I can hear some of you asking right now, "You mean there are oils unsafe for kids?" Absolutely! Despite the fact that you may have heard that the purity of the oil ensures that the oil is perfectly safe for all ages, but that is simply not true.
No matter the brand, there are some essential oils that should not be used by children younger than certain ages. By the ages of 10, kids can use most essential oils. However, for children younger than two, most essential oils are off limits.
Essential Oil Contraindications
|
NAME OF OIL |
Botanical Name |
Uses to Avoid |
AGE |
|
Eucalyptus |
nearly all - eucalyptus globulus, eucalyptus radiata |
all uses |
10 & younger |
|
Birch (sweet) |
betula lenta |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Cajeput |
melaleuca cajuputi, melaleuca
laucadendron |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Cardamon |
elettaria cardamomum |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Cornmint (Peppermint Japanese) |
mentha arvensis, mentha
canadensis |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Ho Leaf/Ravintsara |
cinnamomum camphora |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Laurel Leaf/Bay Laurel |
laurus nobilis |
topical |
6 & younger |
|
Marjoram (Spanish) |
thymus mastichina |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
|
|||
|
Myrtle (red) |
myrtus communis |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Niaouli |
melaleuca quinquinervia |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Peppermint |
mentha x piperita |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Rosemary |
rosmariunus officinalis |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Sage (White) |
salvia apiana |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Wintergreen |
gaultheria gragrantissima,
gaultheria procumbens |
all uses |
6 & younger |
|
Anise (star) |
illicium verum |
all uses |
5 & younger |
|
Anise/Aniseed |
pimpinella anisum |
all uses |
5 & younger |
|
Fennel (bitter/sweet) |
foeniculum vulgare |
all uses |
5 & younger |
|
Myrtle (aniseed) |
backhousia anisata |
all uses |
5 & younger |
|
|
|||
|
Basil (lemon) |
ocimum x citriodorum |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Benzoin |
styrax benzoin, s. paralleloneurus, s.
tonkinensis |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Black seed |
nigella sativa |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Cassia |
cinnamomum cassia |
all uses |
2 & younger |
|
Clove bud |
syzygium aromaticum |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Clove leaf |
eugenia caryophyllata |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Clove stem |
eugenia aromatica |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Garlic |
allium sativum |
all uses |
2 & younger |
|
Hyssop |
hyssopus officinalis |
all uses |
2 & younger |
|
Lemon Leaf |
citrus x limon |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Lemongrass |
cymbopogon glexuosus |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
May Chang |
litsea cubeba |
all uses |
2 & younger |
|
Melissa/Lemon Balm |
melissa officinalis |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Mountain Savory |
satureia hortensis, satureia
montana |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Myrtle (honey) |
melaleuca teretifolia |
all uses |
2 & younger |
|
Myrtle (lemon) |
Backhousia citriodora |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Oakmoss |
evernia prunastri |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Oregano |
origanum vulgare L |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Peru Balsam |
myroxylon balsamum |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Petitgrain |
citrus limonum |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Rambiazana |
helichrysum gymnocephalum |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Tea Tree (lemon-scented) |
leptospermum petersonii,
leptospermum citratum |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Verbena (lemon) |
Aloysia triphylla, aloysia
citriodora, lippa citrioora |
topical |
2 & younger |
|
Ylang-ylang |
cananga odorata |
topical |
2 & younger |
