Are Essential Oils Safe for Babies & Children?

By Caryn Gehlmann

Updated: August 9, 2023. Because the issue of using essential oils on babies and children is such a common question and an important subject, we’ve updated this article with the newest safety recommendations.

As parents, grandparents, and child caregivers, nothing is more important to us than the safety of our children. In order to keep your kids safe, you know the importance of being well-educated and having a reliable source of information. Google can give you answers… but they aren’t always trustworthy answers. When it comes to determining if essential oils are safe for babies and children you want to look for a reputable source, ideally from someone trained in clinical aromatherapy.

We recommend you completely avoid using essential oils for babies 3 months and younger. In addition to safety concerns, according to JoAnn Lewis, Director at the Family Massage Education Center, an infant is bonding with their parents’ scent when they’re born. Eliminating competing scents will help promote that precious bonding experience.

From the age of 3 months to 3 years minimal use of essential oils can be considered when following strict safety protocols. See below for three specific safety recommendations. Pure essential oils are highly concentrated and with inappropriate long-term use, sensitization can occur which is a type of allergic reaction. To avoid this reaction with children under the age of 3, we recommend using essential oils approved to address a specific issue on occasion rather than as standard everyday use. And please read the safety recommendations below first — not all essential oils and application methods are safe for children!

Here are three suggestions to keep in mind when determining if essential oils are safe for babies and children.

(Actually, these suggestions are good for adults as well, we all want to be safe in how we use essential oils!)

1. Consult your healthcare professional before using essential oils with babies and children. According to Fiona Cuthbert O’Meara, RN, Aromatherapist, “ A baby’s liver and kidneys are not fully functioning until after two years of age and are still developing up to the age of seven, making their ability to process and remove essential oils from the body inhibited.” Your healthcare professional should know the overall health, allergies, and sensitivities of your child, which should all be kept in mind when determining essential oil usage.

2. Keep essential oils out of reach of children. Unfortunately, essential oil poisoning is on the rise. Yes, essential oils can cause severe toxicity, especially when ingested and can even be life-threatening. So make sure you keep your essential oils in a safe place where a curious toddler cannot reach them. It would be horrible to accidentally grab a bottle of essential oils, thinking it’s something else, such as cold syrup, so be safe and keep your essential oil bottles separate from household medications.

3. Ensure proper essential oil selection and application method, specific to the needs of your child. 

Let’s start with safety when making your essential oil selection. Each and every essential oil has different chemical components, so each of them has different safety recommendations for different ages. Begin by always reading the label and the safety guidelines that should accompany each bottle you purchase. There are certain oils such as Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Rosemary that require extra vigilance if and when used with children. At e3 we recommend that you avoid these essential oils with babies and children under the age of 3. A reference we recommend to research individual oils is, Valerie Ann Worwood’s book, Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child: More Than 300 Natural, Nontoxic, and Fragrant Essential Oil Blends. And please feel free to contact us if you have any questions on safety — we’re here to answer your questions.

Now let’s consider safe application methods. One of the best ways to safely use essential oils for your baby, children, and yourself as an adult is to use the correct application method. Essential oils are intended for external use. (Never, at any age, should you take essential oils internally unless under the direction of a qualified health professional.) 

Diffusion is generally speaking one of the safer ways to enjoy essential oils and allows your child to benefit from the aroma of aromatherapy. Here are some age-specific recommendations for diffusing:

• 3 months – 3 years: Diffuse in a room but not when a child is in a closed room. Avoid running a diffuser all night in a child’s room. Use the diffuser then turn it off before the child enters the room.
• 3 – 5 years: Start slow when diffusing a new essential oil. Every person is different so you want to see how your child reacts to a scent. Also, we recommend you use diffusion intermittently, instead of for long periods of time. A safe option for diffusing with this age group is e3’s Aromatherapy Plush Animals with a built-in diffuser for subtle diffusion. 

If you choose to apply essential oils to the skin, dilution is critical, especially when using essential oils on children. Read our dilution guidelines for more specific recommendations. Hydrosols can be a gentler option for children over 3. The properties of the hydrosol are similar to the properties of the essential oil, but are much less concentrated. They have a softer, subtler aroma and a gentler action.

Many parents have seen their babies and children benefit from aromatherapy when it is done safely. So educate yourself on essential oil safety, the Tisserand Institute is a good resource on safety that many clinical aromatherapists rely on. And please feel free to reach out to us with your questions and one of our clinical aromatherapists will be happy to help you find reliable answers.