We all hate it when our little ones aren’t feeling well and we want to aid them in the safest, most effective way possible. Essential oils can provide us with a natural alternative to help promote healing and comfort our little ones in a healthy way. However, special little bodies require special care and more caution when working with essential oils. These oils are incredibly potent due to the way that they are processed making them more concentrated than the original plant ever was. For example, one drop of peppermint essential oil is equivalent to drinking 28 cups of peppermint tea. So, needless to say, for little bodies we have to be very careful due to their smaller systems and more fragile skin and to ensure that we are diluting essential oils before using on young children.
However, its not just the potency that is a concern. There are some oils that are simply too much for little bodies to handle until their systems have developed more (such as rosemary and eucalyptus). Usually by 10 years of age, the child should be able to tolerate these stronger oils. When it comes to kids and babies, it is best to use oils sparingly and stick to those which you know to be safe. This also means avoiding any oil ‘blends’ that contain these stronger oils.
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