Essential Oils NOT Safe for Kids
Confused about which essential oils you can and can’t use for your kids? It’s so important to know for sure what is safe! Essential oils are powerful and should be treated with the same care that traditional medicines are. It’s important to know about essential oils NOT safe for kids, too.
Whether we’re dealing with cold and flu season, allergies, anxiety, sleep problems, or similar health and wellness issues, essential oils can be a wonderful addition to our tool kit as busy moms! But using essential oils safely is of utmost importance!
Two questions I get all the time are 1) how to use essential oils safely with kids, and 2) which oils should be avoided for a particular age. A little while ago I wrote a handy post for you with information about how to use essential oils for kids safely. But I still have mamas who would like to have a list of oils they should NOT use with their child, just so they can be certain. I totally understand that!
(Another question I get all the time is where I buy my essential oils. I use and recommend Rocky Mountain Oils. I love that you get free shipping, pure and high quality oils just as good as the MLMs, but with none of the MLM requirements and sign ups. Plus a satisfaction guarantee. 🙂
Disclosure: *This post may include affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the disclosures and terms for more information.
How Safe Do We Need To Be?
This post reflects my recommendations based on a few key sources and other research I have done. I’ll be sure to update it if I learn new information that changes anything! I get most of my essential oils safety information from two main sources: The aromatherapy certification course with The Aromahead Institute (here is a separate short course they offer), and Robert Tisserand and his book Essential Oil Safety.
I have learned that different experts have different approaches to safety use. The aromatherapy course does not recommend essential oils use for kids 5 and under. Instead, they recommend using hydrosols, which have many wonderful therapeutic properties with trace amounts of essential oils. This is the most conservative approach I have found thus far. The reasoning is that you can use herbs and hydrosols to get the effects you need without running any risk of overloading their the little systems of the under 6 crowd with powerful essential oils.
Many aromatherapists take a slightly less conservative approach similar to that of Robert Tisserand, another essential oils expert. In Tisserand’s book, Essential Oil Safety, and other publications, he indicates proper usage and safety of various oils for different age ranges. Personally, I like his approach, although sometimes I lean a little more conservative on a few oils and situations when it makes sense to me. Erring on the side of caution is just wise, in my opinion, and it’s really not that hard to do with all the hydrosols, herbs, and safe oils like lavender available.
You’ll also find some sources that are much less conservative and have different recommendations about certain oils like peppermint, dilution rates, or whether or not they can be used for kids. Many times these are essential oils companies, books, or blogs. Sometimes there is a studied and reasonable difference in opinion (we have to remember that there aren’t vast clinical studies and research sources to draw from like there are about drugs) but often they are simply repeating misinformation they found somewhere else. When in doubt, use sources like Essential Oil Safety.
So, let’s get started! Below you’ll find a list of oils organized by age group, indicating when they should NOT be used.
Essential Oils Not Safe for Kids Under 6 Months (Diffusion and Topical)
For safe oils, use a .5-1% dilution or lower.
(Do not use essential oils for children under 3 months old.)
- Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) For older kids, be aware that bergamot essential oil is a phototoxic oil, which means they should just be diffused or only used topically when you can protect the area from the sun or avoid sun exposure for 24 hours after use.
- Carrot Seed (Daucus carota)
- Cedarwood, Atlas/Virgina (Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus deodora, Juniperus virginiana)
- Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum verum) Never safe topically for any age.
- Cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum verum)
- Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus)
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
- Cypress (Cupressus sempervires)
- Fir needle (Abies sibirica)
- Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
- Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) Expressed grapefruit is phototoxic.
- Helichrysum (Helichrysum angustifolium)
- Lemon (Citrus limon) Lemon essential oil that is expressed is phototoxic
- Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)
- Neroli (Citrus aurantium)
- Palma Rosa (Cymbopogon martinii)
- Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium)
- Pine (pinus divaricata, pinus resinosa, pinus strobus, pinus sylvestris)
- Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica)
- Rosalina (Melaleuca ericifolia)
- Rose Otto (Rosa damascena)
- Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum)
- Spruce (picea abies, picea glauca, picea mariana, picea rubens)
- Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)
- Tangerine (Citrus reticulata)
- Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
- All the oils listed as not safe for older kids
Essential Oils Not Safe for Kids Under 2 (Diffusion Usually Safe Unless Otherwise Noted)
For safe oils, use a 2-3% dilution or lower.
Most of these are indicated unsafe just for topical application due to the stronger nature of the oil as well as possible skin reactions. Technically they are safe for diffusing unless otherwise noted. I commented where there’s explicit safety concern for diffusing. However, as a practice I steer clear of them for both topical and diffusing since there are other, gentler oils I can use for the younger kids. If there is a small amount of one of them in a pre-made blend I am diffusing I may still diffuse it, but using a smaller amount.
- Basil (lemon) Ocimum x citriodorum
- Basil, Sweet (Ocimum basilicum)
- Benzoin (Styrax all varieties)
- Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
- Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum aromaticum)
- Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)
- Clove Bud, Clove Leaf, Clove Stem (Syzygium aromaticum, Eugenia caryophyllata, Eugenia aromatica)
- Copaiba Basalm (Copaifera officinalis)
- Garlic (Allium sativum)
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
- Ginger Lily Hedychium coronarium
- Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis (pinocamphone chemptype) – avoid diffusing too)
- Jasmine absolute (Jasminum sambac)
- Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis)
- Lemon Leaf/Lemon Petitgrain (Citrus x limon, Citrus limonum)
- Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus and all varieties)
- Lemon Verbena (see Verbena, Lemon in this section)
- Massoia (Cryptocarya massoy, Cryptocaria massoia, Massoia aromatica) avoid diffusing, too
- May Chang (Litsea cubeba, Litsea citrata, Laura cubeba
- Melissa/Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Myrtle (honey) (Melaleuca teretifolia)
- Myrtle (lemon)/Sweet Verbena Backhousia citriodora
- Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri)
- Opopanax (Commiphora guidottii)
- Oregano (all varieties)
- Peru Balsam (all varieties)
- Saffron (Crocus sativus)
- Sage (Wild Mountain) (Hemizygia petiolata)
- Savory (Satureia hortensis, Satureia montana)
- Styrax (Liquidambar orientalis, Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Sweet Marjoram (Marjorana hortensis)
- Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
- Spearmint (Mentha cardiaca, Mentha spicata)
- Tea Leaf/Black Tea (Camellia sinensis, Thea sinensis)
- Tea Tree (lemon) (Leptospermum petersonii, Leptospermum citratum, Leptospermum liversidgei)
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris, Thymus Zygis)
- Treemoss (Pseudevernia furfuracea)
- Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)
- Turpentine (all varieties)
- Verbena, Lemon (Aloysia triphylla, Aloysia citriodora, Lippa citriodora, Lippa triphylla) Lemon Verbena is phototoxic.
- Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides)
- Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
- Ylang-Ylang (Cananga odorata)
- All the oils listed as not safe for older kids
Essential Oils Not Safe for Kids Under 6 (Diffusion and Topical)
(for safe oils, use 3% dilution or lower)
- Anise/Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum)
- Anise (Star) (Illicium verum)
- Cajuput (Melaleuca cajuputi, Melaleuca leucadendron)
- Cardamon (Elettaria cardamomum)
- Cornmint (Mentha arvensis, Mentha canadensis)
- Fennel (bitter), Fennel (sweet) (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Galangal (lesser) (Alpinia officinarum, Languas officinarum)
- Ho Leaf/Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora (cineole chemotype)
- Laurel Leaf/Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
- Marjoram (Spanish) (Thymus mastichina)
- Myrtle (aniseed) (Backhousia anisata)
- Myrtle (red) (Myrtus communis)
- Niaouli (cineole chemotype)
- Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
- Peppermint (you can use a drop or two in the diffuser, but do be careful. I don’t recommend topical use generally but if it’s in a blend at less than .5% dilution it is ok. Personally I just stay away from peppermint for this age range.).
- Rambiazana Helichrysum gymnocephalum
- Sage White/Greek (Salvia fruiticosa, Salvia triloba Sage, Salvia apiana)
- Sanna (Hedychium spicatum)
- Saro (Cinnamosma fragrans)
- All the oils listed as not safe for older kids
Essential Oils Not Safe for Kids Under 10-12 (Diffusion and Topical)
- Birch (sweet) Betula lenta
- Chaste Tree Vitex agnus castus
- Any Eucalyptus (including blobulous Eucalyptus radiata) except Eucalyptus citriodora (This is a pretty conservative approach and it is possible to use these oils highly diluted safely for younger kids but other oils work well for similar purposes so I take the more conservative route. Oils high in 1,8 cineole can be dangerous for young children.)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Wintergreen (avoid for any kids)
More Resources on Using Essential Oils With Children
- Using Essential Oils Safely with Children by Ben and Me
- What Essential Oils We Use Regularly Here in Autismland by Our Adventures in Autismland
- The Non-Crunchy Mom’s Guide to How to Use Essential Oils by Wonder Woman Wannabe
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This is so helpful! Thank you!
I would love to see this in a printable form 🙂
Good idea! I’ll work on that.
Can you still safely use these oils on yourself when you have small kids in the house as long as you don’t diffuse/put on them?
Yes! Some oils aren’t safe for pregnant or nursing women, but otherwise that would be fine.
I have a 2.5 year old who still nurses about 2-3 times/day. Which oils should I avoid?
I always read such controversial things when it comes to essential oils…kinda deters me from using them. I used sandalwood on my son at 5 months. Why exactly is it not recommended?
The reason for those discrepancies is because many people disregard safety information entirely or misrepresent it. Some experts and aromatherapists also have different levels of comfort recommending certain kinds of oils for certain age levels, so you may see some of that as well. That really confused me when I first started researching essential oil safety but now I can see where most people have heard their information based on what they say about child essential oil safety.
The list I put togethe is based on the information from essential oil expert Robert Tisserand. I personally don’t use sandalwood with kids younger than two but that’s just a more conservative safety preference. I looked up more info on sandalwood specifically and it looks like there are some cases of skin reactions or photoallergic reactions, which would be more of a concern for very young babies. I think generally using the list of oils safest for very young babies (under 6 months old) is just a better practice since we know that they are gentler overall and the risk of harm, if properly used and diluted, is very small.
I hope that helps!
I was going to make homemade bug repellent instead of using store bought with deet. I have a 1.5 yr old, 3, 6, and 9. Most of the oils that are to be used are on your list. If I am putting the repellent on their clothes and not directly on their skin is it safe? It calls for citronella, eucalyptus, geranium. tea tree, lemon grass, rosemary, and lavender. It also says you can omit an oil and use more of one of the others. I am trying to repel mosquitoes and ticks in Wisconsin. Do you have any advice? Thank you in advance!
Hi Bethany! Here are my DIY recipes for bug repellent, including one for adults and one for kids!
https://www.proverbialhomemaker.com/diy-non-toxic-bug-spray.html
If you already have the ones you listed on hand I would skip the eucalyptus (unless it’s eucalyptus citriodora, which is fine) and the rosemary and add a few drops of the other ingredients.
Another option is to use Bug Away, RMO’s kid-safe bug repellent blend. You can get the roller bottle for topical application or the regular bottle for diffusing or making your own products. (referral link) https://essentiailoils.go2cloud.org/SH1lm
Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you so much for the help!
The Honest Company has an organic “kid-safe” bug repellent and it lists the following ingredients:
Active Ingredients:23% Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil*, 10% Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil*, And Essential Oils Of 4% Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella)*, 2% Cedrus Atlantica (Cedar)*, 2% Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass)*, 1.5% Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)*, 1% Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium)*, 1% Mentha Piperita (Peppermint)*
Inactive Ingredients (55.5%):Water, Essential Oil Of 0.5% Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen)*
*Certified Organic Ingredient
Would you consider this safe for a two year old? I didn’t realize essential oils weren’t safe. Not that I use often, but on occasion when baby was sick I would put some in a humidifier or have bought or received as a gift a blend of roller-ball type products to put on baby’s feet. Now I feel awful I ever did without checking. I’m normally one to over-worry and research everything.
As a side note, I feel like anything is unsafe these days. I don’t think I’ve found a product that I’ve researched that is legitimately safe, even if it claims so, for small children, especially 2 and under. That is so frustrating for a mom. 🙁
I completely understand Stefani 🙁 It really is frustrating! I looked at that product closer and I’m not sure what to say – with that list I wouldn’t use it, and I didn’t see age-specific safety cautions other than skin testing under 6 months old. I just wouldn’t choose it. That said, if your child is ok right now I wouldn’t worry about it too much – I just wouldn’t continue using the product.
Instead, I would get RMO’s Bug Away roller bottle or Bug Away Neat and use it with a base oil (fractionated coconut oil or something like that) to help keep the bugs off. I believe Plant Therapy has one too. Both of those companies put together good kid safe blends and recommendations.
I hope that helps!
I was wondering if you could tell me some of the risks associated with using certain essential oils with young children. I understand that peppermint, eucalyptus, Rosemary, Wintergreen, and so on, are unsafe for young children. Are these oils deemed unsafe strictly for the risk of skin irritation or are there more serious risks?
It depends on the oil, but there can be other issues. For example, below is some of the info made available in our Growing Natural FB group about safety of eucalyptus.
———
Too much of Eucalyptus Globulous (due to high 1,8 cineole) can sometimes act negatively on the temperature receptors of children’s lungs and cause slowed breathing. The general recommendation is to not use eucalyptus globulous or radiata with kids under 10. I’ve heard some more conservative recommendations, which I tend to go with, recommending not using them for kids under 12.
(On the other hand Robert Tisserand has said that eucalyptus globulous and radiata can be diffused (1-2 drops) and applied topically at a concentration of 0.5% (2 drops in 4 teaspoons carrier oil). But my choice is to avoid them with kids in my own blending and diffusing because a) other oils work as well, and b) kids don’t love the smell anyway.
Eucalyptus radiata – still has high 1,8 cineole but not quite as much as E. globulous so it’s a bit softer in effect and scent, although still very powerful. It’s often preferred for elderly folks and if you’re looking for respiratory relief. Great combined with the globulous for diffusing to kill germs, boost immune system, and help congestion.
I LOVE The RMO blend Breathe Ease for when I am congested (contains radiata and citriodora)
Eucalyptus citriodora – very different from globulous or radiata. Not at all high in 1,8 ceneole and so it doesn’t pose risk to children. Often you’ll see it lumped in with the others and that’s incorrect. This is information according to Tisserand and his book Essential Oil Safety, the Aromahead certification course, and my own examination of the GC/MS data for all three varieties.
Citriodora does have some properties that help with cold and flu but it is generally less therapeutic for that purpose and basically smells like bug spray. It’s kind of a sweet citronella scent that most people don’t like. I’ve used it in solutions for hair treatment to deal with dry scalp and I like it for that, but for kids I might as well use something that doesn’t smell like bug spray. 🙂
Another RMO blend I love (it’s actually my favorite) is Immune Strength, which contains some E. citriodora
I make soap nut concentrate for laundry detergent and put essential oils in it. It’s pretty lightly scented, but this round I used patchuli, frankensense and grapefruit. Is this a problem for baby clothes? I always use vinegar rinse, and it’s not strong smelling.
My understanding is that once it goes through the laundry the scent may remain a bit but the aromatherapy value is too scant to even worry about. That said, I’d personally stick to baby-safe oils anyway to be on the safe side.
I agree that when using essential oils on children it is better to err on the side of caution.
I appreciate that you are using credible sources for information.
You just gained another loyal follower.
Hi! My husband accidentally put citronella oil (rather than the lavender) in my kids (twin 2 years old) diffuser in their bedroom tonight before bed. I noticed it about two hours later and aired out the room but is it very bad for them to have breathed in the citronella oil for 2 hours!
I’m sorry I missed this! Airing it out is good and just watching in the future. But if they seem ok I wouldn’t worry about it now. Things to watch for would have been odd behavior, breathing problems, etc.
I really appreciate this list! I’ve found similar lists, but I like knowing WHY a certain oil isn’t recommended. I err on the side of caution with the kids so much that I feel like I only end up using lavender because I’m so nervous about it! I want to get some blends because to make my own blends would be expensive to buy all the components but so many blends will include one or more from the list. For example I was thinking of purchasing the Immune Strength from RMO but it has rosemary. Would that be enough of a risk to avoid using it at all? I have a 7, 4, and 19 month old.
I understand! I personally use Immune Strength on my 9 year old and up. I use their Immunity blend from their kids line for the rest of the kids. 🙂
Hi! I’m wanting to make my own natural deodorant, however I have a nursing 3mo… Is it okay to use oils like tea tree in my own deodorant if baby’s face is going to be so close?
I would probably wait until they were 6 months old out of caution. Native is a company that sells natural deodorant with coconut and vanilla that works well for me. I don’t believe it has essential oil in it but you’d want to check first.
Hi!
Thanks for the great article. I usually am very careful with what i use topically on my children (5 & 9- soon to have their birthdays), but I’m wondering if some of this information applies to diffusing as well. I’m currently using eucalyptus in the diffuser for a cold I’m fighting and I’m worried it might be harmful as well.
I would personally not diffuse eucalyptus for kids that young. You can with eucalyptus citriodora but it’s not quite the same. I would stick with tea tree or cedarwood instead.
Is it safe to diffuse cinnamon bark for a 7 & 10 year old?
Yes, it is safe to diffuse for older than 6 months. I would use it intermittently (rather than for long stretches of time) and not use too much at once though. Sometimes they have been irritating to us if they are diffused too strong/long.
I have 3 children ages 3 and up. I want to diffuse fall
Scents such as cinnamon bark, clove, nutmeg. Are these safe for diffusing only?
Based on my understanding I’d exclude nutmeg. Cinnamon bark and clove should be safe to diffuse (not topical) but I personally would go light on them because too much can be overwhelming for us, especially kiddos. I would try adding orange and/or cedarwood, which are both great safe ones, if you need more scent. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thanks for this list! What is your understanding on using essential oils in things like soap or candles? We’ve been using lemon verbena mrs meyer’s soap for a while and it never occurred to me that might be problematic for my kids. I’m also starting to make my own soaps and candles with essential oils and am not sure if those are equivalent to topical use and diffusing in terms of kid safety (my kids are 1 and 3). Thanks!
Most wash-off products aren’t a problem but for young kids I’d still make sure that the EOs in any bar or hand soap are kid-safe. It’s harder with commercially sold items sometimes, too, because they often don’t disclose the dilution rate.
As far as candles, heat usually changes the EOs enough to make the aromatherapy value questionable. It may still smell nice though. 🙂 It does matter what the dilution rate is and what oils are used – I’d make sure I used safe oils and amounts for my kids’ age range. Finding a good recipe to follow or modify can give you a good start. Here’s one to consider. http://mountainroseblog.com/how-to-make-candles-beeswax/
Hi – I applied Marjoram to my shoulder to help with tendinitis. I’ll be around my special needs grandson all day taking care of him. He’s 2 1/2 years old. Will that be ok since he’ll probably be able to smell it but it won’t actually be ON him? Thank you for any advice/help!
Sorry I missed this before. According to Tisserand Marjoram is fine topically for kids over 2 (properly diluted) and is fine for kids to smell (diffusion) under two. So based on that information I wouldn’t expect this to be a problem.
Hello! I’ve been diffusing a Thieves blend at night (when the kids are asleep, not in the same room). Is this ok if they are not in the same room or would you err on the side of caution and not diffuse it at all? I am new to essential oils and this post has been so helpful!! Thanks so much!
I would be comfortable with that. It will be gone by the next morning. 🙂
Do you think the ingredients in RMO kids line are safe for kids?
Yes, I do – I love their kids line. Of course, I still pay attention to the ingredients and use them based on that. For example, I personally would save the Breathe blend for when they’re 2 or older even though I’m sure the amount of black pepper oil in the blend is very small. But I tend to lean on the conservative side safety wise. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Hi Tauna, thank you so much for this list!! Just a quick question, we are all ill and potentially have covid so I’ve placed oregano oil with lavender in our diffuser, about 5-7 drops of oregano oil in a 700ml diffuser. It smells pretty strong and my 15 month old sleeps in our room. It’s for overnight. Is that ok?
I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner! Oregano is not something I’d put in a diffuser at that strength, especially with a young one in the room. I hope you are all doing better!
thank you, I opened the window right next to it as a precaution, and tonight I only put three drops, I am covid positive so am trying to balance using a cure and safety of my baby. what would you recommend the strength to be if any at all?
I might try to get some other blends – lavender with orange and cedarwood is my favorite for all the things, including strengthening the immune system, and is safe for kiddos.
Thank you very much Tauna, one more question if you don’t mind, could I diffuse oregano in an open landing/stair?to cleanse the air? rather than in our room. As you can tell I’m a massive fan of Oregano … but will leave it out if it’s a risk to my baby
If it were me I would go ahead and do that when the baby is in bed napping or sleeping. If the air is pretty much cleared of the oil by the time they are out and about I would feel comfortable with it!
Thank you very much 🙂 this has been insightful and we’ve all recovered well Thank God 🙂
So I have 3 year old grandson with Autism and we were told that Clary Sage oil is good treatment to help kids like him to sleep better. (He does not sleep good and also has meltdowns). What do think as your list states to be careful clary sage oil.
This is a wonderful tool! I like to keep it handy for my postpartum clients. I did have a question, though. Do feel like it’s okay to wear something with essential oils in it on my person? It’s already blended from a company that lists all essential oils used for the scents (so it’s diluted). I avoid as many on this list as possible, but I also like to have safe scents for myself to wear before my babies are 6.
Yes, I do that myself!
Love your info on essential oils. I wanted to point out though that under the “not safe for babies under 6 months” list, you don’t have “and all oils listed for older kids”, like u do in the other lists. Might want to add that in case someone doesn’t put two and two together, that unsafe oils for under 6 months includes all the other lists too. Thanks. Great work.
Thank you! That is now fixed. 🙂
Hi! I am grateful for all of your research. I have a 1.5 year old with #2 on the way. I am trying to find recipes for cleaning products, but most of them contain oils that would be for the 2-5 year range or above (from the RMO website). I know your list for “under 2” contains many that are safe for diffusing. So, if I understand correctly, I can use the oils in the under 2 category for cleaning blends since it won’t be applied topically. But, since I will have a newborn soon, should I wait to use these around the house until he is 6+ months?
Yes that’s correct! I personally would wait until they’re 6 months or older but I tend to err on the side of caution. 🙂