which essential oils are safe for little ones

Audrey had a  lovely stuffy nose all last week and me being the queen of medicating, I have been trying all I can to kick this.  Elderberry and echinacea, humidifier, regular doses of sniffles and sneezes and at night calms forte 4 kids and rescue remedy. At night I also use cold n' cough nighttime.  

The one thing I am SO.....very careful with is the kind of eucalyptus oil I use.  We all know eucalyptus is fabulous for clearing up a stuffy nose, but please be aware that the most common eucalyptus oil, globulus, should not be used on children under 5 years of age.  Only use eucalyptus radiata. ( I have found info saying that Smitthi is safe as well, and possibly even safer) I have known this since Audrey was little. I know how powerful essential oils are for me and could only imagine how sensitive our little ones are to them. I have been sure to only keep radiata in the house so there is no confusion or accidentally grabbing of the wrong EO.   I found this list and thought I would post.  

The following oils are safe during the entire pregnancy

Bergamot, Blood Orange, Black Pepper, Benzoin, Coriander, Douglas Fir, Fir, Frankincense, Grapefruit, Geranium, Ginger, Immortelle(Helichrysum) Laurel, Lemon, Lime, Linden Blossom,  Litsea Cubeba, Mandarin, Manuka, Melissa, Myrtle,  Neroli, Niaouli, Orange, Palma Rosa, Petitgrain, Poplar,  Rosewood, Verbena and  Ylang Ylang.

The following oils are safe during the 2nd trimester only

Black Spruce, Blue Cypress, Chamomile, Lavender, Peppermint, Spearmint and Yarrow.

The following oils are safe during the 3rd trimester only

Cypress, Jasmine and Rose.

The following Essential Oils are safe to use on New Born Babies

Benzoin, Chamomile, Eucalyptus RADIATA, Lavender, Myrtle and Orange.
The ratio is 1 – 2 drops/20ml  (30ml = 1oz)

The following oils should NOT be used on children under 5yrs of age

Basil, Camphor, Cedar, Eucaplytus Globulus, Fennel, Hyssop, Geranium, Jasmine, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Rose, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon and Vitex.

These oils should be avoided altogether whilst pregnant

Aniseed, Basil, Birch, Camphor, Clary Sage, Clove, Cerdarwood, Cinnamon, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Hyssop, Jasmine, Juniper, Marjoram, Mugwort, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Organum, Pennyroyal, Peppermint, Rose, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Tarragon, Vitex and Wintergreen.



Please know that I am an amateur in the area of essential oils. I try to do my best to do a lot of research from reliable sources.