Kid and Essential Oils

For many people the reason for starting a wellness regimen using essential oils includes using them on our children.  I know for myself I felt empowered as a mother to be able to support my children's health with essential oils.

I wanted take a minute to outline some basics on essential oil use for children including safety, recommended oils for children, and my 3 go-to recipes. 

5 Safety Tips:

When it comes to our children we want the best, which is why I chose Young Living essential oils over any other essential oil company.  If you have not chosen a company to purchase essential oils from watch this video on Seed to Seal. What we use on our children is important, which is why I did not mess around with using any old essential oil offering at my local health food store. We use Young Living because it is the purest product on the market. 

Here are a few tips for safety when using essential oils on children:

1. Dilute with a carrier oil before application. I use coconut oil for making balms and grape seed when making a blend. I dilute at a 1:20 (or more) ratio for my children, essential oils very concentrated which translates to a little goes a long way. 
2. Apply essential oils to the feet.  The feet have the largest pores in the body and a great way to target specific areas of the body using a vita flex chart.  Plus the feet are a less sensitive area of the body making for an ideal location for essential oil application.
3. Keep essential oils out of reach.  Essential oils should not be kept in a place where a child could reach and use.  All of my essential oils are kept in cabinets out of reach of my children. If an essential oil is used without supervision and irritation occurs DO NOT use water, use a carrier oil on the area or around for eyes. 
4. Keep essential oils out of sensitive areas.  Never drop essential oils directly into the ear canal, this goes for everyone not just children.  Don't apply essential oils around the nose, mouth, or eyes, these are all sensitive areas and should be avoided. 
5. Use an essential oil reference guide. There are so many great essential oil reference guides for using with children, here are two books that I like to use  Gentle Babies and Dr.Mom Essential Oils First Aid. 

Recommended Oils for Children: 

In Shirley Price's book, Aromatherapy for Babies andChildren, she mentions 19 oils that are safe for children. Here is where you can Purchase any of the oils listed below!

These oils are:

• Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)*
• Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)**
• Chamomile, Roman (Chamaemelum nobile)
• Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
• Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)
• Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
• Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
• Lemon (Citrus limon)*
• Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)*
• Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
• Melaleuca-Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
• Myrtle (Myrtus communis)
• Orange (Citrus aurantium)*
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora)
• Sandalwood (Santalum album)
• Thyme (Thumus vulgaris CT linalol)
• Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)

*These oils are photosensative; To prevent a rash or pigmentation of the skin, do not use citrus oils when exposed to direct sunlight.

Young living has a wonderful collection of essential oils specifically formulated for with the needs of children in mind: KidScents Collection:

My Tops 3 Recipes For Children:

In our home maintaining my children's health and wellness is a top priority. I love to use this wellness blend daily, applied to their feet when getting dressed in the morning. 

1. Wellness Blend:

Healthy regular sleep is a great way to support a growing body and developing brain.  I love to use the following blend to support a healthy sleep regimen.

2. Healthy Sleep Balm: 

In the winter, I have noticed that the air gets dry and I love to make this winter chest rub. This rub has a wonderful soothing aroma and is great for use during the cold months of the year. 

3.  Winter Chest Balm:

There is so much more that can be said about using essential oils with children, when in doubt check with your essential oil references! 

Winter Wellness-- Be Prepared!

This is the time of year that I start getting asked: "Which oils and products should I have on hand as we enter the winter months?" This answer can vary a ton person to person, and bear in mind that I have not had the pleasure of trying ALL the Young Living products. This list is just what I have tried, and happen to love. My personal list is mostly oils, with Ningxia Red and Thieves products mixed in.

Remember I am NOT a doctor and I am not attempting to diagnosis, prevent, or cure any illness or disease. Please consult a doctor.

Ningxia Red: Once you start drinking this its hard to stop. I personally got hooked while I was at the Young Living Convention. Ningxia Red is an antioxidant drink made with the wolfberry and infused with essential oils. The wolfberry is alone is packed with tons of vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, riboflavin, and vitamin C. More on the benefits of the wolf berry here.

So what are the direct health benefits of Ningxia Red?

• Supports whole-body health support
• Energy support
• Supports normal cellular function
• Supports normal eye health
• Healthy daily supplement
• Helps prevent against oxidative stress

There are a few other variations of Ningxia Red as well: Ningxia Nitro & Ningxia Zyng, be sure to try them both too!

Thieves Essential Oil: Thieves! This one is the heavy hitter! Immune supporting! This is a one of a kind blend of Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus, Lemon, and Rosemary Essential Oils that you can only get with Young Living. I like to make Thieves tea with lemon essential oil and honey. Its so soothing and really warms you up. This one can also be taken in a capsule, which is how I prefer to take it if my immune system needs a little boost.

There are SO many Thieves products offered by Young Living and they can all help this time of year in their own way. Check them all out here.

Oregano Essential Oil: Ok, people! This one is a must. VERY immune boosting and supporting. Pairs well with Thieves and Lemon to offer mega support. As you know we are super limited by what we can say on social media (thanks FDA!), so I am going to send you to articles and studies whenever I can. Here is a fantastic one about the health benefits of Oregano. 

RC Essential Oil Blend: R=respiratory C=congestion. I mean, do I need to say more? Diffuse this bad boy while you sleep or just whenever you are trying to...breathe. :) RC is a blend of: Eucalyptus Globulus, Eucalyptus Radiata, Eucalyptus Citriodora, Myrtle, Spruce, Peppermint, Pine, Lavender, Marjoram, and Cypress. 

Breathe Again Essential Oil Roll On: Another one that speaks for itself. However, this one only comes in a roll on, which I actually love! Its so easy and ridiculously convenient. Roll it on to enhance your respiratory health!!! Breathe Again is a blend of: Eucalyptus staigeriana leaf oil, Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, Laurus nobilis oil, Rosa rubiginosa (Rose hip) seed oil, Peppermint oil, Eucalyptus radiata leaf oil, Balsam copaiba resin, Blue cypress wood oil, Eucalyptus bicostata leaf oil, and Myrtle oil. Thats four different kinds of Eucalyptus! 

Lemon: Lemon is labeled as dietary, so you can ingest it. Adding it to water will enhance the flavor, but there are many health benefits from drinking water that includes lemon essential oil. Learn more about them here. 

DiGize: Ever have issues with normal digestion? Yea, you and everyone else on the planet. This one will help you with that. This oil is a blend of: Tarragon leaf oil, Ginger root oil, Peppermint leaf oil, Juniper oil, Fennel seed oil, Lemongrass leaf oil, Anise oil, and Patchouli leaf oil.

Raven: This is one of my top 5 favorite oils. Raven provides me with comfort when I apply it to my nose, forehead, and checks. It supports healthy sinuses when applied topically. Raven is a blend of the VERY aromatic oils: Ravensara, lemon, wintergreen, peppermint, and Eucalyptus radiata.

Purification: Having this oil is key  if you want to clean the air after illness or having a stinky house guest. Seriously, it is borderline magical. Diffusing Purification can get even the most unpleasant odors to disappear, not just cover them up. The oils in this blend are: Citronella, Lemongrass, Lavandin, Rosemary, Tea Tree, and Myrtle. 

Product Tips from the Young Living Website: 

• Add Purification essential oil blend to your washing machine to freshen laundry.
• Add a couple drops of Purification essential oil blend to shoes to help neutralize odors.
• Add a few drops of Purification essential oil blend to a cotton ball to help eliminate stale air in the office or your child’s room.
• Diffuse Purification essential oil blend to dispel unpleasant odors and clear the air of impurities.
• Diffuse Purification essential oil blend to eliminate odors after the dog returns from playing outdoors in the rain.

That's my personal list! I know that there are A LOT of other products that are helpful for winter wellness, but just too many to talk about today. The supplements alone are fantastic for promoting and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle, but thats another blog! The "other" Christina is the expert in the supplement department, so stay tuned for a blog on all their amazing benefits. But, in the mean time check out more about Young Living Supplements here. 

Happy winter wellness! Please tell us some of your success stories (compliantly) in the comments! 

Stretching Your Essential Oils

One Drop

Essential oils are very concentrated so a little goes a long way. If you’re like me, then showering yourself in essential oils all day is the norm…but not necessary.  

I have learned that since these amazing oils are so concentrated and affect the whole body, I can use them…one drop at a time.  Apply your essential oils with purpose to the desired areas and know you only need a drop or two.

Apply directly to the area or to the vita-flex points

-

Whether you are using 2 or 6 drops you are getting the benefit…so save your oils by using less!

Dilute

I think diluting is the best way to really get the most out of your essential oils. Here are ways to dilute your essential oils:

Use an empty essential oil bottle or roller bottle fill with a carrier oil that is liquid at room temperature, fill up your essential oil bottle 2/3 of the way and then add 20 (or more) drops of essential oil. 

Another great way to dilute is to add the carrier to one of your half full bottles of essential oil. 

Add a few drops of carrier oil and a drop of essential oil to the palm of your hand and apply.

Remember if you are using a “hot” oil like Oregano you will want to dilute it even more.

Diluting your oils will help to stretch your essential oils without losing any of the benefits.

  

Diffusing…

I love to diffuse my oils as do most of my oily friends, but it can get those oils running low real fast…if you don’t follow some simple suggestions:

Choose to diffuse on the intermittent setting, the Home diffuser has the option of diffusing for 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. 

The Bamboo diffuser has the option for 1 hour or 4 hours, and the Dew Drop will diffuse for up to four hours.  I let the diffuser go for 30 minutes on then 30 min off, just to make it last longer.

The other piece to consider when diffusing is what oils you are choosing.  Here is a great list of diffuser blends and most of the oils used are the less expensive ones.  I also only use 3-4 drops when diffusing and that seems to do the trick!

Some oils are better diffused then others, so check the suggested use on the bottle or in your reference guide.  PanAway for instance smells great, but will provide the biggest benefit when applied topically.

The Most Out Of Every Bottle

Once I get down to the last few drops in the bottle I like to fill it half way with a carrier oil, like almond or grape seed.  The carrier oil is now infused with the last of the oil, to be used topically only until empty.  

Another great tip I saw from a Pinterest post was to immerse your empty bottles in Epsom salt, to be used for a nice essential oil infused bath.   

You can also create essential oil infused water for your diffuser. Take your empty oil bottles and submerge in a bowl or jar of water.  I let mine sit overnight and the next day I have oil infused water!

Yes I am crazy about getting the most out of these little bottles and you should too!  Young Living Essential oils are precious down to the very last drop!

Do you want to find out what all the hype is about….Get more oily information on our websites:

www.essentialoilenjoyment.com and www.livingoilsdaily.com