What are essential oils ?
Essential oils are volatile aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants.Essential oils give plants their distinctive smells, essential oils protect plants and play a role in plant pollination. In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and their beautiful fragrance, essential oils have long been used for food preparation, beauty treatment, and health-care practices
Essential oils can be used for a wide range of emotional and physical wellness applications. They can be used as single essential oils or in complex essential oil blends depending on user experience and desired benefit.
Essential oils for Newborns and Babies
It’s important to use nothing but the purest , safest , therapeutic-grade essential oils because store-bought oils can have solvents, pesticides, synthetics and other chemicals and adulteration oils. You cannot tell by looking at the label but you can read from the GC/MS report . Remember everything we put onto our skin also goes into our body. No oils are most thoroughly tested , most research to be pure and safe than doTERRA ( mydoterra.com/eo4healthyliving) . You may obtain each batch of dōTERRA single essential oils GC/MS report from www.sourcetoyou.com . Eg dōTERRA peppermint essential oils , lot no 171258J
That is why we trust them for our family, because we know they are free of pesticides, fillers and contaminants.
Essential oils for newborns and babies should be used minimally and only as-needed for the first 3 months.
We ALWAYS dilute for little ones to avoid irritation or sensitization, to aid in absorption and also to expose the babies to a lower amount of the oils. While our pure oils are very safe, the liver can only process so much at a time, so there’s no reason to overdo or waste money by using them undiluted.
For newborns/infants/babies dilute 1 drop of essential oil per 1 tablespoon of carrier oil . Carrier oil can be fractionated coconut oils , jojoba oils , olive oils , sweet almond oils .
What are the most gentle oils for babies?
Appropriately diluted these oils can be used from birth:
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Roman Chamomile
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Lavender
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Serenity blend
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Melaleuca (Tea Tree oil)
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Frankincense
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Lemon
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Wild Orange
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Balance Blend
*Many other oils can be used safely. These are the oils I’ve found to be most gentle. Use all essential oils at your own discretion
Safety Tips
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Babies and children should never take oils internally. Save internal use until they are at least 6-10 years old.
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Keep oils out of the reach of children at all times.
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If your baby accidentally ingests oils, call poison control. We’ve had many little ones get into their mama’s oils accidentally and they’ve all been fine. It’s extremely rare for a child to drink enough to be truly harmful and I’ve never heard of it happening in 11 years of dōTERRA started and over 7 millions members in worldwide )
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Never put oils in or around baby’s nose. Use only gentle oils, well diluted, on the sole of the feet / skin when needed (see teething tips below)
Common Baby Issues and Solutions:
1. Oils for Calming
Dilute Lavender, roman chamomile or Serenity blend and apply the the feet and on your chest if you are holding them to promote relaxation. You can wipe extra on their blanket/clothes (we’ve found that our pure, quality oils and their Fractionated Coconut oil do not stain! yay!). Diffusing with a diffuser is also very helpful as well as daily infant massage.
2. Essential oils for digestive support
Dilute 1 drop each of Lavender and Wild Orange in 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil and rub baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction for at least 30 seconds for digestive support. Apply every 15-30 mins until their tummy is settled.
3. Booboo Love
Frankincense promotes a healthy inflammatory response so its a great choice. Its my go-to oil when a child comes to me. Learning to roll, crawl and walk can be precarious sometimes!
4. Essential oils for baby Skin
Dilute 1 drop of each of Lavender and Melaleuca in fractionated coconut oil or chemical free lotion to soothe the skin. Apply each time you change their diaper. I like to use a glass spray bottle for this. Use damp, soft paper towels to wipe or rinse your wipes well before using to avoid any further irritating the skin with chemicals.
5. Essential oils for Teething
Use diluted Lavender, Roman Chamomile, or Serenity blend along the jawline as often as every 15-30 minutes to soothe*.
6. Essentail oils for Ears
Dilute Lavender and Melaleuca and apply around the ear (never put oils IN the ear) frequently, massaging down towards the lymph nodes to encourage healthy drainage*. You can also use the diluted oils on a cotton ball placed in the ear – use a bandaid to help keep it in place. Please always supervise your baby when using a cotton ball and/or bandaid to make sure they do not get either into their mouths.
7. Essential oils for Respiratory support
Dilute Melaleuca and Lemon and apply the chest, back a an hour. A combo of Frankincense and Lavender can be very helpful when the chest is tight and loud.
For more info about dōTERRA essential oils and a free consultation , contact us at help@tinybabies.com.sg
Some of the content for this article was referenced from https://healinginourhomes.com
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