# Scents and oils safe for babies



## ~Peaches~ (Nov 17, 2006)

What are some essential oils and herbs that are safe for babies? I'm trying to  put together a basket of gifts for an upcoming baby shower and just want to make sure I don't add something that will be harmful to a baby.


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## Cathy8 (Nov 17, 2006)

I know lavender is a good scent for babies


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## WilsonFamilyPicnic (Feb 7, 2008)

benzoin, lavender, chamomile, mandarin, myrtle

use 2-3 drops eo in 1oz of carrier oil


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## smittenkitten (Feb 7, 2008)

Hmmmmmmm, honestly i wouldn't use anything on babies especially under a year, unless you are a trained Aromatherapist of course.  If you do decide to use the oils please warn the mother that you have used EO's and advise her to research the oils and make an informed decision for herself.


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## Lane (Feb 7, 2008)

I just posted this as another thread, but thought it could be useful here...

Be VERY careful how you market your baby products, and I'd suggested using no color or scents.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22979800?GT1=10856


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## Tabitha (Feb 7, 2008)

I just posted this to another thread as well. I would not trust my babies life to any information I got on a forum. I would consult a pediatrician or midwife.


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## WilsonFamilyPicnic (Feb 7, 2008)

I see I've caused an uproar, so let me put on an addendum...

I've been studying aromatherapy for a little over a year, just completing a course in it, however, yes, i do suggest you verify your information before dousing your child in anything. I certainly would not use any synthetic fragrances including scented baby powders.

with babies, always use LOW dilution (less than 1%) and Moderation. Use organic oils. and by carrier oil, I should have been more specific, sweet almond oil, organic.

and as an addition to the article on phthalates. Phthalates are also used as platicizers and readily leach out of the plastic into whatever is stored into the containers. they can also be found in plastic toys, teething rings,car seats and other such items. There is evidence that phthalates have estrogenic activity. the lab i used to work in did research with breast cancer and with diabetes and phthalates were used in gene regulation studies. basically, the phthalates have the potential to interrupt normal signalling in the body. so, in addition to lotions and shampoos, i'd also suggest carefully examining all the plastics that come in contact with your baby as well.


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## Tabitha (Feb 7, 2008)

No uproar, I use lavender &/or chamomile for babies as well. I just wanted to make sure any info found here or any where else gets validated by the professional of her choice before she decides on a blend. Your info looks safe & acurate, but more than 1/2 of what can be read on forums is far from it.


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## Tabitha (Feb 7, 2008)

Wilson. I have also used sweet orange, I see it is not on your safe list. What is your opinion on sweet orange?


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## Lane (Feb 7, 2008)

An uproar? Did I miss it?? 

About that article... Good golly, didn't most of us participate in the "natural" thread? If we actually wanted to keep our children away from EVERYTHING (which isn't even possible) We'd be running around naked in the forest...

I do avoid plastics like the plague tho. I recall posting about plastics in molds for CP. At our house, we use very little plastic in our daily lives. 


For scenting baby products, if they must be scented, I'd use Lavender EO.


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## WilsonFamilyPicnic (Feb 8, 2008)

i think i read into the replies a little too much, i was taking a mental break from work and browsing through old posts chiming in....then later there were suddenly a bunch of replies of be careful what you put on your kids after i had posted when i had not seen these in reply to any other posts like mine....so, i think i took it a little personally. so, i am over it now, sorry guys!


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## WilsonFamilyPicnic (Feb 8, 2008)

my opinion on sweet orange is that it is pretty safe for babies, but it can be phototoxic (so it can cause sunburn if you take them out in the sun w/in 4 hours of use) and it can possibly cause skin irritation in some folks. if there's no skin irritation, its fine.


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## brylle (Feb 29, 2008)

Babies are much more prone to different allergies than adults since their immune system is not yet familiar with the surroundings so I guess asking for a doctors advice will be a much better option.


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## Guest (Feb 29, 2008)

*hangs head in shame*

I'm such a bad mama.  I bought baby magic shampoo, baby wash and lotions for my kids when they were small.  And they all contain fragrance oils ...........


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## essentialoils (Dec 2, 2009)

Just pure natural vegetable oils, very VERY lightly enhanced with the tiniest amount of pure Bulgarian Lavender essential oil. Wonderful for massage, or as a light moisturizer. Available in 2 oz. cobalt blue glass bottle with screwtop, or 8 oz. cobalt blue glass bottle with a lotion pump.


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## kittywings (Dec 2, 2009)

See?  My problem is that a lot of times I don't even trust the doctors... (I've had to explain way too many things to doctors in my time).  I find there tends to be conflicting information on EVERYTHING!


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## Bubbles Galore (Dec 2, 2009)

I soooo agree with you Kittywings. 

I would be comfortable with Lavender (top quality organic of course) and Chamomile if I had a baby now because I'm so familiar with them. I once bought a lovely teething formula to rub on baby's cheek that had Chamomile in a light carrier oil. 

Wilson said: 





> I've been studying aromatherapy for a little over a year, just completing a course in it, however, yes, i do suggest you verify your information before dousing your child in anything. I certainly would not use any synthetic fragrances including scented baby powders.



Congratulations on completing your Aromatherapy course Wilson. I hope you don't mind if we pick your brains on occasion?  :wink:


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## gekko62 (Dec 3, 2009)

I love just _babysmell_.Is that a female thing dyuthink?May be hormonal.Seems to bring on a protective/clucky reaction in me anyways.And Im waaay past the having babies stage. :roll:


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## dagmar88 (Dec 4, 2009)

Think it's a female thing, yes. Can't hold a baby without sniffing it, lol!


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## silviaa (Mar 30, 2011)

I just made a batch of Rosemary Gladstar's Perfect Cream using lavender, calendula, and chamomile-infused oil and tea and 5 drops of lavendar EO as a baby shower gift. The idea of the baby having an allergic reaction to any of the oils or plants is a bit scary, but I figured the best I could is carefully label the bottle and allow the parents to decide how to use the cream. Moms need soft hands too, after all


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## DottieF. (Mar 30, 2011)

> I've been studying aromatherapy for a little over a year, just completing a course in it,



Then you should know that Benzoin is a sensitizer and should never be used on a baby. Studies have also shown that lavender that has begun to oxidize can also be sensitizing. I'd never use any citrus oil in a baby product (esp. leave on products like lotion) since exposure to the sun can cause permanent skin damage. 




> I would not trust my babies life to any information I got on a forum. I would consult a pediatrician or midwife.



Ditto!!


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## soapbuddy (Mar 30, 2011)

I used Lavender when my daughter was little. She is now allergic to it.


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## LavenderLady (Apr 1, 2011)

I personally would rather my child use a soap/lotion/balm with a small amount of lavender or chamomile than any of the stuff that you can buy in the store, or that the hospitals and peds offices frequently give away as samples. In fact, the hospital gave my DIL a baby butt balm that had some nasty stuff in it and, after I cautioned her, she asked the peds dr and he told her not to use it, and that many babies had had terrible reactions to it. He was trying to get the hospital to take it out of the parent bags, but so far, they had not.

I only use lavender (and chamomile once in a while) because of its gentleness and soothing properties. I would not use benzoin in a baby product though, and in fact, dont even use it in my adult formulations, because it can cause skin irritation and burning.


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## Aromasue (Apr 2, 2011)

For newborns use Chamomile roman, lavender, mandarin & dill. 
1 drop in 1oz vegetable oil.

2 - 6 months Chamomile roman, chamomile german, lavender, mandarin, dill, eucalyptus radiata, neroli, tea tree, geranium and rose otto. 1-2 drops in 1 oz vegetable. Oil.

If making a combination blend then use above dropages from that blend.

Hope this helps.

Sue


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## gunner (Apr 14, 2011)

No offense to anyone, but I wouldn't really trust a pediatrician or midwife without doing your own research. A lot of the time they can only go with what the mainstream medical field says. I was talking to my vet a few weeks ago (a little off-topic, but shows my point) and he told us that they had like a very, very small course in nutrition, and it wasn't even a specific animal nutrition class, more like a chapter out of a book for some other class. I have been a dealer for a pretty well-known feed company for 6-7 years, and we sometimes do nutrition clinics for our customers, and always invite our local vets (free lunch and they get to pass out their cards). Every vet that we've ever had come to one of our clinics has told us the same thing- they learned more in that 2-hour clinic than in vet school (about nutrition). My point is, most doctors, nurses, etc. just know what the drug reps tell them, so most will just say that any baby-specific product (diapers, lotions, creams, shampoos, etc.) are all the same and perfectly safe for your babies. I've learned that you just need to do your own research on just about anything.


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## Tabitha (Apr 14, 2011)

gunner said:
			
		

> My point is, most doctors, nurses, etc. just know what the drug reps tell them, so most will just say that any baby-specific product (diapers, lotions, creams, shampoos, etc.) are all the same and perfectly safe for your babies. I've learned that you just need to do your own research on just about anything.



If you can not trust the advice of your Dr, midwife, vet,etc you did not do your research to find a qualified one. I work in the mediacl field, there are professionals I would trust with my child life and others I wouldn't trust to take a phone message. It's up to the patient/consumer to choose the professional best suited to the situation.


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## gunner (Apr 15, 2011)

Tabitha; I agree with you totally. What I am trying to say is that the medical community in general seem to just go with the "status quo", and that if you are looking for more natural, homeopathic, herbal, etc., you would need to go to a specialty doctor, not just your family practitioner/pediatrician, as good as they may be. A lot of the times they firmly believe in what they're saying (like what someone said about the stuff they put in the baby diaper bags when you leave the hospital). I also know of some instances where certain things are not allowed to say "no, don't use that". I would love to see the day when medical insurance covers things like homeopathy/naturopathy/herbology/accupuncture, etc.


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## cinta (Apr 15, 2011)

As a Midwife I have been trained to advise parents not to use any essential or fragrance oils on their babies in any form, however parents are bombarded with samples, conflicting advice and temptations each time they visit a pharmacy, supermarket, website, friend's house etc. Clever marketing strategies have convinced parents their baby can't live without the latest bubble bath, shampoo, massage oil and moisturizer, yet they would need a pretty hardcore university degree to decipher the ingredients on the back of the pack. We teach parents to bath their babies in plain water, and moisturize dry skin with a tiny bit of olive oil if needed. I guess in the end, if parents want to use scented products on their baby's skin, they are better off using quality handcrafted products rather than mass-produced, harsh, chemical-ridden ones. Parents will make up their own minds; the best we can do is empower them to make an informed choice through education.


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## Lindy (Apr 19, 2011)

I have to also say that all of my research and training (Certified Clinical Aromatherapist) states not to use essential oils on babies less that 3 months old.  If you are going to diffuse lavender essential oil in a room the baby is going to be in you need to be very minimal with the use of it.  One of the things that is recommended for newborns is to use jojoba oil, grapeseed oil and sweet almond oil as a massage to cleanse and moisten the skin.  It also allows for some wonderful bonding time for mother and baby.

Of course babies have survived Johnson's Baby Shampoo as well as all the other commercial baby products so in reality it's not going to kill your baby, but if you are erring on the side of caution then it is best to keep these products away from them....

Cheers


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## Elly (Apr 19, 2011)

I totally agree with you Lindy the use of EO's in babies under 3-6 months is not recommended as babies' livers and other organs are not fully functional in order to deal with processing EO's or other strong chemical, it may not kill them but cause stress and toxicity to their young developing bodies which will manifest in conditions such as allergies, digestive problems, asthma etc.  Why risk it, play it safe  :wink:


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