Essential Oils for Children’s Stress Relief

Introduction

Which essential oils can help support emotional calm in children?

The world of scents is one of the very first sensory experiences to develop, beginning in utero.

An ancient sense that speaks both to embodiment and inner life, the olfactory universe is especially powerful in children.

The comfort object, with its transitional role in helping a child feel safe when facing fear or separation, is a clear illustration of this sensory anchoring.

Through their influence on the nervous system via the olfactory pathway, and their subtle impact on emotional responses, essential oils can offer meaningful support in helping children navigate stress and emotions, from a very young age.

Guidelines for soothing babies and children with essential oils

Atmospheric diffusion of essential oils can be a gentle and effective way to help soothe babies and young children, provided the following safety guidelines are strictly respected.

Safety guidelines

• Do not diffuse essential oils in the presence of children under the age of 5. Aromatic molecules may irritate delicate mucous membranes. Therefore, turn off the diffuser a few minutes before the child enters the room.
• Use an ultrasonic diffuser. Essential oils are diluted in water, resulting in a softer, more even diffusion with reduced risk of irritation.
• Diffuse for only 15 minutes, max. every 2 hours.
• If the child has asthma, essential oil diffusion is not recommended.

Essential oils not suitable for diffusion

All dermocaustic essential oils and all essential oils with neurotoxic potential are not suitable for diffusion. (you can find a detailed list of these oils in my blog post Essential Oil Toxicity: The Complete Guide).

! Please note: mint essential oils should never be diffused in the presence of children ! The same applies to eucalyptus globulus.

The use of essential oils carries certain risks - and children are particularly vulnerable. Please read my article Essential Oil Toxicity: The Complete Guide for detailed information and safe-use guidance before using essential oils.

Soothing, calming, and reassuring your child

Citrus fruit essential oils (such as lemon, sweet orange or mandarin) are particularly well suited for children when used via the olfactory pathway. Most citrus essences are calming, some are even deeply relaxing.

• EO Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)
• EO Clementine (Citrus x clementina)
• EO Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) and
• EO Mandarin (Citrus x reticulata)

These essential oils help ease nervous tension, promote relaxation, and bring a sense of lightness and joy.

They are best used through the sense of smell to avoid any risk of photosensitivity.

You may combine all of these oils in a single bottle to create a true aromatic breath of well-being. Beyond their calming properties, they help restore emotional warmth and comfort, evoking a sense of sweetness and reassurance — much like a return to a lost paradise of innocence.

Anti-stress essential oil diffusion for children and babies

Mix equal parts in an ultrasonic diffuser using one of the following calming duos:

• EO Ravintsara (Cinnamonum camphora ct 1,8 cineol) & EO sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)
• EO Ho wood (Cinnamonum camphora ct linalool) & EO Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile or Anthemis nobilis)
• EO Ravintsara (Cinnamonum camphora ct 1,8 cineol) & EO fine lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Add max. 0.75 ml *) in total to the diffuser’s water reservoir. Diffuse for 15 minutes (max. every 2 hours) before the child is in the room.

*) That’s roughly 13 to 20 drops, depending on the size of the drops you use. Unfortunately, there is no internationally standardised dropper cap size.

For a more elaborate blend, refer to the formula presented later in this article.

Soothing gestures with hydrosols / hydrolats

Extremely gentle and safe for babies, hydrosols can be used to provide calming sensory support.

Choose fragrances such as

• HA Geranium bourbon (Pelargonium asperum)
• HA Rose (Rosa damascena)
• HA Roman chamomille (Chamaemelum nobile or Anthemis nobilis)

Lightly mist from a distance onto the child’s hair, hands, and possibly the face, allowing them to enjoy the soft and comforting aroma. Use as needed, without strict limitation.

Vanilla for sleep

A clinical study conducted at Strasbourg University Hospital in collaboration with the CNRS, within a neonatal care unit, highlighted the benefits of diffusing vanilla absolute (Vanilla planifolia) for premature infants.

Introducing a vanilla fragrance into the incubator’s air system resulted in a 36% reduction in overall sleep apnea episodes and a 45% reduction in severe episodes.

These effects are believed to be linked to vanillin, a molecule also naturally present in breast milk.

To do

To help maintain a sense of maternal connection during the night, place one drop of vanilla absolute on a tissue or aromatic stone nearby, or use a fan-based diffuser in the child’s room at bedtime and overnight. CAUTION: an absolute must never be used orally or applied to the skin.

My formula: calm & lightness

Properties: calming, relaxing, emotionally comforting.

Indications: restlessness, anxiety, nightmares, emotional outbursts, withdrawal, lack of motivation for school, physical and emotional fatigue.

• 2 ml EO Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
• 2 ml EO Green mandarin (Citrus reticulata)
• 3 ml EO Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)
• 2 ml EO Clementine (Citrus reticulata)

Using a 10 ml dark glass bottle with a dropper, add the essential oils according to the quantities indicated. A measuring cylinder (capacity: 10 ml) is ideal for measuring.

How to use

Add up to 0.75 ml (= 13 - 20 drops) of this blend to an ultrasonic diffuser. Diffuse for 15 minutes max. every 2 hours, particularly in the evening before bedtime, before the child enters the room.

You may also apply a few drops onto a chosen support (tissue, soft toy…) to create an “aromatic comfort object.” With babies and young children, care must be taken to ensure that they do not put the scented fabric in their mouths.

Please note: this blend may stain clothing, as some citrus essences are naturally pigmented.

---

Abbreviations:

EO = Essential oil
HA = Hydrolate

Note: Whenever we use the term ‘essential oils’ (EO), we always refer to essential oils that are 100% natural, 100% pure, 100% unadulterated, and preferably organic or wildcrafted. Only 100% genuine essential oils, obtained either by distillation or cold expression, are suitable for French aromatherapy. Proper storage and packaging, as well as adherence to the shelf life, are equally important in order to prevent the oxidation of aromatic molecules.

Source of the study: Marlier L, Gaugler C, Messer J. Olfactory stimulation prevents apnea in premature newborns. Pediatrics. 2005 Jan;115(1):83-8. doi: 10.1542/peds.2004-0865. PMID: 15629985.