Essential oils are a wonderful home remedy for soothing a mood or creating a mood. This is great news for parents of a baby that's finding it hard to settle!
Essential oils can help a baby to feel more calm and better able to sleep.
When my son was younger I loved using a sleep-inducing blend of essential oils to scent his room and help him get to sleep.
I found that using the right essential oils with an aroma diffuser displaying a soft, warm nightlight was a magical combination.
Giving a gentle massage before bed is also really helpful when getting your young one to settle in for a sleep.
If your child is over 12 months old you can make a calming scented massage oil by blending one drop of essential oil (see list below) to 4 mls of carrier oil.
However if your child is below 12 months old just use a carrier oil because essential oils are not recommended for babies below a year old. Their skin is far too sensitive for the potency of essential oils.
The best way to massage your baby, according to the Tresillian organisation, is to use gentle, smooth rhythmic strokes starting from the neck and working down the body, maintaining skin contact at all times throughout the massage.
It's also really important to monitor your baby throughout the massage for any signs of discomfort (in which case stop the massage).
How to safely use essential oils with children
When using essential oils with young children or babies, special care must be taken to remove the risk of harm. Some essential oils cause skin irritations and can be poisonous if ingested.
How to reduce the risk of harm when using essential oils around children
- Properly store your oils away from light and out of the reach of children.
- Follow the guidelines on the bottle of essential oils. If it suggests 4 drops of oil for use in a diffuser then do not use more. Not only will it be a waste of oil but may be harmful.
- Do not use aroma diffusers around children who have asthma or who have a family history of asthma.
- Do not apply undiluted essential oils directly onto skin.
- If adding essential oils to child’s bath, make sure you dilute it first with carrier oil, otherwise you could irritate the child’s skin.
- Essential oils should never be ingested. They are highly concentrated and can be toxic if swallowed.
Some good essential oils to use with children
- Lavender oil has soothing and relaxing properties and is a great oil for stress relief and to treat sleeplessness. Studies also suggest that the smell of Lavender essential oil can help reduce the feeling of pain in babies.
- Roman Chamomile is a gentle essential oil with calming and comforting properties.
- Rose essential oil harmonises and can help to reduce anxiety and anger.
- Frankincense is a relaxing essential oil which can help soothe fear and anxiety.
- Sandalwood essential oil is calming and harmonising.
- Baby Calm Essential Oil Blend is a mix of Roman Chamomile, French Lavender and Rose. It’s a beautiful oil to use with young children to help create a more restful environment and aid sleep. This baby friendly essential oil blend is available on its own or together with the white ceramic diffuser.