By Tyler Hagan, Certified Aromatherapist & SEOR Admin
Whew! Now that we got essential oil safety with infants and toddlers out of the way, we can move on to talking about the common issues facing parents with little ones under the age of 2. Now, take a second to think about what these common issues may be. I would almost bet that teething came to mind. If it didn’t, well… consider yourself lucky. Really, really, REALLY lucky. But for those of us who have had to deal with it, and those poor souls that are dealing with it as we speak, it’s a big issue.
Things to Consider
Before moving any further on this blog post, I would like to encourage those who haven’t read our previous blog post on how to use essential oils with infants and toddlers to do so now. You can check it out here.
Once you’ve done so, you’ll have a better understanding of how to move forward. You’ll know which oils are safe to use, what dilution rates are safe to use, and why all of that good stuff is important.
I do want to emphasize the importance of only using KidSafe labeled essential oils. Oils like Cinnamon, Peppermint, and Clove are NEVER safe to use with small children, and should even be avoided for older children. But that’s a topic for another day.
Keep in mind as well that we do not recommend nor promote the internal application of essential oils. Please do not apply any essential oils, diluted or undiluted, inside the mouths of your little ones.
What & When to Diffuse
Let’s talk about what to diffuse and when to diffuse it. Can diffusion really help with teething related dilemmas? Absolutely, more than you’d think!
One thing that almost always comes along with teething is meltdowns. Our little ones meltdown, and we ourselves as parents meltdown. It’s not a pretty sight. This is when diffusion comes into play. When you or your little one is at wit’s end, try diffusing some calming oils for 10 or 15 minutes.
Some of my top oils to help with these emotionally turbulent times are Bergamot, Lavender, Cedarwood Atlas, and Vetiver. If you are so drained that you just can’t fathom blending together oils for the diffuser, stick with an essential oil blend that’s already been created for you, Calming the Child. Just diffusing for a short period of time can go a long way to making everyone feel better, and that’s our ultimate goal here.
What & When to Apply
So now that we’ve talked about what and when to diffuse, let’s talk about what and when to apply. We’ve tried all the fancy teethers, the frozen fruit, or perhaps pickles in a mesh pouch (nope, just me?). Nothing has worked thus far. SO now what? Can essential oils lend a hand? You betcha! But first, I’d recommend trying something gentler than essential oils.
A great friend of mine, Chamomile Hydrosol, can go a long way at helping to ease our little ones into more of a state of bliss. All you have to do is soak a warm rag into a little bit of Chamomile hydrosol and warm water, and gently rub it on the gums. For older little ones, you can even let them use the rag as a teether toy but only do this with supervision. After you’ve given gentler options like diffusion or hydrosols a try, it’s okay to move onto essential oils.
Roman Chamomile and/or Lavender are safe, gentle oils that can lend a hand during these troubling times. Using them is simple. Just dilute Roman Chamomile, Lavender, or a blend of both in a gentle carrier oil like Jojoba at a low, appropriate dilution for your little one. Here are the dilutions you should use for each age group:
- For little ones 0-3 months, you should use a low 0.1% or 1 drop of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil.
- For little ones, 3-24 months, you should use a low 0.25% dilution or 2 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil.
Once you’ve blended your essential oils and a carrier oil, gently apply it to your little one’s outside jawline. Do not apply any essential oils inside the mouth of your little one, and be careful not to over apply. You only need a very little bit. This application can be done a couple times a day, as needed.
Questions or Concerns?
Whenever you have doubts, questions, or just need some reassurance using essential oils on your teething infants and toddlers, you can always email one of our certified aromatherapists at [email protected] or check out our group on Facebook, Safe Essential Oil Recipes.
I have a friend that suggested Copaiba for teething as well. I noticed it is marked “kidsafe”. Could I mix it with the chamomile hydrosol or with a carrier oil for jawline application on my 3 month old? He’s really suffering and I think we are still a few months from actually getting the teeth in.
Hydrosols will not dilute essential oils. You could dilute it to apply out the outside of the jawline, just be sure to dilute appropriately for his age group.
Thank you for this!! I hardly ever think of hydrosols. Apparently I need to buy some and make them a part of my routines. I forget that hydrosols are so much more gently and safer for younger babies. Also good to note the dililutions of EOs for infants! Thanks so much!
I just purchase calming the child yesterday thinking my toddler is just going through her terrible twos but come to find out her back teeth are coming in. So glad I came across this blog
Thank you so much for this. My 3yo is suffering with pain from his molars coming in. Just ordered the chamomile hydrosol.
Thank you for posting this! I see SO MUCH unsafe advice regarding how to use oils on teething babies. I am saving the link to this blog post so I can send it people who feel tempted to follow the unsafe advice they may have been given!
I’d like to try the Chamomile hydrosol for my teething baby.
I’m excited to have more teething help options for any future littles. I’m always excited to have more natural options!
I will be trying some of these ideas when my little starts teething again!
Thank you for the great tips and information. I’ll be using the suggestions for my little one who has been in so much discomfort from teething the last few days.
I will definitely be trying this for my 15 month old! Thank you!
This is absolutely perfect! Thank you so much for this information.
SOOOO glad i came across this teething blog as i have a 4 month old who is already showing signs of teething ! thank you so much Plant Therapy! i will definitely be trying some of these ideas if his teething gets out of hand.
so glad i came across this as i have a teething infant, plant therapy has literally changed my life with my baby.
I am happy I was able to come across this article. I just started using EO and I have a toddle at home and he is teething right now (molars). I can use all the help I can get!
I am so happy to have stumbled across this post. I have a 6 month old currently teething and my go to is to diffuse Lavender and Cedarwood which I love, but I didn’t think of trying a hydrosol! Excellent blog post!
I just got Roman chamomile today. I am definitely going to try it on her jawline. Should I mis it with lavender, or do it separately?
Stephen, try just Roman Chamomile first and if it seems to be working, stick with that. You can absolutely mix them if a single oil isn’t helping 🙂
I was told by an aromatherapist when my toddler was teething to purchase the Roman chamomile hydrosol and mix it 50/50 with water and to apply it to his gums. We did just that and it worked great! I would mix it up and dip a little wash cloth in it and rub it on his gums and within min he would be calmed down and happy! I was so happy for the advise.
Read about hydrosols on SEOR and then saw something about teething and searched – immediately purchased The chamomile + calm the child!! Here’s to praying for some relief and calm for my babies! Cutting teeth is hard work..
I didn’t know hydrosols could be used! Makes me wonder if using the tea would work similarly. Thank you for this post! Love the dilution info. That is always so helpful!
I just started using the hydrosol for teething and dry skin for my daughter. It is AMAZING and I am so glad I discovered it when I did.
That’s awesome, Blair! Thank you so much for sharing!
Wow, I wish I knew about this when my guy was teething. Definitely bookmarking for any future babies!
You guys are lifesavers! My daughter just started teething and is inconsolable. Looking forward to trying this
My son is 6 years old cutting his molars. We have been using all of the suggestions, is there anything else we could be using since he isn’t a baby or just stick with what is recommended here?
Jaclyn, the suggestions in this blog are also applicable for a 6-year-old, though you may want to increase the dilution of the oil you use appropriately and then apply it to their jawline. However, begin first with hydrosols since they are so gentle and may be all the help he needs 🙂 If nothing is providing him relief, then of course we would recommend reaching out to his dentist and discussing the next steps to take.
I am so glad I came across this blog. I will definitely use it.
My 1 year old is getting molars, and it’s been pretty rough on him. I’m hoping these things will help him!
Hopefully he gets to feeling better! <3 <3
Just ordered chamomile hydrosol. I hope it will help my almost 6 year old with tooth pain associated with loosing teeth and getting molars in.
This article is great! Thank you for sharing. My little one is about to teeth, so I will try this, too.
Let us know what you think!
We watched a live video where Retha suggested Chamomile Hydrosol on the gums of teething infants. I happened to have some as I use it on our pillows some nights that we are restless and need some gentle help. I went ahead and tried it on his gums. It has been helping so much!
very great info to know!
I think the word you want here is exhausted, not exacerbated. “After you’ve exacerbated gentler options like diffusion or hydrosol, it’s okay to move onto essential oils.”
I’m so glad I found this! My 7 month old is getting close to cutting her first teeth and I’ve been looking for natural ways to help her.
This article saved us today! Thank you!
I love the hydrosol idea! We love Chamomile hydrosol in this house
As a daycare teacher I find this interesting. So many times you have an infant or toddler who is teething and you only have so many options. I think this would be interesting for parents
I wish I had know that EOs could be used for teething when my kids were teething. I will definitely pass this information on!
I was so glad to have found this! My Little one is currently teething and is having such a hard time with it. Definatly going to look at incorperating the Chamomile Hydrosol! Thanks so much for this!!l
Theres always so much great info on these blogs! Essential oils really are so versatile
Great tips for helping our little ones not be so miserable! I’ll be trying chamomile hydrosol as soon as I can!
We are in the throes of teething with my 18 month old. This is great information. I’ll be trying it soon!
An excellent resource. I wish I had known about essential oils when mine were little, but now I can pass on this information to my daughter for my grandson! <3
This is a great article! My grandson started teething and this has helped a lot. Thank you!
Thank you for this post. I will try this on my 6 months old son. I hope it works.
This would have been useful a year ago! Will be sharing this with my friends who are new mums and dads!
I’m going to save this one!! Hopefully I’ll be able to soothe grand babies with this ……if those kids of mine ever give me any!!!
Yes, there is so much unsafe eo usage everywhere! Sharing this with everyone, thank you
Deffinately will be remembering this blog in the months to come. Baby boy is almost 5 months old and I know it’s coming. Have you done or are you going to do a blog on carrier oils? Which ones are best for which applications and ect? I haven’t had the best luck of finding too much information on the carriers just the EO’s online.
I’m so glad for the new blogs about babies and safe usage. Thanks plant therapy! You’re definitely helping me make it through the day!
I made my son & his girl friend a kid safe essential oils gift basket earlier this year that contained jojoba oil & a few other carrier oils. I’d love to know which other carrier oils would be gentle enough to use on babies. He’ll be 6 months old in December.
I would look into and send to them the blog post Plant Therapy did about safe essential oil use around infants and toddlers: https://blog.planttherapy.com/blog/2018/11/02/infants-and-toddlers/
I wish there was more public awareness about Essential Oil safety. I’ve heard so many dangerous uses of oils, non-kidsafe oils from parents, grandparents, people in general; diffusing around newborns, applying neat oil on babies, using non-kidsafe oils around or on young children and it’s terrifying. I pass on safety information to those that I can. Some people are very appreciative, because they just didn’t know. Then there are the others who believe they know better because that’s what they have been told by either a friend, family member or their EO company.
Prior to my daughter’s birth, I absolutely believed everything my MLM friends told me about EOs. I applied neat oils, added oils to my water, and used oils in recipes. I was shocked when I discovered PT and found out how unsafe all those things are! I’m so grateful for blogs like this that allows me to get the benefits of oils without doing harm to myself or my family. My daughter is cutting her first tooth now and it’s so wonderful to have this information and be prepared for any meltdowns!
This is so helpful for my grandchildren, thanks so much!
Thank you for this post. It’s so handy to have these dilution guidelines. And the Chamomile Hydrosol. Can’t wait to try!
*runs off to buy Roman Chamomile Hydrosol* THANK YOU FOR THIS POST PT!!!! Teething is so rough on everyone in our house!
I wish I’d known these things when my little ones were teething.
Love this blog. It is so informative! Thank you for the information, especially on diluting!
I created a roll on based on the above suggestion lavender and chamomile. Works like a charm
Thank you for posting this, valuable information to have. 🙂
Yep, it works. When my daughter was little and teething that’s what we used – blend of carrier oil and roman cammomile essential oil. Just before applying I would wet a bit the jawline area with a towel for better absorption.
It’s the best!
I have heard of using heavily diluted clove oil, but since using Plant Therapy I have seen this as not kid safe. I have even had over the counter teething gel from Nuby which contains clove oil. Thoughts?
Clove oil is something I would never use with any of my children, even the older ones! It’s too hot an oil, with too many known risks.
I wish I knew about EOs and Plant Therapy when my daughter was little and teething. Will share this with other new moms and dads!
Share away, and spread the love! <3