Pure natural oils are powerful and certain cautions must be observed, especially when using aromatherapy on children. Raisingkids.co.uk guest expert, Jenni Simmonds, offers some guidelines to help your children sleep safely.

Raisingkids member's question
Is it safe to use aromatherapy on children? My partner uses lavender oil to help her sleep but I'm reluctant to try it on our 5 yr-old insomniac in case of side effects.

Jenni Simmond's reply
Children are usually far more sensitive to smells than adults, and you should be able to use scents to help them get off to sleep.

This need not be a conventionally ‘nice’ smell – some children are soothed by a decidedly musty old toy, a book whose pages smell reassuring, or an item of clothing washed in a particular powder. But many parents, having discovered that massage soothes babies and children, are asking whether a full aromatherapy would double the benefits.

Aromatherapy involves essential oils, and these should be used with extreme caution – particularly on children. What are ‘essential oils’? Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from plant materials – leaves, bark, roots or flowers. They are powerful and should NEVER be used undiluted on the skin – this applies to adults too. Always dilute in a ‘carrier oil’, such as almond or baby oil. For adults, a 2% dilution is recommended, for children, 1% (five drops of essential oil in 20ml of carrier oil). However, different manufacturers’ oils will vary in concentration, so read the instructions.

You should also be aware that many ‘carrier oils’ are nut-based (like macadamia or hazelnut), so if your child has a nut allergy, these should be avoided. Even baby oil contains almond. Nut-free oils include olive, sunflower, grapeseed and avocado. If you’re using the oils for massage, take care to prevent the mixture getting on the child’s face, especially the eyes, and any other areas where there are delicate membranes, such as the bottom, genitals, or in the ears.

Another important safety consideration - store all oils out of children’s reach and always make sure that the bottles you buy have a dripper plug or child-proof cap.

Which ones are safe for children? Most essential oils are NOT recommended for use on children at all. The exceptions are Lavender, Chamomile and Mandarin. For babies, it’s best not to risk essential oils at all – use a hypoallergenic baby oil.

Chamomile has a long pedigree in herbal medicine and has a light, country-meadow scent. It is believed to have soothing and anti-inflammatory effects, particularly on digestion.

Lavender has an underserved reputation as an old-fashioned smell, associated with grandmothers’ closets or air-freshener. But a good-quality lavender oil has a remarkable dual effect - both calming anxiety and lifting the spirits. It is particularly recommended for insomnia.

Aromatherapy does not only mean massage – the diluted oils can be added to bathwater or used to scent the air in a vaporiser, and lavender flowers put in a bag under the pillow.

Pure oils can be dripped onto the child's bedding, or onto a piece of cotton wool behind the radiator. A high-quality aromatherapy oil won't stain fabric. You'll pay more for a pure, unadulterated aromatherapy oil, but it's worth it as you'll know exactly what you're getting.

But if you are in any doubt about your child being allergic to the oils, just skip them and massage with your hands, or use baby powder.

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• Find out more at www.jsaromatherapy.co.uk