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 - Past Tense (Headache Relief)

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

Past Tense (Headache Relief) Blend

Whether it is caused by congestion or a hangover, headaches can be debilitating. The pain and tension associated with headaches can be relieved with this amazing blend of oils which includes wintergreen, lavender, peppermint, frankincense, cilantro, roman chamomile, majoram, and basil.

- Wintergreen, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, and Peppermint have antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties and can ease bone and muscle pain.

- Frankincense (the king of oils) has sedative properties and it often used to reduce inflammation and relieve headaches.

- Cilantro stimulates circulation and eases muscle aches and pains through its anti-inflammatory properties.

Simply apply to your temples, forehead, and back of neck.

Link:
doTERRA Product Page: Past Tense
Buy Past Tense here

"Back to Basics" - Top Ten doTERRA Oil Blends - Immortelle (Anti-Aging Blend)

This is day 18 of my "Back to Basics" series.



Immortelle (Anti-Aging) Blend

This is my favorite blend for skin imperfections! This is called the Anti-Aging blend, but it does not matter what your age is, everyone is susceptible to aging skin. Our lifestyle habits affect how quickly our bodies start showing signs of aging. Factors that affect your skin's condition include nutrition, stress, exercise, sleep, smoking, hydration, and environmental pollution. It is never too late to make lifestyle changes!

Immortelle is a blend that is formulated to protect and nourish your skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. The oils in this blend are rare and are well-known for their renewing properties. The blend includes Frankincense, Hawaiian Sandlewood, Lavender, Myrrh, Helichrysum, and Rose. These oils help reduce inflammation, promote cellular vitality, and protect your skin from UV radiation.

Apply a thin layer to your face, neck, and chest as part of your morning and night facial routine. I also will apply the oil to my "areas of concern" like the fine lines around my eyes and the deep wrinkles in my forehead. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this oil blend!

This oil should only be used topically and use with caution if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Links:
doTERRA Product Page: Immortelle
Buy Immortelle 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. 

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

Today is day 15 of my "Back to Basics" series and the second post highlighting doTERRA's mood oils.

Serenity (Calming) Blend

We live in a GO, GO, GO kind of world and even when we have a few minutes to relax and unwind it seems impossible to really relax. Serenity is a blend that contains many different oils that all promote relaxation and peace. These oils include lavender, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, hawaiian sandlewood, and vanilla. Together they work to create a calming fragrance, promote relaxation and restful sleep, and less tension. Again, to learn about how to make over your mood with essential oils, read the article posted below.

I use this oil every night in my diffuser (along with Breathe). The aromatic properties help me to relax and de-stress before drifting off to sleep. Lavender is the most abundant oil in this blend and therefore also helps to relieve anxious feelings, which makes it a great blend to use before bed. I also apply it to the bottoms of my feet to help promote sleep. Lastly, it is great to add to a warm bath (recipe for serenity bath salts below).

This blend can be use aromatically and topically, but NEVER internally.

Links:

doTERRA Product Page: Serenity

doTERRA Blog: Soak Your Stress Away With Serenity Moisturizing Bath Salt
doTERRA Blog: Make Over Your Mood With Essential Oils
Buy Serenity 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. 

"Back to Basics" - Top Ten Single Oils - Lavender

Today is day two of my new series, "Back to Basics".

Lavender, the "monster repellent" 

Lavender

Lavender oil, also know as Lavandula angustifolia, is extracted from the flower of the plant through the steam distillation extraction method. The main chemical components are Linalool and linalyl acetate.

linalyl acetate

doTERRA's science blog has published multiple articles involving linalool, which is found in other essential oils such as basil, cilantro, coriander, and clary sage. The results of many of these studies show that linalool has the ability to relax blood vessel (important for cardiovascular health)*, reduce feelings of depression*, and positively change the genes in our immune system.* Check out the article links below for more information.

Lavender is an ancient plant that was used as a perfume and for bathing by Romans and Egyptians. It's primary benefits include soothing skin irritations, promoting sleep*, and easing feelings of tension and anxiety*. 

linalool

My favorite way to use lavender is in a diffuser. Just the smell of lavender helps to calm and relax anyone in my family*. You can also place a few drops on your pillow and your big toes before bed to help reduce anxiety* and promote restful sleep. I also fill a 16oz glass bottle and add 30 drops of lavender oil to create an air freshener that can be used in my closet, car, or as "monster repellent" for my kids. :)

Like lemon oil, lavender can be used aromatically, topically, and internally and it is gentle enough to be used neat (not diluted). If you use essential oils on little kids, you should ALWAYS dilute.

Lavender

Links:

doTERRA Science Blog: Linalool may bring about relaxation of blood vessel

doTERRA Science Blog: Reduce sad feelings with linalool and beta-pinene

doTERRA Science Blog: Lavender and the Immune System
Lavender product information page
Buy glass bottle for "monster repellent" here
Buy Lavender here

Research:

Cruz, A.B., Lee, S.E., Pagaduan, J.C., & Kim, T.H. (2001). Effects of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) and peppermint (Mentha   cordifolia Opiz.) aromas on subjective vitality, speed and agility. Asia Life Sciences-The Asian International Journal of Life Sciences, 21(1), 31 - 37. Retrieved from http://journals.uplb.edu.ph/index.php/ALS/index

Knasko, S. C. (1992). Ambient odor's effect on creativity, mood, and perceived health. Chemical Senses, 17(1), 27 - 35. doi:10.1093/chemse/17.1.27

Kondoh, T., Yamada, S., Shioda, S., & Torii, K. (2005). Central olfactory pathway in response to olfactory stimulation in rats detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Chemical Senses, 2(30 Supplement 1), 172 173. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjh169

Lane, A., Boecklemann, A., Woronuk, G.N., Sarker, L., & Mahmoud, S.S. (2010). A genomics resource for investigation regulation of   essential oil production in Lavandula angustifolia. Planta, 231(4), 835 - 845. doi:10.1007/s00425-009-1090-4

Raguso, R.A., & Pichersky, E.. (1999). New Perspectives in pollination biology: Floral fragrances. A day in the life of a linalool   molecule: Chemical communication in a plant-pollinator system. Part 1: Linalool biosynthesis in flowering plants. Plant Species Biology, 14(2), 95 - 120. doi:10.1046/j.1442-1984.1999.00014.x

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.