Essential oils aren't regulated by the FDA and little is known about their true health effects, efficacy or safety, nor about the interaction of herbs with other medicines. Herbs are considered a food source rather than drugs so less research has been devoted to them. While adult use of essential oils may be safe, it's risky to massage them into the skin of your baby or children.
Aromatherapy and Massage
Aromatherapy is an ancient healing art involving the use of essential oils to improve well-being, especially mood. Essential oils are inhaled indirectly by placing a few drops in a bowl or diffuser. They may be inhaled directly through an inhaler or by adding a few drops to a bowl of steaming water. Aromatherapy massage involves diluting essential oils with another oil and applying them to the skin. Massage with essential oils automatically involves inhalation as well.
Allergic Reactions
Essential oils are quite concentrated and very volatile. That means they evaporate easily and quickly into the air. An essential oil may be safe when inhaled but cause an allergic reaction when you massage it into your infant's skin. Cinnamon bark oil, clove oil, oregano oil and thyme oil frequently cause skin reactions. Contact allergic reactions can develop in people who use essential oils frequently. Skin reactions can also occur in your baby the first time you apply an essential oil. Cross-reactivity reactions can occur when using essential oils because of similarities in antigen proteins. If a child is allergic to ragweed, she may also be allergic to essential oil of chamomile.
Photo-Sensitivity
Photo-sensitivity or phototoxicity refers to the way some essential oils increase your vulnerability to the sun's UV rays. Angelica, bergamot, lemon, lime and orange oils are most likely to cause sun sensitivity. If you use these essential oils on children and they are then exposed to the sun, children are more likely to get sunburned or get more severely burned. At the extreme end, phototoxicity can lead to skin cancer.
Quality Issues
One of the biggest problems with essential oils involves their quality and purity. Because there is little regulation of these products, you could be buying synthetic essential oils or essential oils diluted with other types of oils. The concentration of the essential oil may not be accurate and you could be getting a different species of an herb. Some sage species, for instance, contain thujone, which negatively affects the nervous system. Oxidized essential oils, those that have been broken down by age, heat or sunlight are more likely to cause allergic reactions, especially in children.
Ingestion of Essential Oils
Essential oils aren't meant to be ingested yet accidental ingestion does occur and can cause death in children. Lavender extracts can cause appetite changes, constipation and headaches when ingested. Sage oil is toxic when ingested. Using sage oil frequently or in large amounts can cause increased dizziness, heart rate, kidney damage, vomiting, seizures, tremors or wheezing. Children that have ingested tea tree oil experience loss of balance, coordination and muscle control. Disorientation, drowsiness and rashes also occur with tea tree oil.
Other Threats to Children
Never use peppermint oil in any way with your baby or children. The menthol in peppermint oil can cause severe jaundice in infants with G6PD deficiency and has caused children under the age of six to stop breathing. Lavender and tea tree oils have estrogen-like effects and can block male sex hormones. Lavender and tea tree oil use has been linked to breast growth in boys and the National Cancer Society discourages people with estrogen-receptive tumors from using those essential oils. Some essential oils can cross the placental barrier according to the University of Minnesota, be careful about what you use when you're pregnant.
References
- National Centers for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Lavender; March, 2007
- National Centers for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Sage; December, 2010
- National Centers for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Tea Tree Oil; January, 2011
- National Cancer Institute: Aromatherapy and Essential Oils (PDQ®); 2011
- National Cancer Institute: Questions and Answers About Aromatherapy; 2011
- University of Minnesota: Are Essential Oils Safe? 2011
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