8 Everyday Uses For Essential Oils In Children

health care Sep 09, 2016

I know a lot of parents who love essential oils and utilize them with their kids … but tend to pull them out when problems arise. I personally use essential oils with my daughter on a daily basis, and feel that it contributes to her overall health and well-being, and helps to prevent health issues in the first place. To help other parents who might desire this too, I want to offer 8 everyday uses for essential oils in children. Not everyone is going to do all of these every day, that might seem overwhelming, but at least you have a starting point to work from.

  1. OnGuard – this is one of my favorite oil blends, and is a great immune support. I do a drop or two on the soles of my daughter’s feet every day just to protect her against sniffles and coughs that she would otherwise pick up from school. I do this one in the morning when I dress her to give her more protection during the day.
  2. Frankincense – brain power! Frankincense is so good for the neurological system and so I use it daily just for healthy brain development. I put it in a rollerbottle and do a swipe on the feet every day after bath. We do bath time in the evening, and frankincense tends to be a bit more relaxing, so that timing makes sense.
  3. DDR Prime – a great blend for cellular healing and repair, and high in antioxidants. I combine it with frankincense in a roller bottle – 50/50 blend. I tend not to dilute it with fractionated coconut oil, just because my daughter does not have sensitive skin and she does fine with it (she’s almost three), but it can also be split in a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 blend too.
  4. Lavender – one of the most well-known and best-loved oils. Lavender is very calming for the nervous system, and can help promote healthy sleep. There is also a blend called Serenity that contains lavender and some other oils, that is used a lot for sleep and nighttime relaxation. It’s great topically or in a diffuser.
  5. Balance – my personal favorite blend of all, I keep this oil around at all times, and diffuse it a lot during the day at my office. I think for kids the best use would be (a) before school or daycare if there is any anxiousness about going; or (b) after school to help calm nerves and relax little people after a big day. I love to diffuse Balance and think that’s a great way to use it, but it can also be used topically. My daughter asks for me to rub her feet – she mostly asks for Serenity, but occasionally I’ll use Balance (especially if mama needs it!).
  6. Citrus Bliss – let me just say, I hate orange. I hate the way it smells, I hate the way it tastes. I think it’s because I was force-fed fresh orange juice as a child and now have an absolute aversion to it. I avoid wild orange like the plague. Yet Citrus Bliss won me over. I am pretty sure it’s the notes of vanilla in it that made it so irresistible, but it’s one of my favorites and I’ll use it topically or in the diffuser without any qualms. This would be a great blend to use in the morning as everyone is getting up and about, perhaps during breakfast or while kids are getting dressed. It’s energizing and invigorating, so it can help with getting everyone awake, alert and ready to take on the day.
  7. Peppermint – this oil for me has two different uses. The first is for alertness – you can add it to a diffuser or use it on the feet or shoulders to relax the muscles while promoting brain clarity and alertness. It would be a better choice for morning/ before school. For us mamas, at the end of a long day that still isn’t over, I put a drop between my palms, rub them together, then apply it on my shoulders. It has this lovely effect of relaxing the muscles, clearing breathing, and at the same time giving the mind a little perk-up, it’s a great combination! The second use is for upset tummies – if kiddos eat too much, or if their tummies are upset from nerves surrounding school etc, a bit of peppermint on their tummies will be a great help. I also love DigestZen for this purpose. (Note: while many people do use peppermint on younger kids, including myself, there is some research showing that peppermint should be limited to children over 3 for safety reasons).
  8. In-Tune – the homework helper – this is a blend that comes in a roller bottle and is THE helper for kids’ focus and concentration for their homework. I can vouch for this as I’ve used it during times of intensive writing or really long work days; and I’ve seen it help so many kids. It smells kinda strong, so if kiddos don’t like the smell around their neck, you can put it on the soles of their feet and it won’t overwhelm them but will still work like a charm.

The oils and blends I use all come from doTERRA – they are exceptional in terms of quality, purity and potency. You can find them here.

There are many other oils and blends that can help kiddos stay at their optimum health every day. It might seem too much to do all of these every day, but I would suggest either choosing two or three and starting there, and picking the areas of greatest need and choosing the oil(s) that apply the most to your child’s needs. For us, our highest priority is staving off bugs at school, so we prioritize the OnGuard; I love the frankincense/ DDR Prime blend next for long-term brain development; then other ones come and go depending on the day (but mama uses the Balance and Citrus Bliss most days!). Essential oils are such great tools that are available to all of us to help our kiddos, they’re inexpensive and very safe, so if you’re not using them I invite you to start now! Email me if you would like some samples so you can try essential oils; I guarantee you’ll be amazed at the difference!!