Patchouli is very versatile oil. It has its benefits. It certainly helps your child to gain emotional balance, especially when they are throwing tantrums. This oil has remarkable benefits in terms of improving the health of your child’s soft skin. However, the aroma of the oil is very rich. Also the balsamic scent might cause certain irritation in your child’s skin and eyes. Inhaling the oil can also be risky. For that reason it is advised that patchouli oil should never be applied directly on a child’s skin. Also you need to wait till your child becomes at least more than 2 years old before you can think of applying such oil on your child’s tender skin.

Benefits of Patchouli Oil

But patchouli oil also offers certain benefits. If your child is old enough, the oil can help him/her in a number of ways. It essentially helps your child’s skin to glow and maintain the smoothness. Have your child incurred some serious injuries in the early age? And you are wondering how you can essentially get rid of the scars. Then worry no more. Regular use of the patchouli oil can also help your child’s scar fade away. But before applying the same, make sure that the oil is mixed with some lighter carrier oils, like in the form of the lavender, lemongrass, sandalwood or bergamot. Direct application of such oil is very risky and potentially harmful for not only children but also for adults.

Apart from the skin benefits of the particular oil, there are other benefits also. Patchouli oil is known for its effect on the emotional balance of children. The strong earthy essence of the oil tends to help your child to calm down and relax. Applying this oil can help your baby get rid of any sort of anxiousness and stress. The rapid changes of the hormones often disrupt the mental stability of children. They tend lose focus and concentration. However, application of similar oils can make sure that your child remains calm and he/she can focus on the study for a longer time period. The smell of the oil itself has this magical quality.

Giving Patchouli Oil to your Kid

Patchouli oil cannot be applied directly on your child’s skin. It needs to be mixed with certain carrier oil. The carrier oils include the lavender, lemongrass, sandalwood or bergamot. You can massage the mixture on your child’s skin on a regular basis. If your kid has injuries or scars, or is suffering from any kinds of insect bites then you can dab a small amount of oil on a cotton ball and apply it directly on the affected area.

You have taken your child for a vacation in the countryside or a picnic or a hike, you can apply the oil directly on his/her sheets and few drops on his/her pillow to keep the ants and insects away from your little one. If your kid is undergoing puberty and sweating a lot more than what he/she usually did, then put some drops of the oil on a cotton ball and apply it into his/her underarms to prevent any sort of body odor. In this way he/she can enjoy the day without being exposed to the harmful chemicals of the commercial deodorants.

Risks & Precautions

Patchouli oil is known to be associated with a strong aroma. For that reason it is not at all advised for infants below 2 years old. Under no condition the oil should be applied directly on your child’s skin, in abundant quantity. After knowing about his/her skin sensibility you can apply few drops on the skin but not on a regular basis.

These are the few potential hazards which patchouli oil can cause your child.

Ingestion:

According to Material Safety Data Sheet, which is also known as MSDS, patchouli oil is poisonous if swallowed. For that reason it is very risky to be applied on an infant’s skin. The possibility of him/her licking the oil from the hand or arm is high. It might be fatal. For that reason you need to wait till your child grows proper understanding of stuff before thinking of applying the oil.

Irritation in Skin and Eyes:

Undiluted patchouli oil is very harmful for your child’s skin. The mixture should be made with any of the above mentioned carrier oils. At max 15 drops of patchouli oil should be mixed with 1 oz of carrier oil. If somehow the oil comes in contact with your child’s skin then wash it with soap and water on an immediate basis. Do not wait for a while because it might cause skin irritations and rashes which will be harder to heal.

Direct contact with patchouli oil is also harmful for your child’s precious eyes. If by mistake your child somehow drops the oil on his/her eyes then flush his/her eyes with lukewarm water for at least 15 minutes or so till no hint of the oil is there. The eyes should be flushed from the bridge of the little nose of your child so that water runs from the inner corner of the eyes to the outer corner. This also prevents the chance of contaminating the other eye if the accident has happened on only one.

Inhalation:

The strong earthy odor of the oil can trigger coughing and dizziness to your kid. Sometimes it has the potential to make your child feel a bit sick and puckish. If such symptoms are visible then take him/her out to a well ventilated surrounding and allow him/her to return to normalcy.

Toxins & Pesticides:

During the course of its growth and extraction patchouli oil has the ability to get contaminated with certain toxins and pesticides. So if you are planning to give your child patchouli oil then purchase the organic form of the product.

Inflammability:

Research shows that patchouli oil is flammable at high temperature. So never ever keep a bottle of this oil near your child because it might cause accidents.

There are certain benefits that this oil offers. However, you must make sure that your child is ready for it before applying a patchouli oil mix on your child’s tender skin. Consult your pediatrician and find out the perfect time to start using patchouli oil, if at all.