Does diffuser oil and sprays help your baby?
Diffuser oils and sprays can act as a great factor for the health of your baby in the early days of infancy. But you have to take extreme measure of care when choosing essential oils. The oils are very concentrated and powerful so always consult your doctor before you start using any kind of essential oil. Make sure that the oil is diluted before you start using them. General dosage is not recommended for babies like adults o consult your doctor regarding the dosage.
How does aromatherapy work?
Aromatherapy can be a great option for your baby. Babies tend to love massages and it works wonderfully in developing their skin and health. There are various mental benefits as well when it comes to diffuser oils. You can implement soothing massages which will promote the baby’s sleep habits and also increase stimulation circulation as well as relieve colic.
There are a various recipes for massage oil which you can use. One which perfectly is when you combine 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Geranium, 1 drop Roman Chamomile and 30 mil sweet almond oil. After you blend it together you can use it as massage oil and the results are very good. You can use this oil on babies above 3 months old.
You can also add it to the bath of the baby. It removes crankiness and promotes sleep. Try to put a single drop of lavender with 20ml full fat milk and you are set to go. Putting a couple of drops on a hanky and just leaving in the room helps in the baby recognising the smell and being relaxed by it.
Room diffusion technique
Another popular aromatic therapy is Room diffusion. You can put a bowl of steaming water in the room. Make sure that the baby cannot come in contact with the water. Add 1 drop of diffuser oil to the water and the steam will rise and circulate throughout the room. This helps in creating a very relaxing environment for the baby.
You can also use a diffuser but make sure that the diffuser is glazed properly. Clean it properly or else it will not work. Essential oil spray bottles are really handy in maintaining a clear distribution within the room. Add just 1 drop of essential oil to a teaspoon of water and add it to the diffuser. Always remember to dilute the oil with water since you should never use the oil neat on the diffuser. Essential oil spray works very well for the overall development of the child.
For sleep issues you can try Roman chamomile. Lavender is another great choice since it incorporates antibiotic, antiseptic, disinfectant properties. You can also use also use such oils for preventing indigestion, diarrhoea etc. As first oil choices for your baby try to use Lavender and chamomile. As the age goes up you will find several other options of diffuser or essential oils.
There are a few things which you should remember about aromatic therapy:
You shouldn’t use this therapy on babies less than 3 months old. Always consult your doctor when you start the therapy and take in which oil you should use. The baby is still developing its senses to recognise the world, aromatic therapy at too early a stage of infancy can cause problems later on.
Aromatic essential oils should be pure and therapeutic grade. Fragrance and other synthetic oils have no healing properties so it is useless to try them. If you see that the label of the oil says do not use internally then it s a good chance that it is a petro-chemically distilled fragrance oil so do not use that.
There are various measurements which you need to follow when y are applying diffuser oils so consult your doctor regarding that. Generally 1% is used for infants up to 2 years old and 2% dilution for ages above 2 years.
Try to use lavender and chamomile as they are the best and safe essential oil for use on infants. Do not put the oil on the face and only focus on the body of the baby. In addition also do not try to put in heavy dosages.