Having high-quality essential oils handy for your little one can be a great way to care for minor issues at home. These are the best essential oils for babies who are younger than six months old.
I’ll never forget how I felt when I first brought my baby home. I was overwhelmed and unsure of my ability to care for him.
I found myself calling the doctor’s office often, asking for advice and recommendations instead of tapping into my maternal intuition. I was offered prescriptions for minor things like earaches, constipation, eczema and gladly accepted them.
When I had my second baby, I also stumbled across essential oils simultaneously, and this discovery drastically changed my experience of motherhood.
As I began to use the oils on myself, my oldest child, and my little one, I started doing my own research, trusted my gut, and finally became more confident in my ability to know what was best for my baby.
Jess Lourie
I want to share my favorite and must-have essential oils for babies with you to help with the most common problems new moms face. Trust me; you’ll want to add essential oils to your list of must-have newborn baby items.
As always, please consult your child’s care team or pediatrician with any questions or concerns about sickness.
Note: you must dilute all essential oils with fractionated coconut oil (or any carrier oil) to safely use a newborn baby. Learn more about essential oil dilution for newborns.
The best essential oils for babies by symptom
For a sore tummy
Did we ever think we’d be tracking how often another human poops? Nope! But, here we are.
The most common issues new moms come to me about is their baby isn’t pooping enough or is gassy. This is where our tummy blend comes in. It’s a blend of Ginger, Fennel, Coriander, Tarragon, Anise, Caraway, and Peppermint.
It’s instantly soothing but likely will require a few applications over a few days to get things moving. Adults can also use this for any belly issues. I personally also use it daily for myself.
To use:
You can dilute it with fractionated coconut oil in your hand and rub it in a clockwise rotation over the baby’s belly.
For sleep issues
Nothing is more valuable in a new mom’s life than sleep.
My favorite oils to help a baby sleep are Lavender and Frankincense. Some ways to use them are in the bath before bed, a drop on your baby’s lovie or bedsheet, in the diffuser, and massaged onto the baby’s feet before bed.
I find it helpful to get a good bedtime ritual going as soon as possible because a newborn is never too young.
A relaxing essential oil-based bedtime routine looks like this:
- Setting up the diffuser (this one is ideal for a nursery) with lavender and frankincense
- Bathing the baby with a drop of lavender in the water
- A relaxing massage with a diluted blend of lavender or frankincense
- Running the diffuser going throughout the night with a sound machine.
Before you know it, your baby will be sleeping better, and so will you.
For ear problems
That moment when your baby’s ear is red, and they are tugging on it, and it’s Saturday night, and the pediatrician’s office is closed? I’ve been there, and it’s insanely stressful.
Luckily, you can easily make a soothing essential blend to help your baby out.
To make:
Grab a 10mL roller (I love the look of these), add five drops of tea tree and three drops of lavender, and an optional five drops of basil. Then, fill the rest with fractionated coconut oil.
To use:
Grab your lavender and tea tree (if you have basil oil, add that in, too) and roll it on. Start at the top of the ear and end at the lower lobe. Repeat every few hours until the discomfort goes away.
You can also massage our OnGuard blend diluted on your baby’s feet for extra immune support. OnGuard is a blend of oils that support your immune systems, such as wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary.
You can use OnGuard for adults, kids, and babies to support the immune system year-round.
For skin troubles
Another common concern s is eczema and rashes on babies’ delicate skin. While we can certainly try oils topically for this, your best bet is breaking open a digestive enzyme. This is because skin issues often begin in the gut.
If you prefer to soothe skin issues topically, you can use coconut oil with three drops of lavender, tea tree, and frankincense.
To use:
Add half of a capsule into your breast milk, solid food, or formula.
Note: If you are only breastfeeding but aren’t pumping, you can put some of it on your nipple, and the baby will get the enzymes from there.
To pass the enzymes through your breast milk, you can take two at every meal and two on an empty stomach upon waking.
For congestion issues
Nothing keeps a baby up at night like a stuffy nose. As we know, it’s not safe to give any cold medicine to babies leaving many parents lost on how to help their little ones.
Breathe is a soothing blend of Laurel Leaf, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, Cardamom, Ravintsara, and Ravensara to help open up the baby’s airways.
To use:
My favorite way is to put a drop of Breathe blend in the diffuser while the baby sleeps.
Final thoughts on using essential oils for your baby
The more you use the oils with your baby and yourself, you will find yourself connecting with your intuition to help both of you. No one knows your baby better than you.
Want to try out essential oils for your baby? This kit has everything you need and more. Check it out here.
Additional resources on babies and essential oils
- Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby
- The Complete Book of Essential Oils for Mama and Baby
- Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child
