Can You Diffuse Essential Oils Around Kids? A Pediatric Expert Weighs In

Essential oils are generally safe to diffuse around children of all ages, integrative pediatric mental health expert Roseann Capanna-Hodge, Ed.D., LPC, tells mbg.

In fact, she adds, "Essential oils have medicinal properties, so they can be incredibly helpful for soothing the nerves of children." Research has also found that they have the potential to soothe youngsters' skin1. Nevertheless, as with using any substance around children, she adds, you'll want to exercise caution.

First of all, be sure to keep your EO bottles out of reach of your children so they don't accidentally get into them. Oils are potent and can be dangerous if inhaled or applied directly to the skin.

"Certain essential oils such as cinnamon2 and thyme3 can irritate the mucous membranes when diffused," adds Capanna-Hodge. To protect this important barrier, you may want to keep more pungent, spicy-smelling oils in your bedroom as opposed to common areas.

If you notice that your child is beginning to cough or get the sniffles once you turn on your diffuser, that's a sign they might be having a reaction to the oils. Turn off your machine and place it in another room, or smell the oils out of the bottle for a personal EO experience.

While you should be OK diffusing most oils around kids, Capanna-Hodge offers a few other helpful tips to make sure you're doing so safely.

For starters, use an essential oil diffuser and do not put the oils in a humidifier or anything that isn't explicitly labeled as essential oil safe. If a machine's plastic isn't strong enough to handle the oils, it might degrade over time. 

She adds that essential oils should also never be applied directly to the skin of children without first being diluted in a carrier oil.