Wednesday, January 15, 2014

NONONONONO Please don't do this!

A Facebook posting from one of the US's Aromatherapy Pioneers, Doreen DeSerres, founder of Nature's Spirit Aromatherapy, in Melbourne FL, one of the first true Aromatherapy boutiques in the US:

"Yesterday a young mother came by to obtain a remedy to ease the discomfort her little baby is having with teething. She is using my Gentle Analgesic blend which is in a carrier base of jojoba to apply on the exterior of his cheeks after being soothed with a warm wash cloth. Lavender essential oil will be in the atmosphere to ease his nerves. NOTHING is to be internal. I gave her safe guidelines & products to help. She had been told by one of the now popular MLM representatives pushing products to put Clove on his gums! A baby NO !!!!! An adult, in dilution perhaps. And she was also told that he should ingest Lavender. Beware the sales hype of these marketers please. Yes, of course I desire your business, however I do this with 25 years of knowledge & continue to study all the time. Nature's Spirit is my dharma and my goal is to speak for the plants and to the people on how to use them safely and wisely. I do have a catalog on the web. Most cities throughout the US do have a FEW qualified aromatherapists. Nowadays there are more MLM sales pushers who do so without proper knowledge. I wish for the good of all. I had to post this after realizing that some of their hype is downright dangerous!!!! OK Back to being positive. At least there is more awareness coming about. Be safe & be Aromatized in the best of ways!!! From Doreen DeSerres


I read this and asked Doreen for permission to share, which she graciously granted.  The thought of someone putting clove oil on a babies already hurting gums, or having a baby ingest Lavender Oil to calm them is just frightening.  Our little Roxy is going to start teething any time now, and her mom will massage her cheeks with a week dilution of lavender and german chamomile, perhaps from our Baby Bottom Balm, or perhaps in some jojoba or lotion.  Gentle, safe and effective.  PLEASE don't put these innocent children at risk by unwise and unsafe use of these powerful oils.  

Other solutions for teething pain, from old newsletters and our website:


Teething Pains:

Susan Fleet, a practitioner  in New Zealand had been writing about the CO2 extracted German Chamomile and gave me a hint for teething little ones:
"I have found this extract [the German Chamomile CO2] far superior to that of the steam distilled oil for all sorts of inflammations and the aroma is a lot more rounded and truer in aroma to the herb.  I dilute this with roman chamomile to a 5% dilution for teething in babies and mums rave about it." My comment: 5% is a strong dilution for a baby or toddler, but one would need just one or two drops, applied to the exterior jaw line.  Eases the pain, and the fiery redness teething can cause.  The roman chamomile will probably ease the former sufferer off to sleep.  (Hope my daughter's in law are reading!)
Years later, I think I would add perhaps 6 - 8 drops of our German Chamomile CO2 10% dilution to a measuring teaspoon of Jojoba. That would be a safe and gentle dilution. Add one drop of Roman Chamomile if desired, or one drop of Lavender.

Hydrosols:  Jeanne Rose once suggested spritzing Roman Chamomile Hydrosol into a baby's mouth on the gums to ease the pain and inflammation of teething.  Somehow I don't think most babies would cooperate with that, but you could add a splash of one of the Chamomile Hydrosols to a glass of water, wet a small washcloth, wring nearly dry, and freeze it. Most babies would find sucking on this very soothing.

NO Clove, NO internal use.