Scents and oils safe for babies

[DottieF.]

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!!

 

[soapbuddy]

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

 

[LavenderLady]

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.

 

[Aromasue]

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

 

[gunner]

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.

 

[Tabitha]

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.

 

[gunner]

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.

 

[cinta]

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.

 

[Lindy]

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

 

[Elly]

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: