With the advent of social media and independent redistribution of popular essential oil brands like Young Living, knowledge of essential oils is steadily gaining momentum. However, the safety of using these oils in pregnancy, breastfeeding and babies still remains largely contentious and plenty of education and information is required before the safe use of the oils in these conditions. Certified clinical aromatherapist and stay at home mum, Kirsten Smit talks to Baby Peppers about these oils and clears up some of the confusion for us. 

*Important note: Information in this post is for educational purposes only and should never be used as a substitute for a consultation with a medical practitioner.

Kirsten’s first foray into essential oils started when she was determined to stay away from pills and find alternative treatments whenever her little boy fell ill. Although she found adequate essential oils, proper and dedicated information regarding them were scarce. Inspired by the need to know more about these oils and how they could benefit her children, Kirsten was compelled to take up aromatherapy studies formally which then subsequently led to her gaining her diploma in aromatherapy.

Despite the benefits of essential oils, they come with a string of disclaimers due to their very potent nature and must be used with caution. “Even though essential oils are natural they are still 70 times stronger then the plant part itself. Therefore great care must be taken when using them on our little ones. No matter how beneficial they might be, they should never be used on babies below three months of age,” warns Kirsten.

“Babies are very sensitive to strong aromas. Young children’s immune systems have not fully developed and they are overall less able to deal with adverse effects of concentrated substances like essential oils.”

It soon became apparent to Kirsten that there was a lot of confusion on what oils were safe to use and how they should be used. An abundance of queries on these oils finally led Kirsten to start her own online store which sells a range of aromatherapy goods and provides some excellent educational content about the products especially in relation to pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies and toddlers. Only certain essential oils are safe for babies when used correctly and according to the child’s age. These essential oils are listed with the correct dilutions on Kirsten’s blog post found here.

You can visit Kirsten’s store at www.aromatherapyforaustralia.com.au