Essential oils for children – yes or no?

Essential oils are a popular alternative to conventional medicines when you first start to feel a cold, such as a runny nose, cough, and hoarseness. While they are generally unproblematic and helpful for adults, essential oils can be irritating to the sensitive nerve cells or respiratory tract of babies and children. For this reason, undiluted essential oils are not suitable for babies and children under three years of age. In this article, you will learn what parents should look out for when using them in the first few years of life.

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What are essential oils?

Essential oils are highly concentrated, volatile substances that are obtained in nature from various parts of plants such as flowers, leaves, bark, roots or fruits. Alternatively, they can also be made from synthetic flavorings. These oils contain the characteristic scents of the plants, which not only give them their typical smell, but also have a variety of effects.

The ingredients of essential oils can be absorbed by rubbing them into the skin, through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract or by taking them orally through the gastrointestinal tract, where they enter the bloodstream and have systemic effects. Essential oils are also perceived through the sense of smell. The scent molecules enter the nasal mucosa and send signals to the brain. These signals can influence emotions and moods and thus play an important role in aromatherapy.

Essential oils are extremely versatile in their application:

• As a soothing aromatherapy or as an aroma bath for cold symptoms
• For room fragrance and use in the wellness area
• For external use on the skin to develop anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties
• As an internal application to stimulate appetite and digestion
• For cleaning and disinfection in the home thanks to antimicrobial properties

Essential oils are available in both highly diluted and undiluted forms. However, due to their high concentration, caution is advised: dilution is often necessary to avoid skin irritation or other side effects.

Aromatherapy in the first years of life

Very important: Undiluted essential oils are not suitable for babies and small children under 3 years of age ! Due to the high content of monoterpenes, even the smallest amounts can lead to life-threatening spasms of the larynx and breathing problems. Other possible side effects are skin and mucous membrane irritation, tiredness, nausea and vomiting, tremors, movement disorders and in severe cases even seizures.

For children aged 3 and over, undiluted essential oils can be used in small or highly diluted amounts after consultation with a doctor or advice from a pharmacy. Essential oils should generally not be used on children with asthma, whooping cough or pneumonia due to the strain on their airways.

Diluted and essential oils, which have been incorporated into creams or ointments, for example, can be used in small quantities if skin tolerance is assured. Be sure to test beforehand whether your child tolerates the product by applying it to a small area of ​​skin. In this case, aroma care products such as our thyme balm can be a practical helper during the cold season.

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Summary

1. The use of essential oils is not recommended in the first few years of life. After that, test the skin's tolerance first and start with small amounts.
2. Make sure that it does not contain any strong oils such as camphor and follow the prescribed dilution instructions.
3. Avoid applying directly to the face or to very sensitive skin.
4. To be safe, keep products containing essential oils out of the reach of children.
5. Call emergency services immediately if your child experiences acute symptoms such as shortness of breath, cramps or changes in consciousness after contact with essential oils.