When to NOT use essential oils (Essential oils can cause seizures in kids)
1/3/2015. Update from Dr. Erika: DON’T THROW OUT YOUR ESSENTIAL OILS! I’ve been getting a lot of comments from folks who read this article and are terrified to use essential oils now. Please, read the article carefully – topical or diffused essential oils can be very safe and effective in kids when used correctly! Remember to adjust dose to your child’s weight – if 1-2 drops is effective for an adult, then 1/2, 1/5, or 1/10 of a drop may be effective (and safe) for your child. 
When to NOT use essential oils
Are you an essential oil user? Chances are the answer is yes!
Recently there has been a huge rise in the use of essential oils from some popular MLM companies like Young Living and Doterra. BUT – with every new craze comes some good news and bad news…
The good news:
I love the fact that so many families have thrown out their Glade Plug-in air fresheners, or other synthetic spray air fresheners. Synthetic air fresheners are notoriously horrible products, in my opinion. The Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) rated 150 products with a grade D for safety, and 78 products with a grade F. (Only 11 got a grade A, and one of those was baking soda!) They even have a warning on their website saying “Avoid air fresheners: they can cause allergies and only cover up bad odors.” I really, really, really, really, really don’t like synthetic air fresheners. They are known to have phthalates and other substances which interfere with our hormones and are known to cause cancer. Using a vaporizer for essential oils is a much better way to diffuse fragrance and naturally reduce odor-causing bacteria.
The second piece of good news: I love it when patients have essential oils on hand. I do actually use essential oils a lot in my practice, usually topically or in steam inhalations. Lavender, tea tree, and thyme are my favorite three to have on hand. These are what I usually recommend families to keep in their herbal first aid kit. (Frankincense would be next.)
Okay, on to the bad news.
As a physician, I am very concerned about the rise in inappropriate use of essential oils.
Did you know that essential oils can cause seizures in children?
Essential oils are the distilled volatile aromatic constituents of the plant that are highly concentrated. Remember that one drop of essential oil is equivalent to 15-40 cups of medicinal tea, or up to 10 teaspoons of tincture. Would you ever give a child 40 cups of tea, or 10 teaspoons of tincture? My goodness, I hope not.
There have been several documented cases of seizures in children (and a few in adults) who have taken essential oils inappropriately. (You can check out case reports here, here, here, and here).
The bottom line is: essential oils can be neurotoxic to children. I never recommend internal use of essential oils in kids. Even in adults I save internal use of essential oils for serious infections or other conditions that are unresponsive to normal doses of herbs (in tincture or tea form). Topical or vaporized essential oils can be safe and very effective in children when used correctly!
So here are some guidelines for using essential oils in kids:
1) Always use a carrier oil when applying essential oils to the skin. A “carrier oil” is a type of base oil, to slightly dilute the essential oil and protect the skin against direct contact with the essential oil. Essential oils should never be applied “neat” (undiluted) to the skin. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen allergic contact dermatitis (big ugly skin rash) with undiluted oils! Mix 1-2 drops of essential oil in 1-3 teaspoons of a carrier oil like olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, avocado oil, or other mild, gentle, skin-friendly oil. Mix essential oils with carrier oils immediately before applying them. This prevents rancidity.
2) Keep oils away from airways (nose and mouth). One thing I really like about DoTerra’s recommendations is that they usually tell parents to apply essential oils to the feet of children and babies. This is a great idea, because it provides space between the airways and the source of the essential oil. Just make sure your baby doesn’t then put his feet in his mouth! Also make sure the essential oils are mixed with a carrier oil first.
3) Do not use vaporizers in a house where a child or adult lives with a respiratory disease. I have seen a number of asthma patients who were constantly having their airways aggravated from aerosolized essential oils. Use extreme caution when using essential oils in kids with asthma. Most essential oils will inflame a sensitive respiratory tract. I have heard from some of my naturopathic colleagues who have seen frightening cases of children completely unable to breathe because of essential oil-induced asthma attacks.
4) Do not use essential oils in teething recipes. No, no no. This is not safe! Stick with chamomile or lemon-balm tea popsicles. (Super yummy and babies love them!) Clove oil can be used topically (cloves infused in olive oil, not clove essential oil), but use with caution, because if a baby swallows clove oil or any numbing agent it has the potential to numb the gag reflex, and babies can end up aspirating their own saliva.
5) Do not give children essential oils internally. I highly recommend limiting internal use of essential oils to use under physician supervision only, for kids OR for adults. Once again, I have heard from colleagues who have seen everything from ulcers, to chronic gastroenteritis, to asthma, flaring of skin lesions (eczema, acne, psoriasis, you name it), migraines, chronic heartburn, and many more, from taking internal essential oils. Again – remember that one drop of essential oil is equivalent to 15-40 cups of medicinal tea, or up to 10 teaspoons of tincture. Products that have mixtures of essential oils and herbs tend to be safer. The exception to this rule: essential oils that are used for flavoring only tend to be safe (e.g., orange essential oil to flavor ice cream) – in this case the total amount of essential oil is very, very low.
6) Never ever take essential oils internally if you are pregnant. I recommend using extreme caution with topical essential oils and vaporized essential oils. Remember, essential oils very easily end up in the blood stream from topical or vaporized (and inhaled) use. (Topical by fat absorption through the skin, vaporized by diffusion in the alveoli of the lung.) Essential oils do cross the placenta and a fetus is extremely susceptible to the neurotoxic components. Most of the time this ends up being a non-issue though – pregnancy makes women so sensitive to smells that I know very few women who would use too much essential oil – our bodies do a great job of telling us when to stop!
At this point I am sure I will get hundreds of hate e-mails from avid essential oil users telling me how great they are and how much they helped their own personal health. I am in no way denying the fabulous benefits of essential oils! And they can be used internally – with caution!! But for every great success story of how much essential oils have helped, I get to see the other story, of how essential oils have worsened. So please, coming from Dr. Erika here, please use essential oils wisely, and save yourself a trip to my office – or worse, the Emergency Department.
Another note from Dr. Erika: Regarding the comments section – I’m trying, but I just can’t get to every comment anymore. If you are asking a specific treatment question (like “What EO can I use for _______ symptom) – I cannot answer those, you will need to ask your physician for guidance. Remember that symptoms are just symptoms of a bigger problem! If you need to find a naturopathic physician near you who has experience with essential oils, I recommend checking out the Pediatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians, or the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
Melissa
January 26, 2015 at 7:08 pmI have been using an EO Blend by Native American nutritionals “Attention Assist” on my 4 year old daughter (I dilute it even further). She is very active and seems to not have “control” of herself. Since we have begun using this oil she seems to have better control of herself. I use it 2-3 times daily. Is this safe for her – am I using it too often. I am doing as much reading as I possibly can and just want to make sure that it will not harm her internally or down the road. Please help. Thank you
Attention Assist Ingredients: Vetiver (Vetivera zizanioides), Frankincense (Somalia) (Boswellia Carterii), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and Cedarwood (Cedrus deodora), in a base of Wild Fractionated Coconut Oil.
Lisa T
August 5, 2015 at 9:20 pmMelissa That is amazing! I love reading about studies done on EO and especially ones referring to ADHD which i have to a very dibilitating degree.. I do Use Young Living and love sharing it and one of the books quoted a study done where they tested Vetiver Frankincense and Cedarwood. They had the children smell it 3-4 times a day with clincal results! Most everything i have read state that inhalation aka diffusing a few times per day is recommended. and as this site should show you that i don’t just read YLEO related material in fact most of the stuff i spend time reading isn’t. Use on children… Well I doubt it could be worse than pharma. You would have a much higher risk of side effects that way. My experience with meds…. well it resulted in me loosing all motivation to get out of bed… I have more of the mental hyperactivity and the meds i was on, being the typical ADHD person and being totally unselfaware it pushed me into becoming somone i don’t wish to be and the good habits it broke while i was on it are still haunting me today.. I hope that with the change in government her that we might get some more support for natural or more complete remedies for our ailments but until that happens remember YOU are a WONDERFUL MOTHER, to even attempt to find somthing that actually helps rather than going back to the doctor repeatedly shows more love and care than most. The oils you mentioned are what triggerd me to write this comment and what i would say if i was that four year old with what i know now is THANK YOU!
For safety if you are worried you could allways try a pixie glass diffuser necklace with the pure oils inside. The very gentle diffusion of the oils from the pin sized hole would be extremely gentle and if you find it not effective enough you can allways have the child smell it gently away from the nose but clocer to it when they feel they need or you do. This avoids topical or over exposure and extends the use of the oil. Pixie glassworks is an Edmonton Alberta based company and i am pretty sure you can purchase them online from EO retailers.
Thank you again for the article above and thank you Melissa for the ingredients and sharing your experience with them they helped me in my mind cement what i can expect when i use them myself(placebo effect who cares as long as it helps!) It also reassures me when i share the story of the study with others. I am all for safe use! BUT there is a fine line we must walk between helping people get away from chemicals and scareing them into avoiding natural meds and essential Oils. I am trying to walk that line but how we say things and what we say have a major impact on what people will do. First order is DO NO HARM! If you have a choice between and EO that might possibly cause some irritation or a very miniscule chance of induceing temorary seizure OR one that has been linked to increased risk of CANCER! (ritalin) Umm….. don’t think too hard on that one.
Suzanne
January 25, 2015 at 9:44 pmWhat a wonderful article!
As a medical professional myself, (I’m an RN) I love seeing articles backed up with facts and research intended to educate users about the benefits AND risks of using essential oils. Essential oils are great, but should be used wisely. I just created a site that outlines EO safety as well as a database that includes interactions between essential oils and prescription and OTC medications. I hope some essential oil users out there will find it useful as well. Thank you again for the article – I hope you didn’t get too much hate mail. 🙂
Suzanne
http://www.eo-essentials.com
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
January 26, 2015 at 12:27 amAwesome Suzanne – that’s a great resource!
Jessica B.
February 2, 2015 at 5:50 pmDr. Krumbeck…. I am just starting to look into essential oils, but my son has lots of allergies and asthma. Is tea tree oil safe in a cool mist humidifier with an asthmatic (5.5 yrs old) kiddo and a newborn at home? I was told 15 drop in with that water in the humidifier? Any advice on this is greatly appreciated! Thanks 🙂
Jennifer Smith
January 24, 2015 at 3:33 pmDr. Krumbeck: you seem legit, but I’m not sure why you would write an article with the alarming statement “Essential Oils can cause Seizures in Kids” in the title, using these “documented cases” as examples.
I can’t speak for Young Living, but I am very familiar with dōTERRA, and in Case #1: it discusses Sage; an EO that dT doesn’t even produce, so we don’t know anything about the purity of it. Nobody tests their oils as thoroughly as dT, so it could be full of pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, etc. Furthermore, there’s no mention of the dosage. For a newborn, it should be no more than 1/2 drop, diluted – at the most.
For Case #2: It mentions Fennel EO (no brand or purity listed) causing a seizure with a 38-year old epileptic woman: someone already prone to seizures! Furthermore, the Fennel was an ingredient used in “a number of cakes she ingested with an unknown quantity of Fennel”. How do they even know it was the Fennel that caused the seizure, rather than another ingredient in the cakes?
For Case #3, it is a very vague statement with no age listed, no specific oils listed, and again; with a patient already prone to seizures – after a temporal lobectomy!
For Case #4, yet another vague statement; only 3 patients with no ages listed; mostly strong oils that dT doesn’t even produce, such as Wormwood.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but this article seems unnecessarily alarming; particularly when you could be writing articles about other things that are known to cause seizures in many children, such as Vaccines, DEET, and tons of prescription medications.
Rebecca
January 21, 2015 at 4:58 pmDr. Krumbeck, Do you recommend EO’s for basic immunity boosting in children? I have a friend whose child has Chronic Osteomyelitis of the jaw. Her mother wants to help her improve her health, but I want to suggest SAFE options. My initial thought was applying Thieves EO to the feet daily. Would this be a good way to start?
Melissa
January 21, 2015 at 4:20 amI think it is completely irresponsible of you to make such broad generalizations about not using essential oils on kids. Use with caution and a carrier oil, absolutely. But not at all? Ridiculous! I have 6 kids that haven’t had to go to the doctor in 2.5 years because of essential oils. My twins were 3 lbs when they were born with seriously under developed lungs and became antibiotic resistant by the time they were eight years old. They would get dizzy and nauseous and have horrible side effects from their Albuterol and Predislone RX. In the last 3 years they have not had to use their inhalers, nebulizer or take any Rx or OTC meds. Neither have my 4 younger kids. I am unbelievably grateful for essential oils. The twins are 12 now and no longer have to miss PE and other sports and activities because of their Asthma. They get out their essential oils and breathe them in and apply them topically on their body. The chest or feet it doesn’t matter, just get them on.
It sounds like your getting paid by the drug companies to discredit essential oils. As a naturopath it seems like you would be more open to using natural remedies for children and just suggest using caution vs. making them sound worse then the synthetics which are really the problem.
Robert S. Baines
February 4, 2015 at 1:40 amI notice she never replies to the comments that mentions she’s irresponsible. I agree, that “It sounds like your getting paid by the drug companies to discredit essential oils.”
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
February 5, 2015 at 3:34 pmThere’s really not much to say about that. Frankly the thought of me getting paid by drug companies is so unbelievably laughable. I would be the worst drug rep in the world! I have prescribed a synthetic pharmaceutical less than 10 times total in my practice. About 50% of my practice is spent on weaning patients off of pharmaceuticals, especially the difficult ones like Adderall, Zoloft, Ambien, etc.
I can’t respond to all of the comments anymore, just due to time, but for folks who really believe that I am in the lap of the pharmaceutical industry I doubt there is much to say that could convince them otherwise.
You are absolutely right, prescription drug use is a major cause of hospitalization and death – even correctly prescribed pharmaceuticals have incredibly high rates of complications. In general essential oils and natural medicines are much safer – but I always want patients to be smart and not over-use essential oils, even if they are natural. It is the dose that makes the poison!
J
January 21, 2015 at 1:32 amI think this blog article needs to be deleted. You’ve admitted in several replies to comments here and in an “update” at the beginning of the article that you didn’t intend to suggest people throw out their essential oils. You say you are just suggesting caution, but that’s not all all what your article states. In one reply to a comment on the asthma issue in kids, you admitted frankensence can actually help kids with asthma and said “EO’s CAN be helpful in treating kids with asthma”. And yet in the actual article you said “NEVER use EO’s on kids with asthma” and you underlined it. You have so contradicted yourself you should have immediately deleted the post and rewritten it! You can’t correct those kind of misinformations in the comment section or in small updates at the beginning of the post. Most people aren’t going to see those things and are just going to see your “sweeping generalizations” article and believe things that aren’t true. I don’t even have time to go into all the other complete contradictions you’ve made in the comments here compared to the article. And one more thing. I keep seeing people say that a small amount of essential oil is the same as dozens of cups of tea – that’s a ridiculous comparison. 45 cups of tea isn’t JUST the herbal constituent – it’s mostly water! A typical gallon of tea only uses TWO tea bags! It’s like comparing apples and oranges, you can’t compare, they aren’t the same thing at all. Anyway…Should EO’s be used with caution? Of course. Does this article get that point across – NO. It spreads falsehoods that breed panic.
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
January 21, 2015 at 7:42 pmHi J.
I’ll update the article to say “use extreme caution” for asthma.
When I state 30 cups of tea I am referring to using 1 tsp – 1 tablespoon of herb per cup of tea, not a few tea bags for a gallon of tea. I am talking about medicinal quantities of herb. It would be the equivalent of 15-30 tablespoons of bulk herb, which is an incredible amount.
Penny
January 21, 2015 at 9:32 pmI think this article is well-written and gives appropriate caution. EO’s react different in different people. I appreciate both the article and the conversation.
4mykiddos
January 14, 2015 at 4:23 pmGreat article! I’m a huge fan of tea-tree oil and keep it in my home and we use it for our entire family. Thanks for the tips!
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January 11, 2015 at 4:01 pmNichole
January 9, 2015 at 6:37 amI have used YL oils for over 14 years. We have used them neat, diluted, and internally. The only thing that has caused seizures in my family would be a vaccination. We used them from birth on.
J. James
January 8, 2015 at 9:07 pmI have a daugher that has asthma and have been using OnGuard in the vaporizer at night for her. So is this totally wrong? Am I making her condition worse?
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
January 9, 2015 at 5:38 pmYou should be able to track how often she is having to use her albuterol inhaler (or coughing at night) to see if it is getting better or worse. Some people do well with EO’s and asthma, but I always like patients to be extremely cautious – the risk is triggering an acute asthma attack. (It sounds like that hasn’t happened.)
Tricia
January 8, 2015 at 12:08 amI use peppermint all the time, like daily at times, for gassy stomach aches. It will put 3-4 drops on my stomach and rub without any carrier. I have never had an issue or reaction but am nervous I am hurting myself in some way……
Margie
January 7, 2015 at 9:27 pmGreat comments here from all I respect everyone’s opinion. I just want to make sure when making statements about Essential Oils you look at the quality, consistency and purity of the oils and this varies because there ARE NO industry standards. Statements made on essential oils (which even the testing of the chemical makeup of these oils can be altered) are misleading. Please make sure you are using a QUALITY oil if you don’t then just take the synthetic medicines because that is probably what is in the oil to begin with. I really hope one day that we apply the same level of scrutiny with natural medicines to our traditional Western SYNTHETIC medicines. It is my belief we are in a critical crossroad in our health care industry and something has to give. Rising insurance premiums, medical costs, drug recalls, side effects, long term unknowns, lack of testing, addictions and deaths so on… What is that compared to Essential Oils? We all need to take charge of what we put in our bodies…You are what you eat and live and breathe nutrition, pills, toxins etc. Essential Oils have been around for centuries and is what modern medicine is based on…unfortunately we have put the almighty dollar in front of our health for convenience and corporate wealth. We love to treat symptoms and ignore the root cause because we do not want to change our lifestyles. My body is Natural so I want to treat it with Nature. I own that and it is my choice. My body has the ability to heal itself for the most part and I want to treat it with doTERRA Essential Oils. … MLM and all.
Shawna
January 7, 2015 at 6:50 pmI diffuse 2 Plant Therapy products in my children’s rooms at night to kill germs and boost immunity. The diffuser itself says to add 5 drops of oils for aromatherapy. So in your opinion should I decrease that amount for my kids rooms? Thanks!
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
January 7, 2015 at 6:58 pmUnless the diffuser is in a large room or is diffusing very slowly (it really depends), that sounds like a lot. If it smells strong to you, then it is way too strong for the kids.
Shawna
January 7, 2015 at 7:02 pmOk great, thank you so much for responding! I will certainly we decreasing that about then!!!!
JMeschuk
January 7, 2015 at 4:52 amWell I am going to assume that you use Doterra then as you reference them. I would highly suggest you read the Chemistry of Essential Oils made Simple by Dr. Stewart. Might change your mind a bit
Kitty Fisher Newton
January 7, 2015 at 2:14 amFirst of all, everyone should buy the book from either Young Living or the others because they state this and tell not to use if pregnant or use on babies. Most ALL the oils say not to use or use with cautin on children and babies….But most people NEVER crack a book to learn which is sad because the oils are truly amazing and do so many amazing things for the body.
Mamaw
January 5, 2015 at 3:19 pmI have a question about leg/foot cramps. I have Multiple Sclerosis and am 62 years old. Some nights I am up and down all night long, with horrible cramps/spasms in my legs and feet. Do you have any suggestions for that? I am an EO user.
Penny
January 5, 2015 at 4:52 amFabulous article! So glad you had the drive to post it knowing that this topic is one that causes many questions and great discussion. After months of research we have happily found a wonderful company that guides with certified people and uses pure undiluted oils that families can afford. I have several friends that have taken well meaning but horrible advise from uniformed MLM representatives. Buying oils direct without the middleman makes them affordable. Oils are VERY powerful, so why are we taking advise from uneducated salesmen that profit by risking our families with the line of “Our company is the BEST”…. Thank you again for your informative article!
amanda
January 4, 2015 at 5:07 amWhat are your thoughts on using EO on children with sensory disorders? Are they able to tolerate the smells / texture of diluted oils? Is there any research on effectiveness and symptom relief? Thanks!!
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
January 4, 2015 at 8:46 pmThis is a really great question Amanda, I wish I had a good answer. EO’s are not my go-to for kids with sensory disorders, but it makes sense. It depends on whether the child has a hyper or hypoactive sensory system, and which systems are over or underfunctioning. Some kids who get overstimulated by noise and visual input actually do really well with smells. There definitely is not any research I am aware of – maybe one of the readers here will be able to find something. If you are planning on trying it for a child I always recommend starting with a very low dose and raising the dose slowly. Diffusing is probably best.
Marissa Pease
January 4, 2015 at 1:50 amI am a Doterra user ! I have a 20 month old asthmatic toddler that has been symptom free for almost a year, when I stopped vaccinating him. Anyways is it safe to use Breathe and Onguard on him ? Both have some eucalyptus . I have used with no reactions, but I am so torn after reading how eucalyptus can slow breathing.
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
January 4, 2015 at 9:00 pmI highly, highly recommend contacting your doctor first. I’m not a huge eucalyptus fan in kids…
sarah
January 3, 2015 at 10:25 pmI saw the medicinal herb book link but do you have an EO reference/guide book you would recommend?
Dr. Erika Krumbeck
January 4, 2015 at 8:58 pmHi Sarah,
I strongly recommend learning about the use of whole plant herbs before going to an EO guidebook. Once you learn about the constituents and actions of the whole plant herbs you won’t want to go back! I much, much prefer using whole herb preparations like teas, tinctures and glycerites, and I typically use EO’s only when whole herb preparations fail. (Usually still in combination with whole herbs.) My favorite herbal medicine guide is this one:
Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine, by David HoffmanAnything by Rosemary Gladstar or Sharol Tilgner is awesome. And of course, Aviva Romm. These women know their herbs backwards and forwards, if this can’t get you excited about herbal medicine, I don’t know what can!Remember that there are many plant constituents like tannins, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, etc, etc, etc, that are not included in essential oils! Some of these constituents are vital to the way the herb works in the body. (Like Geranium for example – Geranium essential oil doesn’t have any of the active tannins of the whole plant. It won’t work nearly as well!)
Leslie
January 3, 2015 at 8:25 pmI apologize if this was already answered, but would you mind listing your resources for the comments made?
Thank you
momof5ks
January 3, 2015 at 6:31 pmHi Dr. Erika! I read your article with interest, as I am just researching as to whether I want to start using essential oils or not. I was wondering if you would give some examples of what you use the 4 listed essential oils for. You listed that you love when patients have Tea Tree, Lavender, Thyme and Frankincense. What would they be used for? Thanks so much for helping us learn pros and cons about EOs!!!!
Tammy
January 2, 2015 at 7:13 pmGreat article, thank you! I am at the very beginning of adding essential oils to my health regime, and have used herbs and natural foods as medicine for many years with great success. I have been introduced to Young Living and I have to honestly say that the advice given from their sales reps is indeed frightening. I really worry for many of the children of these people with no herbal background who are taking drops like candy. Thanks again, you have reaffirmed my stance on how I would safely use EO’s for my family.
Corry
January 2, 2015 at 4:19 pmI find it interesting that you reply to only a few comments. It makes me a little sad that the only ones you seem to reply to are the ones defending your position but when I ask a question, it is completely overlooked. 🙁
Ali
January 2, 2015 at 6:44 pmShe has replied to some that contradict what she said, but mine was ignored like yours. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt anyway!