Make an "Aromatherapy First Aid Kit" for Kids
Kids love summertime! For many of them, summer is the peak season for playing outside.
A tiny downside of running around and having so much fun is that they can wind up with more bites, bruises, scrapes, and stings than at other times of the year.
So I wanted to share some recipes you can use to make your own "Aromatherapy First Aid Kit" for kids.
There are three recipes:
A cuts and scrapes blend
A bruise relief blend
A bug bite itch stick
This "Aromatherapy First Aid Kit" is for kids who are about five years old and bigger.
Ouch-Away Blend for Cuts and Scrapes
Make this blend in a 2 oz (60 ml) glass bottle. You can also make it in a spray bottle. The carrier is aloe vera gel, and that works just as well in either bottle.
This recipe is so soothing for cuts and scrapes, and the essential oils help to reduce germs and the risk of infection. You can apply it to the skin around the cut immediately after it happens and then 3 to 5 times a day until the cut is healed. I suggest making a fresh bottle every few weeks.
Just under 2 oz (56 gm) Aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis)
2.5 ml Solubol dispersant
For kids under five:
1 oz (30 ml) Lavender hydrosol (Lavandula angustifolia)
1 oz (15 ml) Frankincense hydrosol (Boswellia carterii)
"Get Better Bruise!"Blend
This blend is made in a 1 oz (30 ml) glass bottle.
You can apply it onto the bruise right after it forms and then every 15 to 30 minutes for the first day. After the first day, apply it 3 to 5 times a day until the bruise is all gone.
1 oz (30 ml) Trauma Oil (Trauma Oil is an infusion of three herbs in carrier oil: arnica, St. John's wort, and calendula.)
For kids under five:
1 oz (30 ml) of pure Trauma Oil will do the trick!
No-More-Itch Stick for Bug Bites
These itch sticks are especially soothing! You can use them as needed, and kids can even carry them around to use anytime their bites start itching.
You can make your itch sticks in lotion bar containers, which twist up like lip balm tubes. You'll need two lotion bar containers, each holding 1 oz (30 ml).
½ oz (14 gm) Beeswax (Cera alba)
1 oz (28 gm) Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera)
½ oz (15 ml) Jojoba wax (Simmondsia chinensis)
Directions:
Melt the beeswax in a Pyrex measuring cup using the "double boiler method."(Put the Pyrex in a soup pot about ¼ full of water. Bring the water to a slow boil. I like to leave the handle of the Pyrex hanging outside the pot so it doesn't get too hot to touch!)
Add the jojoba wax.
Add the coconut oil.
Remove the Pyrex from heat and add your essential oils.
Pour your melted blend into your lotion bar sticks and let them solidify for a few hours.
For kids under five:
Make a blend in a 2 oz (60 ml) glass spray bottle using:
1 oz (30 ml) Peppermint hydrosol (Mentha x piperita)
1 oz (30 ml) Lavender hydrosol (Lavandula angustifolia)
I recommend making this blend fresh every few weeks.
There are different approaches to using essential oils with little children.
The Aromahead Approach for kids under five is extra cautious. For topical use, we prefer to use hydrosols, butters, and carrier oils.
Babies' and young children's skin can be so sensitive that essential oils can easily become overwhelming for them. Hydrosols, butters, and carrier oils can often give a child the nudge they need to rebalance their health.
That said, there are exceptions. For example, if a child is stung by a bee (assuming they're not allergic to bees), you can add 2 drops of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) to ½ oz (14 gm) of aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis). Apply it to the sting until the pain and swelling calm down, then switch to Lavender hydrosol (Lavandula angustifolia).
Now you're all set to enjoy summer!
Register for our First Aid Remedies Workshop
Join us for a deep dive into how to use your essential oils for wound healing and first aid. In this workshop, First Aid Remedies with 3 Essential Oils and Aloe Vera, you’ll learn how to effectively use your oils for healing scrapes, wounds, bruises, and so much more!
