What essential oils are safe for children?

Essential Oils for Children: The Complete Guide

The use of essential oils for children is a recurring topic: people often wonder if they are safe, which ones are preferable, and at what age they can be used safely. Let's clarify this delicate yet important subject.

Are essential oils harmful to children? Let's debunk an unfounded myth

Essential oils are a true concentration of Nature: in a single drop, we can find over 500 different molecules (for some plants, well over 600), each with its own function and action. This extraordinary complexity makes them highly effective!

They are also concentrated from an olfactory perspective: their scent is very intense, and just a few drops diffused are enough to benefit from their properties. This intensity suggests that we should exercise some caution when using them with children.

This doesn't mean giving them up, but rather carefully choosing the type of essential oil and dosage, prioritizing those with a gentle scent and delicate action, and diluting them appropriately. Studies have shown that essential oils are useful in various situations, for example, to promote relaxation, sleep, or to combat odontophobia (fear of the dentist).

Essential oils for newborns: which ones to choose?

The first 6 months of life are a continuous discovery for the baby, and all senses, including smell, are engaged in a process of learning and memorization. The newborn needs to familiarize themselves with the scent of mom, dad, and the home environment. For this reason, we advise against using essential oils or perfumes on the skin of the baby and mother during this initial phase.

However, we can diffuse 1 drop of Lavender per 8 kg of weight into the environment to promote relaxation, facilitate sleep, and maintain the health of the room.

From 12 months, Orange, Blue Chamomile, Mandarin, and Vanilla can also be introduced for diffusion. The Limonene present in Orange and Mandarin essential oils has an antiseptic action: by diffusing them into the environment, you not only enjoy their pleasant scent but also purify the air.

Table of essential oils for children

*Carminative: combats flatulence and gastrointestinal bloating.If you want to experience a gentle, fresh, and refined scent, try the Carezza children's perfume that will accompany you on a sensory experience inspired by the timeless bond between mothers and children.

For cough and cold

To combat cough, cold, and nasal congestion, essential oils can be a valuable ally, provided that the most delicate balsamic and decongestant plants are chosen.

• Lavender: has a fluidifying action and helps to decongest the respiratory tract, while Linalool and Linalyl Acetate provide a relaxing and sedative effect.
• Blue Chamomile: from 12 months can be diffused for its decongestant power.
• Red Myrtle: from 12 months diffused for its expectorant and fluidifying action.

Just 1 drop per 8 kg of the child's weight diffused in the bedroom.

For sleep

Numerous studies show that some essential oils improve sleep quality. To ensure peaceful nights for little ones, the best allies are Lavender, Blue Chamomile, and Orange. These oils help to calm, reassure, and promote relaxation.

For play and sensory development

Scenting the room where the child plays, rests, or studies helps stimulate creativity and the senses. Essential oils can promote serenity and accompany the challenges of growth.

• Mandarin, Vanilla, and Orange create a joyful and reassuring atmosphere.
• The terpenes of citrus fruits promote the production of serotonin, the "good mood" neurotransmitter.
• Vanilla provides a feeling of protection and security.

Olfactory gymnastics for children

Already in the nineteenth century, the Veronese naturalist Adriano Garbini studied the pedagogy of the senses, devising exercises to develop children's sense of smell. Some of these exercises included:

• Quality exercises: learning to distinguish perfumes and fragrances.
• Intensity exercises: perceiving the different gradations of a scent.
• Olfactory memory exercises.
• Direction exercises: following a scented trail.

The use of essential oils can integrate and enrich this olfactory gymnastics, helping the child to develop a greater sensitivity to smells.

Bath time and aromatherapy rituals

Aromatherapy can become an integral part of a child's daily routine, transforming bath time and relaxation moments into sweet scented rituals.

We have created the Cuddles Line, a range of products designed to accompany the child with delicate fragrances:

• Carezza Perfume: Vanilla, Chamomile, Lavender, and Lemon for a reassuring atmosphere.
• Cuddles Body Oil: Orange, Chamomile, and Lavender, perfect for a gentle massage after bath time.
• Cuddles Roll On: practical and delicate, with Orange, Chamomile, and Lavender, for moments of relaxation.
• Sweet Dreams Pillow Mist: with Orange, Chamomile, and Lavender, to spray on the pillow to promote peaceful sleep.
• Sweet Dreams Essential Oil: a synergy of Orange, Chamomile, and Lavender to accompany nocturnal rest.

These products, formulated with selected and safe ingredients, enrich the child's evening routine, helping to create a relaxing and harmonious environment.

Lemon

The quintessential sun plant with extraordinary properties. With a fresh and citrusy aroma, the essential oil is extracted from the fruit peel by cold pressing. Lemon acts on the nervous system and psyche with its calming action: it helps with anxiety and nervousness that cause headaches or insomnia. It supports, instills courage and determination. It helps to free oneself from conditioning. It is an ally for communication activities.

Mandarin

An essential oil always linked to childhood, it enhances joy and the pleasure of discovery. Thanks to its beneficial effects on the psycho-emotional sphere, it improves mood, bringing those who use it back to a state of joy and inner purity. The sedative action of Mandarin essential oil is effective in states of tension or restlessness and promotes restful sleep. Mandarin essential oil promotes the proper functioning of the digestive system.

Vanilla

A ripe and sweet fruit of the sun, endowed with an exotic and intimate aura. Vanilla, with its refined elegance, has the full flavor of hard-won serenity. It captivates the senses and satisfies the soul. With its rich and sweet aroma, when diffused, it creates a joyful atmosphere that promotes happiness and contributes to relaxation.

Lavender

From the flowering tops of the plant, precious essential oil is extracted with a floral, intense, fresh scent, extremely versatile for its many possible uses. It rebalances and harmonizes the nervous system, effective against insomnia. It gives a sense of protection and tenderness and opens up to the values of the heart. Highly beneficial for the skin, it refreshes and soothes in case of redness. Antiseptic, it cleans and disinfects environments.