Baby Aromatherapy

Babies can benefit from aromatherapy too

Aromatherapy is the use of plant essences, also known as essential oils, to combat physical ailments and promote emotional well-being. It is an ancient practice that can be very effective for babies when used in the proper dilution. 

There are several safe essential oils that can provide relief for baby ailments such as restlessness, colic, or insomnia. The essential oils most commonly found in aromatherapy products include lavender, chamomile, mandarin, marjoram, neroli, jasmine, melissa, fennel, and pettigrain. For instance, a bedtime bath featuring essential oils of lavender and chamomile can help calm a fussy baby and gently induce sleep.

Your baby will respond to touch and massage is therefore an excellent to way to continue the bonding process. 

There are two good ways to treat babies with essential oils, these are through massage and then as a room fragrance. However now is not the time to use a diffuser as this tends to ensure that every last molecule is sent into the air, remembering that babies need a more gentle approach, put your chosen oil in a bowl of hot water, put the bowl in a safe place, well out of reach of the baby or other children and then allow the molecules to gently escape into the atmosphere. As the water cools so not all of the molecules will escape giving a much more gentle fragrance. 

This is an excellent method when babies and children have colds, by putting the bowl in the bedroom it allows them to sleep more soundly, while helping to fight the infection.

• Purity - True aromatherapy products should not contain the word "fragrance" in the ingredient list. Essential oils or the aromatherapy blend should be prominently included in the list of contents.
• Price - Generally speaking, aromatherapy products come with a higher price tag than their synthetic counterparts. While a little goes a long way, particularly with baby products, essential oils tested for purity are more expensive.
• Packaging - Products blended with essential oils should be stored in dark, colored bottles to slow the effects of oxidation. Amber, cobalt blue and green bottles are most commonly used for aromatherapy.