When using essential oils around little ones you need to be very careful. There are some oils which shouldn't be used around children (scroll down) at all and all of them need to be used with care. 

Essential Oils Safe to Use with Children

  • We suggest no essential oils on or around babies before the age of 6 months, due to their thinner skin and immature immune systems. 
  • From ages 6 months – age 2, you may diffuse child safe oils (below) for a specific purpose and short periods of time. For an acute case (something very specific like a bee sting or bug bite), you may use essential oils topically, but this should be the exception and not the norm. Children are particularly sensitive to aroma and products applied to the skin.
  • After the age of 2 you may start topical use with a very low dilution, but keep in mind a child's immune system takes years to fully develop, making them less able to deal with the adverse affects which may arise when concentrated products are used improperly on or around them. Herbs and hydrosols are often a better and safer choice for children.

 

  • Bergamot
  • Black Pepper
  • Blue Tansy
  • Cedarwood
  • Clary Sage
  • Copaiba
  • Coriander
  • Cypress
  • Frankincense
  • German Chamomile
  • Geranium
  • Ginger
  • Grapefruit
  • Juniper Berry
  • Helichrysum
  • Lavender
  • Lemon
  • Mandarin
  • Marjoram (Sweet)
  • Neroli
  • Palmarosa
  • Patchouli
  • Petitgrain
  • Pines -except Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), or Huon Pine (Dacrydium franklinii)
  • Roman Chamomile
  • Sandalwood
  • Siberian Fir Needle
  • Spearmint
  • Spruces
  • Sweet Marjoram
  • Sweet Orange
  • Tangerine
  • Tea Tree
  • Vetiver

 

Essential Oils to Avoid Using with Children

Here is a long – but not exhaustive – list of essential oils with warnings against using on or around children (source: Essential Oil Safety).

Please note not just the Common Name but also the Latin Name(s) and/or chemotypes listed in this list. Many oils have different species (indicated by different Latin names) and some are safe and some are not, depending on the Latin name. The * indicates essential oils high in 1,8-cineole which can cause slowed respiration and/or labored breathing. For alternatives, read this post: Family Friendly Anti-Congest Blends

NOTE: if it says “avoid using (all routes)” that means do not use topically or allow them to inhale.

Avoid Using ALL ROUTES with Children <2

  • Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis (pinocamphone chemptype)
  • Massoia Cryptocarya massoy, Cryptocaria massoia, Massoia aromatica – avoid using all routes

 

Avoid Using TOPICALLY with Children <2

  • Basil (lemon) Ocimum x citriodorum – avoid topical use 
  • Benzoin Styrax benzoin, Styrax paralleloneurus and Styrax tonkinensis – avoid topical use 
  • Black Seed Nigella sativa – avoid topical use 
  • Cassia Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum aromaticum – avoid topical use
  • Clove Bud, Clove Leaf, Clove Stem Syzygium aromaticum, Eugenia caryophyllata, Eugenia aromatica
  • Ginger Lily Hedychium coronarium
  • Lemon Leaf/Lemon Petitgrain Citrus x limon, Citrus limonum
  • Lemongrass Cymbopogon flexuosus, Andropogon flexuosus, Cymbopogon citratus, Andropogon citratus  
  • May Chang Litsea cubeba, Litsea citrata, Laura cubeba
  • Melissa/Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis
  • Myrtle (honey) Melaleuca teretifolia
  • Myrtle (lemon)/Sweet Verbena Backhousia citriodora
  • Peru Balsam Myroxylon balsamum, Myroxylon pereiraw, Myroxylon peruiferum, Myrospermum pereirae, Toluifera pereirae
  • Saffron Crocus sativus
  • Sage (Wild Mountain) Hemizygia petiolata
  • Savory Satureia hortensis, Satureia montana
  • Styrax Liquidambar orientalis, Liquidambar styraciflua
  • Tea Leaf/Black Tea Camellia sinensis, Thea sinensis
  • Tea Tree (lemon-scented) Leptospermum petersonii, Leptospermum citratum, Leptospermum liversidgei
  • Treemoss Pseudevernia furfuracea
  • Tuberose Polianthes tuberosa
  • Turpentine Pinus ayacahuite, Pinus caribaea, Pinus contorta, Pinus elliottii, Pinus halepensis, Pinus insularis, Pinus kesiya, Pinus merkusii, Pinus palustris, Pinus pinaster, Pinus radiata, Pinus roxburghii, Pinus tabulaeformis, Pinus teocote, Pinus yunnanensis
  • Verbena (Lemon) Aloysia triphylla, Aloysia citriodora, Lippa citriodora, Lippa triphylla
  • Ylang-Ylang Cananga odorata

 

Avoid Using ALL ROUTES with Children <5

  • Anise/Aniseed Pimpinella anisum
  • Anise (Star) Illicium verum
  • Fennel (bitter), Fennel (sweet) Foeniculum vulgare
  • Myrtle (aniseed) Backhousia anisata

 

Avoid Using ALL ROUTES with Children <6

  • *Cornmint Mentha arvensis, Mentha canadensis – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Cajuput Melaleuca cajuputi, Melaleuca leucadendron – avoid using on children under 6
  • *Cardamon Elettaria cardamomum – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Galangal (lesser) Alpinia officinarum, Languas officinarum – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Laurel Leaf/Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis– avoid topical use on children under 2; avoid all routes for children under age 6
  • *Ho Leaf/Ravintsara Cinnamomum camphora (cineole chemotype) – avoid using on children under 6
  • *Marjoram (Spanish) Thymus mastichina – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Myrtle (red) Myrtus communis – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Niaouli (cineole chemotype) Melaleuca quinquinervia – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • Peppermint Mentha x Piperita – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Rambiazana Helichrysum gymnocephalum – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Sage (Greek), Salvia fruiticosa, Salvia triloba Sage (White) – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Sage (White) Salvia apiana – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Sanna Hedychium spicatum – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
  • *Saro Cinnamosma fragrans – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6

 

Essential Oils to Avoid Using ALL ROUTES with Children <10

  • *Eucalyptus Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus maidenii, Eucalyptus plenissima, Eucalyptus kochii, Eucalyptus polybractea, Eucalyptus radiata, Eucalyptus Autraliana,Eucalyptus phellandra, Eucalyptus smithii
  • *Rosemary (1,8-cineole chemotype) Rosmarinus officinalis
  • Wintergreen Gaultheria fragrantissima, Gaultheria procumbens – due to methyl salicylate content

 

Other Essential Oils to Avoid Using ALL ROUTES

  • Birch (sweet) Betula lenta – on all children
  • Chaste Tree Vitex agnus castus – on prepubertal children

 

You may wonder if you can use essential oils NOT safe for children around YOU, when you are around your children, and the answer is – you can! A personal inhaler is a great solution because then you can take advantage of essential oils without worrying about affecting the little ones you are around. If you choose to diffuse, please be sure to do it in a room away from baby and allow time for the scent to dissipate before bringing baby back in the room. If another family member has a particular reason where they need to use an essential oil topically, then please find a time when they can stay away from the baby for a while so the scent can dissipate.

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Lea Harris is a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist Scholar's Program graduate from Aromahead Institute. This website is home to educational advice and information about using essential oils safely. Lea founded and runs the Using Essential Oils Safelyfacebook group, with hundreds of new members joining each week. Lea is the author of The TRUTH About Essential Oil Safety, and the creator of Safe Essential Oil Labels and apps for essential oils and carriers. You can find FREE classes here: Free Essential Oil Classes.

 

Lea is Professional level member of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and received her herbalist certification through The Herbal Academy of New England.

Businesses, groups, and individuals can hire Lea to consult on safety, product formulation, and more on her website Lea Harris CCA.