I’m feeling a bit under the weather today and it’s snowing…again. So since I can barely even think straight, I thought I would pull out an old post that is so perfect to combat the numerous colds that have been going around.
When the weather starts to change or new kids come into the preschool, Mack often ends up with a cold. So I had to find something that would ease her aches and pains, curb the sniffles and give everyone a good nights’ rest.
The following is an essential oil blend which you can use in baths, on tissues, in massage oil and for inhalation. You only need fractions of drops of essential oils to treat kids so I always create the blend first, bottle it and then mix up what I need as I go. Then mix a few nights worth of massage oil at once, which lasts the few days that the cold hangs around.
In case you’re wondering, it’s also strong enough for adults should the cold get passed on. Plus it just smells nice and healing somehow.
This natural cold remedy is for symptoms like runny or stuffed up noses, congestion, cough and fever. Ingredients like lavender and neroli are included to help encourage sleep. Also, if anyone in your house comes down with a cold or someone visits who is sick, don’t forget to disinfect the air with kid-friendly homemade germ-killing spray.
Please notice that the milder forms of eucalyptus (not Eucalyptus globulus) and thyme are used. Do NOT substitute regular eucalyptus or thyme essential oils in their place when making this blend for children. The oils are far too powerful for small kids.
There is no substitute for the professional advice of a doctor. And if a cold should worsen or extend beyond one weeks time, you should consult a physician.
Natural Cold Remedies Essential Oil Blend
- 10 drops eucalyptus radiata
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops tea tree
- 5 drops neroli
- 2 drops thyme linalol
Combine the ingredients in a small bottle or bowl. Keep in an airtight glass amber-colored bottle.
Using the Natural Cold Remedies Blend
Baths — Dilute the blend into your favorite carrier oil before putting into the bath water. The full teaspoon of oil plus the drops of blend can be used in the bath water. If you’re making this for a newborn (<2 months old) mix 1 drop blend in 2 teaspoons carrier oil and use only 1/2 teaspoon of the carrier oil mixture in the bath.
- 2-18 months old — 1 drop blend in 1 teaspoon carrier oil
- 18 months – 3 years — 2 drops blend in 1 teaspoon carrier oil
- 3-6 years — 3 drops blend in 1 teaspoon carrier oil
- 7-11 years — 4 drops blend in 1 teaspoon carrier oil
- 12+ years — 5 drops blend in 1 teaspoon carrier oil
Baby Massage — Rub into the upper chest and back at each diaper change: 2 teaspoons carrier oil plus 1 drop of the cold blend. Be sparing with the oils.
Scented Tissue — Put a couple drops on a tissue or handkerchief and encourage your child to sniff it to help relieve symptoms. If there are colds going around your child’s school, this is a great way to help your little one fight off the germs without having to avoid classmates and germs.
What kind of carrier oil do you use? A good organic almond oil or olive oil or something else? I just ordered all the oils, and I can’t wait to give it a try!
.-= Jentry´s last blog ..The most awesome nose sucker =-.
I usually use jojoba…partially because it has a really long shelf life and because I have it open. Almond oil and grape seed are also great carriers though. Olive is also ok but I find it goes rancid pretty quickly. Hope you have great success with the oils. I’m all lavendered up today since my dog decided to take me for a walk earlier. Not so nice.
Great suggestion! My baby has gotten several colds this year and I’ll have to try this. Thanks!
This is great! I has just talking to my ayurvedic therapist and she has been giving me some great natural remedies for our family. I have never really tried a lot of natural stuff before but we have been trying hard to maintain a healthy more natural lifestyle.
So glad you’re enjoying it. I started getting into aromatherapy about 10 years ago, but got more serious about it in the last 4 or so. It’s amazing what you can do with essential oils and even fresh herbs. I am fascinated by the way the body responds to something that seems so simple. 😉
Is this strong enough to use in a spray (say, with water and vinegar) to clean mildew? We have a problem with it in the bedroom (our house was empty for 7 months with little air circulation) but have a two month old. I need a spray to clean the cabinet and would like to freshen the air with something in our candle diffuser.
Also, is neroli the same as sweet orange?
Yes, bitter orange is the same (Citrus aurantium) and it is not cheap. It comes from the flowers of the bitter orange tree which is why it’s harder to create and therefore more expensive. But you can substitute more of the other oils in the recipe instead (like lavender) or add try substituting chamomile instead which is also safe for your 2 month old.
Actually, you need to be really careful cleaning away mildew with water because it can contribute to the problem if/when it doesn’t dry quickly.
For mold, I’ve usually used pure tea tree oil in a spray bottle to kill the spores as I wipe off the mildew. Thieves oils also works well for that which you may have already seen in the other post you commented on. But you do have to be careful with the oils because they can stain sometimes.
As I said in the other post, diffusing the room while the kids are not in there and then letting it air out a bit may work best.for your situation. But do keep in mind that mold can get in the walls also and causes serious health problems. So if you get it cleaned up and still smell it or seem to be having problems, you may need to do heavier renovations.
Thanks for the quick reply! So you think I should clean with tea tree oil but diffuse with the thieve’s oil combo (when the kids aren’t in there)?
Yes, that’s what I would try. We had a water leak in a bedroom and the tea tree was really good for killing the mold and helping eliminate some smell. But the thieves oil is said to be able to get to the spores where you can’t see them as well, like in the walls.
Hello…Do you have any remedies for lice?I have used the over the counter stuff but is not working on my daughter.
is there anything you can use in place of the neroli? Also my 3 and 5 yr old both had rsv and my 3 and nine yr old are ahsmatic. Is it safe to use the eucalyptus radiata on them? I thought no eucalyptus was safe to use on children younger than 10 yrs old
You can drop the neroli and substitute more of any of the other oils (or a drop more of each).
Regarding Eucalyptus Radiata, for children under three, Robert Tisserand says that eucalyptus globula and radiata can be diffused (1-2 drops) and applied topically at a concentration of 0.5% (2 drops in 4 teaspoons carrier oil).
“I believe these guidelines are super-safe, if anything a little over-cautious. If you’re wondering about other types of eucalyptus oil, E. citriodora is safe for young kids, though is less likely to be therapeutic, and the safety of E. dives is uncertain,” he wrote on his Facebook page.