Our love for essential oils is no longer a secret, to anyone! While we did have to put them aside during our pregnancies, we both were very excited to get to use them again with our little ones.
So we did much research and a lot of reading on the internet, and no surprises there, essential oils are not recommended when pregnant, or breastfeeding or to use with young children. Why is this? Because essential oils are actually quite strong, therefore they must be used with caution and only when recommended by a professional, as with any medication. While we understand that essential oils smell lovely, it is incredibly important for you to know what you are doing before you start using them for all kinds of homemade remedies. Plus, they've never been tested on pregnant women, so we cannot know whether they are safe or not. Without a test, there is no confirmation!
So while we questioned the safety of essential oils in our homes, we dared to question all the over the counter medicine that a lot of us use without even thinking twice about them. They are all such a "normal" part of what is available, that we don't even question their long-term side effects.
After reading all the contradictory information on essential oils, we decided to go visit our go-to place for oils: Hunzaroma. We found out that they offer an aromatherapy class lead by Marise Pitre, who is a mother and aromatherapy specialist there. She confirmed that she had used essential oils to heal her children (who are now older) for years. But if you are no specialist on the matter, please make sure you research and ask a qualified person beforehand ;).
We learned many things there and left the class with all kinds of children-safe recipes to use, which were tested and approved by the Aromatherapy Science Institute. They range from recipes to soothe small aches most babies and small children often have, to potions and creams made in class with Marise.
So here are a few of those recipes.
First off, always remember that you must dilute the essential oil because it can dry up the skin. So go ahead and dilute it with the olive oil you've already got in your pantry. The ratio depends on your child's age, as well as what it is you want to achieve with it.
Here are the few essentials to have at home for your little ones:
Lavender: Soothing, keeps lice at bay, antiseptic, and helps with colic's when diluted in oil and massaged onto the baby's abdomen.
Noble chamomile: Quite expensive, but babies respond well to it. It is a soft, anti-inflammatory and soothing oil. You can diffuse it or massage your baby with it before bedtime. You can also dilute it with Millepertuis to soothe their gums when those teeth come in (see recipe below)
Ravintsara: This is a fantastic aerial antiseptic! So when that stomach bug hits home, diffuse it to start that fight going! It's also a stimulator for your immune system, which means it will kick-start things to help fight off viruses and bacteria. It should be noted that it contains eucalyptol, which can dry up your respiratory track. Therefore it should not be diffused around asthmatic people. It's a very effective anti-mucolytic, so use it to open up those bronchi, to push through that mucus when coughing fits appear. This is a great oil for cold & flu season!
Teething drops: soothes teething pains
We've all been there!
- 25 drops of Noble Chamomile essential oil
- 15 ml of Millepertuis (which is an analgesic)
Mix up both ingredients in a bottle or vial, then add 2 drops to your finger and then rub your baby's gums gently. Repeat once or twice at a 5 minutes interval, and repeat 2 or 3 times a day.
Bedtime oil
While this oil will not make your baby magically sleep through the night immediately, (haha, we wish!), it will help soothe and calm him/her before bed. We've personally started massaging them with it during their bedtime routines.
- 4 ml of Mandarine essential oil
- 3 ml of True Lavender essential oil
- 2 ml of Noble Chamomile essential oil
- 6 ml of olive oil
Mix all the ingredient and add 5 drops of it onto your child's solar plexus, or rub along his/her spine before bed.
*If you are using this on a newborn (3 weeks to 3 months) you will need to dilute it more by adding another 10ml of olive oil to your mix.
Here is the recipe to diffuse in a diffuser for 15-20 minutes before bedtime, which creates a relaxing and soothing ambiance before going to bed.
- 10 drops of mandarin essential oil
- 10 drops of Noble Chamomille
- 10 drops of True Lavender
Also great when needed for insomnia, as adults!
Mosquito repellant
- 20 gr of Aloe gel
- 10 gr of black spruce, or fir (or water)
- 20 gr of plant-based oil (sweet almond, olive etc.)
- 60 drops of lemon-eucalyptus essential oil
- 40 drops of Palmarosa essential oil
- 25 drops of Geranium essential oil
Mix all the ingredients in a spray bottle. This recipe can also soothe or stop the itching from any bites.
This is a must for all your upcoming camping trips, or walks in nature!
Once again, we do encourage you to seek a professional opinion when it comes to treating your babies and children with anything related to essential oils. But now, we now that it's entirely possible to treat small aches and viruses such as the stomach bug, coughs, colds, lice, sore throats etc. with them. We've both started using them with our little ones since they were 3 months old.
To get all the information, we highly recommend the aromatherapy class offered at Hunzaroma! It's very well planned out and thoroughly explained, plus, you'll be leaving with what you created in class!
Also, they're offering 20% off (on oils and hydrolat ) to anybody who mentions Dans le Sac in store until September 9th ;)! It's the perfect time to start stocking up and try out our recipes!
