Can you think of a memory from your childhood that carries a certain scent? The most beautiful smell in the world - the smell of your mother? Or the smell of a home that made you feel safe, the smell of a book your parents used to read you stories from, the smell of clean sheets in your crib that you used to lie down in every day? What about the smell of Christmas and baked cookies? Everyone can recall some of their memories. Scents are powerful anchors that can be powerful healers when used correctly. Essences are very good for harmonizing a child's body. But with children especially the well-known saying applies, everything in moderation!
Baby care is a loving activity for every mom and she wants the best care for her baby using the best quality products. Aromatherapy is one of the natural methods of care that have been developed based on thousands of years of experience with medicinal plants.
The baby's skin after birth is protected.
After birth, a newborn's skin adapts to its new environment and is naturally equipped with a protective layer for the first days of life. After birth, the baby's skin develops its unique bacterial microflora, as unique as a fingerprint. This is a very important immune process that should not be interfered with by any cosmetic products, even natural ones. After bathing the baby in clean water, we just wipe it with a dry diaper and after a few days we can start using pure almond or apricot vegetable oil. It is in these early days when we use conventional cosmetics containing preservatives, sulphates and mineral oils that we are setting the baby up for health problems. There is a disruption in the healthy development of the skin's immunity, which subsequently manifests itself as eczema or allergies.
There is a right time for everything, even for the beginning of aromatherapy for children.
Essential oils are very concentrated and strong. For aromatherapy in babies we start using them from the 9th week of age, in very low concentrations. The advantage of using the oils is their high effectiveness, strengthening the baby's immunity and reducing the risk of complications that are common in childhood illnesses. Another advantage is that they do not contain allergenic pollens, so there is no risk of allergic reactions.
Suitable aromatherapy methods for children
Most often we use essential oils for children in the area where they spend the longest time, playing or sleeping. If we want to use an aromatherapy lamp, we must take extra care, as any open flame, even from a simple candle, is a risk around a child. It is preferable to use electric aromatherapy lamps, vaporizers or diffusers. The oil can also be dripped into a bowl of warm water where it will evaporate. Place it out of the child's reach. A wet diaper, dripping oil on it and placing it on the radiator, will also work well. Unglazed ceramics also provide a gentle and slow form of evaporation of the oil into the air, as the oil droplets are easily absorbed and evaporate naturally in the room. For children, we can also prepare a massage with diluted essential oil. Test the oil before using it for the first time. Apply it to a patch of skin, preferably on the thigh, wait 5 minutes and, if there is no redness or other symptoms, massage the whole body. Touch is very important for children. They give them a feeling of love, security, safety and reinforce emotional attachment. It is for these reasons that the most appropriate way of applying essential oils is through massage. Along with the warm touch, we also pass on the healing effects of the chosen fragrance, which helps to tune the baby physically and emotionally. The blended oils can also be added to the bath.
Never use undiluted oils on children under 3 years of age. For children under 6 years of age, we dilute massage and body oils at a concentration of 0.5%, which corresponds to 3 drops in 20 ml of vegetable oil. For older children, from 6 to 12 years of age, the dilution concentration is 1.5%, this concentration corresponds to 9 drops in 20 ml of vegetable oil. From 12 years of age, the concentration can be raised to 2.5 - 3%, 15 drops in 20 ml of vegetable oil.
Suitable and unsuitable essential oils for children
For the youngest children, oils of lavender, Roman or blue chamomile, sweet orange or tangerine are suitable. For colds, coughs or weakened immunity, we can use marjoram, motherwort and oils from conifers such as pine, fir, larch or spruce. For relaxing the airways in newborns and for calm breathing, we reach for thyme linalool and pine. Unsuitable oils for children are cinnamon, mint, thyme, oregano, ginger, basil, cardamom and others. When choosing, always find out at what age the oil can be used.
The most common problems in childhood and suitable oils
One of the greatest benefits of aromatherapy is prevention, which is why we rely on it before any problems arise. But even when there are problems, there is always a solution.
For relieving infant colic, choose a blend of essential oils of Roman chamomile, fennel and marjoram in almond oil, as it relieves cramps and aids emptying. For trouble, we massage the mixture on the tummy in a clockwise direction. For inflammations in the head area and for teething pains and turns in children, we use the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of lavender and chamomile. The most common ailments in children are colds, coughs and congestion, and essential oils are welcome helpers in dealing with them. Eucalyptus, fir and niaouli relax the respiratory tract, while pine, lemon and larch relieve congestion. Strong antiviral effects have ravintsara and antibacterial effects of tea tree or manuka. We use rosehip plant oil to treat the nose area after a cold so that painful abrasions do not occur. For a child's cough, ravintsara, pine, frankincense, linalool thyme and eucalyptus are best mixed in sesame oil and rubbed into the skin on the chest, back and feet at least twice a day. The mixture also helps with congestion and persistent cough. For restlessness, use lavender and mandarin oil to calm the baby.
Natural baby skin care
Ideal for washing the skin of children is only water or hydrophilic washing oils that form a gentle emulsion with water. This washes away water-soluble and fat-soluble impurities while protecting and moisturising the skin for a long time. Any blend of oils can also be added. With lavender, washing will have a soothing effect, with mandarin it will naturally harmonise children's emotions, with motherwort it will help overtired and tired children and a bath of conifer oils will help with colds.
We take extra care of the baby's skin in the area under the diapers. Classic wet wipes, due to their composition, contribute to skin irritation, disrupting the natural protective film of the skin. It is ideal to replace them with lavender or chamomile water, which can be sprayed directly on the skin, or wiped off with a tissue with flower water. Flower waters help maintain the skin's proper pH and are naturally antimicrobial. After cleansing the dirt, we use a protective agent - a blend of essential oils of lavender and chamomile in avocado oil, which will soothe irritated skin. Shea butter will provide protection against diaper rash. Marigold ointment, for example, will help to treat the resulting diaper rash.
Tip for children's anti-inflammatory oil for children up to 6 years old by aromatherapist Adela Zrubecká: Add 1 drop of lavender, 1 drop of Roman chamomile, 1 drop of tea tree to 20 ml of almond or apricot oil. Rub the mixture into the affected areas several times a day.
Article published with the kind permission of the magazine Sphere
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