Essential Oils and Children

+ Photo does not include all suggested oils

As a mother, I am always worried about my boys’ physical health and emotional development. My husband and I spent many sleepless nights struggling to remedy aliments with ineffective treatments. I wish that someone had talked to me about oils sooner. We experienced sleep issues, colic, diaper rash, reflux, baby acne, cradle cap, and hand, foot, mouth disease. Those are just the issues we dealt with in the infant stages. Like every kid, once they started going to daycare and school they were exposed to other bacteria, fungi, and viruses. As their immune systems adjusted to these new pathogens they got sick and I did not have effective forms of treatment available.

Physical health is not my only concern. Mental and emotional health are always in the front of my mind because mental health disorders run in my family. That is an extreme example of what parents have to deal with though. Every parent, regardless of genetics, deals with temper tantrums, sadness, emotional upset, hyperactivity, and stress with their kids.

The good news is, essential oils are versatile and very gentle and therefore, can be used on children of all ages. See dilution chart below for young children. My kids love using the oils and I take it as an opportunity to teach them about self-care. 

Here are some suggestions on oils that you can use on your kiddos. Also check out the doTERRA Science Blog post about kids and oils (link below).

Single Oils

-  Lavender: all things calming (most used oil for children), soothes skin irritations

- Wild Orange: calming/uplifting, digestive support, sedative

- Frankincense: supports brain, mood, and wound healing*, grounding, balance mood

- Roman Chamomile: supports sense of calm and relaxation, sedative, diffuses negative thoughts/moods*
- Melalueca: cleanses skin and nails

Blends

- Serenity (Calming Blend): supports sense of peace and calm, lessens feelings of tension

- Balance (Grounding Blend): supports feeling grounded and stable

- DigestZen (Digestive Blend): supports digestion and elimination

- OnGuard (Protective Blend): boosts immune system*, natural anti-oxidant*

- InTune (Focus Blend): supports optimal focus and concentration
- Breathe (Respiratory Blend): maintains feeling of clear airways, minimizes effects of seasonal threats

Supplements

-          a2z Children's Chewable: food based vitamins and minerals

-          IQ Mega: liquid omega-3 supplement flavor with orange essential oil

Usage Tips

Children love to explore and learn and are naturally curious. This is a great opportunity to involve them in your use of essential oil and have them help you make personalized roller bottles for them. Allow them to smell the oils to build a sense of safety and tell them what the oil is used for. You will create a love of oils for them too!

-          Aromatic: Use oils at bedtime with a diffuser or smell the oils directly from a bottle. Older kids can have roller bottles in their backpack that they can use during the day to help them maintain focus and concentration.

-          Topical: When topically using oil on younger children (infants and toddlers), you always want to dilute them with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut or almond oil and massage on back, stomach, or feet. With older child, you can apply oils directly onto their skin (NEAT), but you want to limit it to one or two drops. If they have any kind of skin reaction, then dilute the oils as necessary. See chart below for dilution recommendations.

Links:
Learn about more uses for the oils here
doTERRA Science Blog Article: Essential Oils and Kids
Purchase Essential Oils here

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

"Back to Basics" - Top Ten doTERRA Oil Blends - Citrus Bliss

This is day 16 of my "Back to Basics" series and the third post on mood oils.

Citrus Bliss (Invigorating) Blend

This is such a great mood lifting blend! I love the combination of oils included in this blend, which are wild orange, lemon, grapefruit, mandarin, bergamot, tangerine, clementine, and vanilla. Whenever you feel down, unmotivated, or mentally sluggish, this is the oil blend to reach for. Not only does it cleanse and purify the air, it also reduces stress, and positively affects your mood! You can read more about how to make over your mood with essential oils in the doTERRA article that is linked below.

My favorite way to use this oil is in a diffuser (sometimes with peppermint). You can also use this oil as a perfume by applying to wrists and neck. To freshen laundry, add a couple of drops of oil to dryer balls (I buy mine on Amazon) and add to laundry in the dry cycle. This is really a life saver oil when I am feeling down, depressed, unmotivated, or lonely. I find it extremely helpful to diffuser this oil in my bathroom in the morning when I am getting ready for the day. It puts me in a great mood and changes my outlook.

This blend can be used aromatically and topically, but NEVER internally. It can also be applied beat, but may need to be diluted for individuals with sensitive skin. This blend contains oils that are sensitive to UV rays. See disclaimer below.

Links:
doTERRA Product Page: Citrus Bliss
doTERRA Blog: Make Over Your Mood with doTERRA Essential Oils
Buy Citrus Bliss here

CAUTIONS: Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas. Avoid sunlight or UV rays for up to 12 hours after applying product.

"Back to Basics" - Top Ten doTERRA Oil Blends - OnGuard

Today is day 12 of my "Back to Basics" series.





















On Guard (Protective) Blend

I know yesterday I said that Breathe was one of my favorite oil blends, which is true, but On Guard is my ABSOLUTE favorite! I love how is smells when we diffuse it. This blend contains clove, cinnamon, rosemary, wild orange, and eucalyptus (a species that can be taken internally, unlike the single oil). As I mentioned in my post last week, Clove oil scores the highest on the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scale.* This scale measures the time and degree of free radical inhibition, which means this blend is PACKED full of antioxidants!*

This oil blend supports a healthy immune system,* provides a natural source of antioxidants,* promotes healthy circulation,* and provides an uplifting aroma. You can take this oil internally in an empty veggie capsule, as a "shot" in a tablespoon of water, in softgel form, or in beadlet form. Lastly, it can be used in an all-purpose cleaner (recipe in links below).

In my house, we use this blend aromatically, topically, and internally. I diffuse it just about every day because both my kids are in school and they bring home all sorts of germs! The chemical components of the various oils in this blend help to cleanse the air. Topically, I add a drop of oil to my toothbrush both day and night to maintain a healthy immune system* (a lot of which starts in your mouth and gut). I also make hand sanitizer for my dad to take to work and the main ingredient is On Guard. Whenever I need an immediate immune boost, I add one drop of On Guard to a tablespoon of water, gargle it for as long as I can and then swallow it.* I will also mix it with a carrier oil and apply to my kiddo's feet and necks when they need an immune boost.*



Like the Breathe collection, there are multiple doTERRA products that contain On Guard. First, of course, you have the oil itself, which is incredibly versatile. There are also softgels and beadlets, which are for oral (internal) use. You also have household cleaners such as a foaming hand wash, a concentrated cleaner, and a laundry detergent (LOVE). Lastly, there are throats drops and toothpaste.

On Guard Collection

When using On Guard topically, be sure to always dilute, especially when using on children.

Links:

doTERRA Product Page: On Guard
doTERRA Blog: DIY Cleansing Wipes with doTERRA On Guard Essential Oil
doTERRA Blog: DIY: On Guard Hand Cleansing Spray
doTERRA Blog: DIY: Make Your Own On Guard Hand Cleanser
doTERRA Blog: DIY: All Purpose Spray (MY FAVORITE!)
Buy On Guard here

Research:

Bentayeb, K., Vera, P., Rubio, C., & Nerin, C. (2014). The additive properties of Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay: The case of essential oils. Food Chemistry, 148, 204 - 208. doi10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.10.037


BioSource Naturals. (n.d.). ORAC scale - A measurement of antioxidant capacity by the USDA and Tufts University. Retrieved on February 4, 2016 from http://biosourcenaturals.com/orac-value-of-essential-oils.htm

CAUTIONS: Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas. 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

"Back to Basics" - Top Ten Single Oils - Wild Orange

This is day 7 of my "Back to Basics" series.



Wild Orange

This is one of my favorite single oils. The main chemical component in orange is Limonene. It is also very high in monoterpenes, which gives this oil an energizing aroma. doTERRA's oranges are sourced from the Dominican Republic and the oil is extracted from the rinds (peel) through the cold press technique. The scientific name for wild orange is Citrus sinensis.

Wild orange is a power cleaning and purifying oil that provides protection from seasonal and environment threats and is very high in antioxidants.* Like most citrus oils, orange is also incredibly effective at uplifting one's mood.* This oil is commonly used in cleaning recipes, as a flavor enhancer in water and foods, in a diffuser to uplift moods and purify air, and when combined with other oils, it can provide a mid-day mental pick me up.

I use this oil in my house every day. Here is a list of ways we use it:

1. Diffuse with lavender at night to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.*
2. Add to a roller bottle with lavender and fractioned coconut oil (FCO) and apply to bottoms of feet, wrists, and back of neck for relaxation and reduced anxiety* before bed or as needed throughout the day.
3. Combine with peppermint oil either in a diffuser or in your hands (rub palms together and inhale aroma and rub on the back of your neck) for a mid-day mental pick me up.
4. In my homemade lip balm recipe from doTERRA (link below).

Health concerns:*

Anxiety: Healthy male subjects displayed reduced anxiety after five minutes of inhalation of orange essential oil compared to the inhalation of melaleuca essential oil or distilled water when submitted to an anxiety inducing situations (Goes et al., 2012).

Links:
doTERRA Product Page: Wild Orange
doTERRA Blog: Orange Creamsicle Lip Balm
Buy Wild Orange: here

Research:
Aroma Tools. (2015). Modern essentials: A contemporary guide to the therapeutic use of essential oils (7th ed.). Pleasant Grove, UT: AromaTools.

Dornelas, M. C., & Massafera, P. (2007). A genomic approach to characterization of the Citrus terpene synthase gene family. Genetics and Molecular Biology, 30(3), 832 - 840. doi:10.1590/S1415-4757200700005000011

Goes, T. C., Antunes, F. D., Alves, P. B., & Teixeira-Silva, F. (2012). Effect of sweet orange aroma on experimental anxiety in humans. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(8), 798 - 804. doi:10.1089/acm.2011.0551

Kamal, G. M., Ashraf, M. Y., Hussain A. I., Shahzadi, A., & Chughtai, M. I. (2013). Antioxidant potential of peel essential oils of three Pakistani citrus species: Citrus reticulata, Citrus sinensis and Citrus paradisii. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 45(4), 1449 - 1454. Retrieved from http://www.pakbs.org/pjbot/PDFs/45(4)/48.pdf

Zhang, Z., Chen, H., Chan, K. K., Budd, T., & Ganapathi, R. (1999). Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of perillyl alcohol and metabolites in plasma. Journal of Chromatography B: Biomedical Sciences and Applications, 728(1), 85 -95. doi:10.1016/S0378-4347(99)00065-1

CAUTIONS: Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas. Avoid sunlight or UV rays for up to 12 hours after applying product.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Thursday Oil Focus - Wild Orange

 
 
 


doTERRA's Wild Orange essential oil is sourced from the Dominican Republic. The oil is collected from the orange peel, or rind, through the cold press method. In simple terms, cold pressing is similar to juicing. High pressure is used to extract the oil from the rind, but the cold press method does not add heat during compression.

This essential oil is high in antioxidants, which helps in fighting free radicals in the body. I also explained in my Sunday post that Wild Orange contain Linalool, which aids in the secretion of "happy" neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters energize and uplift the body and mind. The primary benefits of Wild Orange are uplifting the mind and body, provide antioxidants, and cleaning and purifying.

My favorite way to use this oil is to add equal amounts of Wild Orange and Lavender oil to the diffuser to help ease tension and calming the body. You can also mix equal amounts of Wild Orange and Peppermint oil to the diffuser or a roller bottle with coconut oil to give you an energizing boost. Lastly, add a few drops to your morning water to jump start your metabolism and provide a refreshing drink.

References:

doTERRA International. (2012). Wild orange: Product information page. Retrieved from http://www.doterrauniversity.com/#/us/en/living/products/singleoils/Wild_Orange/presentations

Links:
Buy essential oils here

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