Avoid using with children under 5
Wintergreen (Gaultheria fragrantissima, G. procumbens): For the same reasons as birch above, wintergreen should be avoided with kids under the age of 12. In fact I prefer over post-puberty.
Even though there are a few more that are considered unsafe for children, these are the most common ones I get asked about. There are others, so once again, be sure to always double check and do further research if you’re not sure.
LIST OF SAFE ESSENTIAL OILS TO USE WITH CHILDREN
Now, let’s look at a nice LONG list of essential oils that are considered safe for children, and again, this is NOT an exhaustive list. There are many more.
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Be sure to stay under 0.4% in the blend due to it being highly phototoxic if used topically, and this goes for everyone, not just kids, and see below for more information on phototoxicity.
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum)
Cedarwood (Cedrus spp and Juniperus virginiana)
Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)
Copaiba; also Balsam Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis)
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
Frankincense (Boswellia spp)
German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisii)
Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis)
Helichrysum (Helichrysim italicum)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Mandarin/Tangerine (Citrus reticulata)
Neroli (Citrus aurantium v. amara)
Palmarosa (Cymbopoton martinii)
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium)
Pines and most evergreens (NOTE: Ponderosa pine—Pinus ponderosa—should be avoided with children due to the estragole content)
Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
Sandalwood (Santalum album)
Siberian fir and other firs are generally fine (Abies spp)
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
Spruces (Picea spp)
Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)
Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides)
And there are many others safe for kids.
I mentioned phototoxicity above with bergamot. I figured I should probably dive into this topic a little more:
PHOTOTOXIC OILS AND SAFE DILUTIONS
Phototoxicity is the rate that an essential oil or other compound can cause a reaction on the skin that’s been exposed to the sun or other UV rays, such as tanning beds. Hopefully you don’t have your kids in a tanning bed, though!
Potential reactions might include rashes, minor to severe sunburn, blistering and even scarring, changes in skin color including darkening, and swelling. Truly, these are all painful and the phototoxic oils deserve a higher level of respect!
The following list are child-safe essential oils that do have a danger of a phototoxic reaction. And remember, children’s skin is much more tender than adults.
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia): Use only 1 drop per ounce or 0.4% or less in the total blend for safety.
Lime (Citrus aurantifolia), cold-pressed (steam distilled is not phototoxic): Use 4 drops per ounce of carrier oil or no more than a dilution of 0.7% in the total blend.
Orange, bitter (Citrus x aurantium var amara): Maximum dilution is 1.25%, total in the blend. Use up to 8 drops safely in one ounce of carrier. NOTE: Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is not phototoxic.
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisii) is mildly phototoxic, with a maximum dilution total blend of 4%. This is 24 drops in one ounce of carrier.
Final Thoughts on Essential Oil Safety and Children
I realize that there is a reason for caution when using essential oils safely with children, but there’s truly no need for hysteria. Just have your list of safe essential oils, and if there’s an oil you’d like to experiment with, just do some further research on it.
To recap a bit of the chemistry, there are some chemicals that we need to be careful with around children. Primarily (and again not exhaustively) these include cineole, menthol, camphor, and the salicylates. Other chemicals may make an oil “hot” so take care with these, too.
Stick with those essential oils that are gentle and wonderful for kids, and refer to the safe list! Great starters are lemon, lavender, and spearmint.
Regarding internal use: Please do not use essential oils internally with kids or adults unless you’ve consulted your medical doctor or a level 2 or above trained aromatherapist certified in internal use.
Have fun with your essential oils, and know they can be so helpful with all ages!
Hugs, Health, and Herbs,
Heidi
P.S. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and share my site with friends!
Here I am smelling an evergreen hydrosol…..SO beautiful!