Happy March, Lovely!

Support your amazing children’s physical & emotional health with safe & natural aroma-therapeutic ways. This month's newsletter explores how we can safely use essentials oil with the littles in our life.

When it comes to using essential oils with our littles, the concern is safety. I see many friends turn away from using them because they're worried something bad will happen. Rightfully so, our children's well-being is what keeps us up at night. The key to using essential oils with our kiddos is using 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils (that guarantees that the oil is unadulterated) at the correct dilution (if using topically). Diffusing essential oils eliminates any worry about dilution.

Personally, essential oils helped us win the battle for a good nights sleep. Oh, lavender how I love thee! I'll never forget that first nap when I diffused lavender for Reese. He broke his nap record and woke up with a huge smile. I was sold! And with said toddler in the house, who is prone to falling and running into furniture, I feel so much more empowered and prepared to be super mama! I have a myriad of tools to help him depending on the ailment. We have naturally eased bug bites, stuffy noses, allergies, cuts, bruises, sunburns, temper tantrums and sleepless nights.

Let's dive into safety and I'll give you the tools to feel confident about using essential oils with your littles.

Young Living Essential Oils (YLEO) are incredibly strong, highly concentrated oils. To that end, it’s extremely important to proceed with safety and caution at the forefront of your mind. This includes common sense precautions such as keeping your oils in a safe place, out of reach of curious children who love to copy what they see their parents doing! When using the oils with your family, the phrase to keep in mind is “low and slow,” meaning it’s best to start out with low dilution ratios and slow introduction of one single oil at a time. This helps you identify if there is any adverse reaction or plain aversion to a particular oil - something you could not easily figure out if you started with a blend of several oils. Reactions are incredibly rare when pure essential oils are used appropriately, but for someone brand-new to YLEOS, this type of "detox" reaction may manifest as a mild headache or nausea. If this occurs, back off using the oil, apply more carrier oil if the EO was applied topically, increase water intake, and consider a warm bath with plain Epsom salts. This type of reaction is indicative of the oils doing their job, which can be overwhelming at first. A true allergic reaction to oils is highly unlikely, but to be cautious it's best to avoid an oil made from a plant that you or your child is allergic to.

Dilution is of utmost importance with YLEOs, especially when using them with your children, and even more so with children who are perhaps highly sensitive or medically fragile. As always, consult with your physician before proceeding with oils if your child has any significant medical conditions or concerns. Refer to the dilution chart below when using YLEOs with your children. This graphic represents the maximum safe dilution ratios for topical oil use with children, so please feel free to dilute even more when first starting out. Patch test each new oil to check for skin reactions; this is especially important for kiddos with sensitive skin. Because of their incredible potency, YLEOs are effective at as low as 5% dilution for adults (e.g., one drop EO in 19 drops of carrier oil), and 1% for children, so don't be afraid to be overly cautious, especially when first starting out!

There are three different methods of use for essential oils: Aromatic, Topical, and Internal. All three may be recommended, but EO use is very personal. If you are not comfortable with using oils topically with your child, or are opposed to ingesting them, that is perfectly fine. You should never feel pressured to use oils in a way that doesn’t feel right for you or your family. The good news is that diffusing is the easiest and most direct way to utilize the benefits of EOs, and this method is just as effective as the others for most needs.

If DIY isn't your jam, the KidScents Oil Collection is an all-in-one essential oils kit that can help comfort children through the common ups and downs of childhood. The kit includes six mild essential oil blends, formulated especially for children: TummyGize™, SniffleEase ™, SleepyIze ™, Owie™, GeneYus™ & Bite Buster™.

With Love & Gratitude,
Jess