If you are reading this blog, you probably don’t need any convincing that synthetic chemicals in our children’s products are a problem for a variety of reasons, immune blockers, endocrine system effects, etc. In fact I am continually amazed at how ‘mainstream’ society (in quotes because my dream is that essential oils and natural living will become mainstream in North America one day), and large corporations readily accept that they should be careful about what goes on and in our little ones, and yet once our children hit a certain age, toxins are suddenly acceptable. If you are like me and it’s not acceptable, then I firmly believe turning to essential oils for a variety of health benefits for your children (and yourself), is the answer. Though they are pure and natural, essential oils are still chemicals and must be approached with safety in mind. In this article I will cover safety tips for kids, including knowing the oils origins, as well as some products that are safe for kids.
There is a rule of thumb when using oils on children; less is more. In fact at least 50% less should be used on kids. If the bottle says to diffuse 10 drops in water, then you diffuse 5. Babies and children have much smaller bodies and organs and therefore cannot process the amounts that adults can, as well they cannot metabolise as efficiently. Some examples of dilution rates for your own blends from Essence of Thyme College of Holistic Studies:
Normal dilution in 60ml of carrier oil or water for adults = 30 drops
Children 5 yrs to 12 yrs = 12 drops
Children/Infants birth to 5 yrs = 6 drops
Essential oils should NEVER be ingested by children. Though it is rare, in quantities that they are commonly sold (5-15 ml), ingestion can be fatal. Oils sold in dropper bottles help prevent this, but proper storage is still crucial. Additionally, due to their sensitive skin, direct contact with oils should be avoided with young children, they will pick up some from you if you are wearing oils and this will suffice. I myself have diffused immune oil from Saje for my son since he was born, highly diluted, and he is over one year old and never been sick or had any reactions to oils.
For anyone who is worried about the level of rigor that has gone into testing essential oil safety versus other pharmaceuticals, I highly recommend Robert Tisserand’s book Essential Oil Safety;
“It seems to be widely believed that essential oils have not undergone any safety testing at all. It is not unusual to find statements such as ‘The safety of essential oils for human consumption has not undergone the rigorous scientific testing typical of regulated drugs, especially in vulnerable populations such as children or pregnant women’ (Woolf 1999). The assumption here that licensed drugs are extensively tested on children and pregnant women is extremely puzzling, but the idea that essential oils are not rigorously tested seems to be mostly due to ignorance. The information in this text is evidence of a considerable body of toxicology data, both on essential oils and their constituents."
The fact that there are companies like Saje Natural Wellness, where the owner is a certified Aromatherapist who would have studied/studies this type of scientific information, should give you peace of mind as well.
A topic that immediately comes to mind when I think of anything related to my son’s health and safety is pesticide use; what chemicals are on the plants and how are we affected when they are distilled? This is why it’s important to know where your oils come from. Tisserand covers biocides well in his book;
“There are over 400 chemical biocides (pesticides or herbicides) that might be used on aromatic plants, and many of these do carry over during steam distillation (Briggs & McLaughlin 1975; Belanger 1989; Dikshith et al 1989)…According to Hotchkiss (1994) most biocides are poorly absorbed through the skin, though chlorpyifos and carbofuran are absorbed to a degree (Liu & Kim 2003; Meuling et al 2005). In vitro testing of human skin suggests that absorption depends on the solubility and molecular weight of the substance in question. Methiocarb, for instance, is relatively well absorbed, but dimethaote is not absorbed at all (Neilson et al 2004). Dermal exposure to methyl parathion in rats resulted in acute toxic effects at 50 mg/kg and only minimal toxicity at 6.25 or 12.5 mg/kg (Zhu et al 2001). These are very much higher doses than might be encountered from essential oil exposure.
It is feasible that an essential oil might enhance dermal absorption of a biocide, and exposure through inhalation is also possible. The potential toxicity from biocides in essential oils in minimal, but still contributes to the total xenobiotic load, especially if biocides are also being ingested in foods, and zero exposure is surely preferable. Some of the reported allergic reactions to essential oils may be caused or enhanced by biocide residues, and not by the oils themselves (Wabner 1993).”
Chemical ‘fillers’ are also a problem with less reputable oil manufacturers, who compromise the oils purity to make more money off of them.
The best advice I can give is to look for oils marked ‘certified organic’ or ‘wild’, or talk to who you are buying them from. For instance, Saje puts a significant amount of effort into ensuring that there are no components in their oils that are not naturally occurring, including insisting that all of their sources supply GC (gas chromatography) testing for all the oils. Wherever possible they source certified organic and wild crafted species, as well they have intimate relationships with their farmers where they may know their practices are organic however the costly process of certification is too much. It is much like the farmer at my local farmers market where I buy my vegetables, they cannot afford certification but call themselves “ecologically produced” since they use only organic compost and no sprays. While Health Canada may not call these organic producers, they are.
And now for the fun part…products for kids! Saje has some products that receive rave reviews; Aroma fairy and Owee Magic. For older children, quick study, which was originally blended for children with ADHD, helps kids focus and improves information retention.
Once again, my hope is that you have taken something from this and you continue on your journey to natural wellness through essential oils, just as I am!
Magic is nature unimpeded ~Jane Roberts
Sources
Personal experience
Essence of Thyme College of Holistic Studies
Robert Tisserand, ‘Essential Oil Safety’
Saje Natural Wellness COO