The most common oil questions I receive are usually related to essential oil use and children. Part of why I get these types of questions is likely because I have five children of my own and close to 4 years of experience using oils on my little ones. But I also believe it is because parents (grandparents, etc.) want to make sure that the things they use on their babies and young children are perfectly safe! Safety is a high priority, naturally. It definitely is for me as a parent. Also important is effectiveness and simplicity of use! Because I have found much success in using essential oils and oil related products on my children to support their immune systems, I thought I would share some of my absolute favorites!

Let me first say that these oils, products and tips I am sharing are only a fraction of the wonderful wellness tools available to you as a parent. However, in keeping with my passion for simplicity I have decided to list the ones I have found to be the most helpful for my little ones when they aren’t feeling 100%! AND *** this is important! *** I only use and recommend Young Living. The suggestions and recipes I am sharing only apply to Young Living Essential Oils ™.

Whenever my children are below the wellness line with some of the common winter weather issues that are often floating around, I turn to these powerful oils and oil blends. Thieves, Lemon, Peppermint, RC, Ravintsara, Breathe Again and Peace & Calming!

* If you would like to order, simply click on the product names for the link!

Thieves – is a powerful combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils. I encourage you to read {here} and find out what makes this blend so incredible!

Lemon – Contains D-Limonene, an oil nutrient called a terpene, is an amazing natural compound found in lemon and orange peels. It has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Peppermint – A strong and “cooling” EO that also has the ability to “drive” other oils in causing them to be even more effective. I love to layer peppermint on following other oil uses such as Thieves.

RC – Is a soothing blend that supports respiratory wellness and contains Spruce, Cypress, and three types of Eucalyptus oils (E. globulus, E. radiata, and E. citriodora). We especially love to Diffuse this blend at night for calmed breathing and restful sleep. Also great applied topically to the bottom of the feet.

Ravintsara – Another amazing oil that helps us to breathe easily and is often found in many medications available. I love to put a few drops of this oil on a stuffed animal or on my childrens pillow. Somewhere close to their nasal passageway!  

Peace & Calming – The name says so much! A comforting, gentle, sweet blend of Ylang Ylang, Orange, Tangerine, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy. I found that this oils blend not only calms my children’s emotions but also their breathing which allows them (and me!) better sleep.

Breathe Again – features four types of Eucalyptus essential oils, including Eucalyptus Blue. My favorite thing about this blend is convenience! It is also great for older children to be able to apply themselves and is pre-blended with a carrier oil (aka pre-diluted). It can be rolled right onto the chest and neck as needed!

Other must haves (for me) are:

NingXia Red! When we aren’t feeling great we let this stuff flow! We love to mix it 50/50 with LaCroix in our house.

Also, Tender Tush for chapped cheeks and red noses. Yes!

Thieves Lozenges are amazing! About half of my children love the way they taste and the other half will use them anyway because they are SO effective! Kids are smart. They want to use what helps them.

Last of all, Super C Chewables. A good quality vitamin C makes a huge difference when you are working to build up your immune system. Having a high quality chewable option, that is also infused with essential oils, is such a blessing!

Here is a simple recipe for Thieves tea that is our family’s go-to.

Approximately 8oz. of hot water. (adjust temperature to suite the age of your child)
5-6 drops of Lemon essential oil
1-2 drops of Thieves essential oil
1-2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered (local is best), honey. Get good quality “real” honey!

As simple as that! I encourage you to drink with a metal straw as the oils can be “hot” on your little ones lips. For the simple fact that Thieves contains cinnamon bark. We LOVE Life Factory bottles for our Thieves tea. It allows us to have a lid which helps with spills (obviously). But any glass bottle or mug works great. Even the lid on the sippy cups are made of a hard, quality plastic which I feel comfortable with my children using. I do remove the inner soft plastic which you will know what I am talking about if you own one of these bottles.

Safety tips:

– When using oils on young children, the bottom of their feet is often the most safe and effective place to apply them. Of course, this depends on the oils and what you are targeting, but especially with “spicy” ones such as Thieves and Peppermint I like to stick with the feet! Just apply and cover with socks.

– If an oil does find its way to their eyes do not panic! Yes, they may burn, but will not cause any damage to the eye area. However, you will want to dilute them with a fatty oil such as coconut or olive oil to get past the irritation. It may seem odd to do, but just swipe that fatty oil on the eye and feel it work!

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer! If you are new to oils and are not sure where to start, I do recommend beginning with the premium starter kit which is a wholesale option. A beautiful thing about this kit is that many of the oils I shared above come in this kit! It is the most cost effective way to get started and comes with a diffuser which is a must in my opinion! Click {here} to get started.  As stated above I only recommend using Young Living Essential Oils ™ and would never encourage you to purchase from a grocery or health food store. The quality and purity simply isn’t there despite what the label says! You can go here to learn more about what comes in the premium starter kit, etc. And to learn more about what essential oils are and why they are so amazing check out my Essential oIls Why Young Living? page.  You also have the option to purchase retail {here}, one bottle at a time if you like, but you will pay 24% more over wholesale.

Remember, what I have shared is not at all inclusive. In fact I would love to hear from you! What oils and natural things have you found helpful and effective for your children?