Aromatherapy Remedies For Children

By Patricia | March 5, 2009

Children are prone to sensitive to smells as they have tender skin and eyes and are on the whole very delicate. Due to this, great care must be taken when choosing and blending essential oils with carrier oils for use in aromatherapy. It is possible that the vapor from the fragrances in the essential oils may sting the child's eyes and fragile mucous membranes. Children must not be left unattended during aromatherapy.

Some essential oils that are useful for children are: lemon oil, lavender, bergamot orange, cedar wood, chamomile, cypress, frankincense, geranium, ginger, mandarin, marjoram, orange, rose oil, rosemary, rosewood, sandalwood, thyme and ylang ylang. All of these essential oils are valuable for children. Lemon also possesses cleansing characteristics and some therapists believe that by adding lemon oil to water it helps in supporting the immunity of the child and in neutralizing harmful bacteria in the water. It is also useful in counteracting chlorinated water that contains fluoride, and other chemicals.

To use essential oils on babies and children, blend a couple of drops of a safe pure essential oil for children with half a tablespoon of carrier oil. A host of childhood ailments can be treated with the help of aromatherapy. Some of the common aromatherapy remedies are:

To treat intestinal colic pains, use any of the following oils - bergamot orange, gingerroot, mandarin orange, wild marjoram, chamomile, rosemary, or cananga odorata as a gentle rub on the stomach.
To treat mild viral infections involving the nose and respiratory passages, use oils such as cedar wood, lemon oil, rosmarinus officinalis, rose oil, sandalwood, or wild thyme. A diluted blend of any of these oils can be used as a neck and chest rub.
To treat constipation, essential oils from ginger root, mandarin orange, or rosemary are helpful as a massage on the stomach and feet.
To treat cradle cap in infants use a diluted blend of almond oil as a carrier base with a drop each of lemon oil and geranium or cedar wood and true sandalwood for a gentle rub on the scalp.
To soothe infants who cry incessantly the following oils are useful in calming and comforting them. The essential oils of cypress wood, frankincense, geranium, lavender, chamomile, rose oil, or ylang ylang can be used as a massage, blended with a carrier oil. The essential oils can also be diffused for a calming effect.
To treat diaper rash, essential oils such as lavender and chamomile are ideal as topical applications. Use almond oil as a base and add a drop each of any of these oils and blend them well to be used on the rash.

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