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Interrupting my fun Christmas/winter posts to deal with my current situation of two very congested kiddos.
If you didn’t already know, it’s inadvisable to use over the counter adult menthol-based rubs and creams on toddlers and infants. Menthol products have the potential to cause breathing issues in babies and toddlers due to the small size of their airways.
There are products out there geared for babies and toddlers that you can buy. But obviously I’m here because I love making my own stuff 😉 So I wanted to share a super simple recipe for a chest rub for littles.
Baby & Toddler Chest Rub
Ingredients:
- 2 oz glass jar
- Coconut oil (I always have a giant jar on hand)
- 10-15 drops of Eucalyptus (ages 2+) or Pine/Spruce/Fir (under 2) essential oils
Mixing will be easier if you warm up the coconut oil until it is soft or liquid, since it will be a solid below 76 degrees F. Once you do that, add your essential oils and mix it up well. Wait for it to cool back to below 76 degrees (or if it’s warmer than that in your home, you can stick it in the fridge). It will be easier to apply in it’s solid state! Slap it on their chest and they (and you!) can breathe easy. Like I said – super simple, super easy, safe and homemade. All my favorite things.
You may be saying, “why not peppermint? Why not wintergreen? Another crunchy lady I know told me to use those for congestion.” These (in the right dilution of course) are safe for adults to use for congestion purposes. But here’s some fun facts about those minty essential oils and kids:
Peppermint and wintergreen contain menthol and methyl salicylate, respectively, which have been known to cause breathing issues in infants and young children. (My bottle of wintergreen from Young Living actually comes with the childproof cap.) Some safety guidelines even recommend avoiding these oils completely with children under the age of 12. As a parent you can use your own discretion of course, but I encourage you to your research before you use it on your kiddos. Eucalyptus is a safer alternative for kids and toddlers, but still not for infants. Tree oils are generally the safest and most effective essential oils to use for causing congestion for babies.
I hope your kids don’t come down with the sickness at all. But if they do, I hope this helps!
Sources (because I need to adhere to my scientist roots):
- https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/news-blog/warning-vicks-vaporub-bad-for-tots-2009-01-12/
- https://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/01/13/44914.aspx
- https://naha.org/naha-blog/peppermint-safety-info
- https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/essential-oils-for-babies#dilution
Disclaimer: I must note that nothing stated in this article has been approved by the FDA, I am not a medical professional, and none of this information is intended to treat or cure any ailment or disease.
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