Essential oils for babies are a great way to support your baby’s overall health and immune system. Since they are completely natural, there is no harm in using them with your baby and they do not pose any risk. You should still, however, always double check that a particular oil is safe for babies before using it. Here are some of the best essential oils to help your baby and how you can make sure your little one is safe while using them.

How to Use Essential Oils for Babies

Essential oils have many helpful uses for your babies, both for the skin and their overall health. Check out the excellent uses of these oils and how to apply them.

1. Yellowed Skin After Birth

Livers typically filter bilirubin out of our bloodstream, then release it into our intestinal tract. Newborns, however, have immature livers and can't always remove this bilirubin fast enough, leading to an excess. This can lead to yellowed skin following birth. When that happens, you can mix a drop of geranium essential oil and a tablespoon olive oil together. Apply this to the liver area as well as the bottom of your baby’s feet.

2. Fussy and Crying Baby

A fussy or crying baby is typically due to issues with the mother's diet leading to tummy aches or headaches for the baby. You can help it by mixing a drop of lavender oil in a tablespoon olive oil. Massage this gently onto the abdomen, being sure to stroke clockwise in the direction of the baby's colon. In this case, you can also put a few drops of Roman chamomile or lavender oil on your own shoulder and then lift your baby so they can smell it.

3. Cradle Cap

Nearly 90 percent of babies develop cradle cap and it can get worse in the weeks following birth. To help this issue, mix a drop of geranium oil and a drop of frankincense oil in a tablespoon of olive oil. Massage this into your baby's head gently twice weekly.

4. Runny Stool

If your baby has a runny diaper, mix a drop Roman chamomile in a tablespoon olive oil. Massage this into your baby's belly, traveling clockwise to follow the colon. This should reduce the runniness of the stool.

5. Digestive Support

Take a drop of orange and one of lavender and dilute this in two tablespoons of carrier oil. Rub this on your baby’s tummy clockwise for 30 seconds or more. Repeat each 15 to 30 minutes.

6. Skin

Combine a drop of Melaleuca, a drop of lavender, and fractionated or unrefined Lanolin or coconut oil. Apply this when you change your baby's diaper. Always wipe down the area before using your baby wipes as the chemicals in these may react with the essential oils.

7. Teething

Dilute some Roman chamomile, a calming blend, or lavender and apply this along your baby’s jaw line every 15 to 30 minutes. If your baby is older, you can use a drop of diluted clove in an ounce of vegetable glycerin.

8. More Uses

• Immune system health: Mix two drops of lavender, lemon, or melaleuca with carrier oil (a tablespoon). Use a small quantity to massage your baby's back and upper chest when changing the diaper and at bedtime.
• Respiratory health: Mix a tablespoon of carrier oil and a drop of lavender. Rub this on the back and chest.
• Oral health: Mix a drop of lavender or Roman chamomile in a tablespoon of carrier oil. Use a small quantity to gently massage the skin of the jawline.

Tips for Safe Use

Though natural and helpful for babies, it is never too careful when it comes to caring for babies, and using essential oils is no exception.

1. Always Dilute Essential Oils

No matter the essential oil you use or the brand you get it from, you should never use it without diluting, especially when using them for babies or children. If you plan on adding the essential oils for babies to your child's bath, always make sure that you first dilute it using a carrier that is water soluble, like vegetable glycerin or raw unfiltered honey.If you simply add the oil to the bath without first diluting it, your baby may get irritated skin.

Although you can use essential oils on babies in multiple ways, you should never put them by your child's face, particularly the nose. Many experts agree that the best way to apply essential oils on your young baby is by massaging it into their feet.

2. Introduce Essential Oils Slowly and One at a Time

Since your baby is still very young, you won’t know what allergies they have at this point. You don't want to discover they are allergic to an essential oil the hard way after using it in large quantities. Instead, introduce all essential oils for babies sparingly. Make sure to do so one by one so you can wait and watch to see if your baby has a negative reaction. This will also let your child's body become familiar with the oil, so never introduce multiple essential oils in a single day. In most cases, a baby who will have a negative reaction to essential oils will show signs of this within 15 or 30 minutes following dermal application or inhalation.

3. Don't Use Essential Oils Too Early 

Unfortunately, experts still don't know a great deal about essential oils for babies. The best idea is to do some research and trust your judgment as a parent. Learn as much as you can about the most common essential oils that you are able to find to minimize risks.

Never use essential oils on your baby if he is under three months. At this age, the skin isn't yet mature, meaning it has a higher permeability and will be more sensitive to the oils. Remember that newborns are not ready to deal with negative reactions like adults should. Always be extra cautious if your baby was born prematurely, meaning you should wait until three months following their due date.

Healthy Homemade Baby Wipes

To make sure what you use on your baby is 100 percent natural, you can make healthy baby wipes at home, which is quite simple. See the instructions below:

What you need:

To make healthy homemade baby wipes, you will need an airtight storage container, 3 drops of melaleuca essential oil, 3 drops of lavender essential oil, 2 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil, 2 cups of warm water, and a roll of premium paper towels (or cloth).

Instructions:

• ŸStart by cutting the paper towel roll in half, using half your roll now.
• ŸMix together the water, essential oils, and fractionated coconut oil in a bowl.
• ŸPour this mixture on your half a roll of paper towels, covering them in the airtight container.
• ŸLet them sit for 10 minutes, flip the container, and wait another 10 minutes.
• ŸTake out the cardboard middle and toss it.
• When you need to use them, just pull a wipe from the middle.