Sickness is inevitable; unfortunately, you can be sure your little one will come down with a bug at some point. With illness, they may have congestion, which occurs when the nasal cavity and adjacent tissues and blood vessels become swollen with excess fluid, causing a stuffy or plugged feeling, often referred to as a stuffy nose (1). 

I have struggled with congestion for a while between mold exposure, seasonal allergies, and sinus infections. Thankfully, congestion doesn’t need over-the-counter medication; sometimes, just diffusing an essential oil can bring great relief, especially alongside alternative methods like a neti pot.

Before proceeding, please remember that essential oils must be used properly to remedy an ailment. So, let’s discuss some dos and don’ts regarding essential oils.

✅ DO dilute all essential oils as directed on the bottle.
❎ DO NOT ingest essential oils.

✅ DO use essential oils topically and always dilute them.
❎ DO NOT apply directly on the skin.

✅ DO use caution around pets and children
❎ DO NOT disregard safety information 

This list is just a brief rundown; for more details and a dilution chart, I recommend checking out my post, How to Practice Essential Oil Safety!

Additionally, I trust, use, and recommend Plant Therapy essential oils. Plant Therapy’s Kid-Safe Essential Oils are specifically formulated for children ages two and up. Although I’ve never used them, I’ve also heard great things about Simply Earth Essential Oils. Now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for, essential oils for cleaning!

Clary Sage Essential Oil 

Clary sage essential oil is widely used for topical, respiratory, digestive, emotional, and feminine issues. It has been used to help heal severe dermatological infections caused by several strains of Staphylococcus bacteria (3). Clary sage also has antimicrobial properties, which may fight sinusitis or congestion caused by bacteria (4). 

As per trusted aromatherapist Wendy Robbins, steam-distilled clary sage has no known hazards, but a dermal maximum of 0.25% is recommended (5). Plant Therapy’s Clary Sage Essential Oil and Organic Clary Sage Essential Oil are safe for children, breastfeeding, dogs, and horses, but not during pregnancy.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is best known for its calming and soothing properties, but it’s so much more than that. Studies suggest lavender essential oil may have analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory properties (6), which may help improve symptoms of sinus congestion. 

Trusted aromatherapist Wendy Robbins indicates no special precautions when using lavender essential oil (7). Plant Therapy’s Lavender Essential Oil and Organic Lavender Essential Oil are safe for kids, pregnancy, nursing, dogs, and horses when diluted at 2 to 5 percent.

If you’ve heard rumors surrounding lavender being unsafe for pre-pubertal boys, I recommend reading my Benefits of Lavender post to learn the truth (it’s not what you may think).

Lemon Essential Oil

If you read my Essential Oils for Cleaning post, you know lemon essential oil is commonly used in cleaning for its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, which are also beneficial for sinus irritation (8,9). Its antibacterial properties fight infection-causing bacteria and may prevent skin inflammation, which is especially beneficial when blowing the nose frequently (10). 

Trusted aromatherapist Wendy Robbins says cold-pressed lemon essential oil is phototoxic, while steam-distilled is not. A dermal maximum of 2% is recommended for cold-pressed lemon essential oil to avoid a phototoxic reaction. Additionally, the use of oxidized lemon essential oil is cautioned against (11). Plant Therapy’s Lemon Essential Oil and Organic Lemon Essential Oil are listed as safe for kids, pregnancy, breastfeeding, dogs, and horses.

If you’re looking for a non-phototoxic lemon oil, I’d recommend Plant Therapy’s Steam Distilled Lemon Essential Oil.

Spearmint Essential Oil 

Spearmint essential oil is an excellent alternative to peppermint oil, which is not kid or breastfeeding-safe. Studies have found that spearmint essential oil is effective against several harmful bacteria, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and one Candida species (12). Another study found spearmint essential oil effective against eleven Lamiaceae species, including Coridothymus capitatus L., Lavandula stoechas L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Mentha spicata L. subsp. condensata, Origanum syriacum L., Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia fruticosa Miller., Satureja cuneifolia Ten., Satureja thymbra L., Thymbra spicata L., and Vitex agnus-castus L. (13).

Trusted aromatherapist Wendy Robbins warns that spearmint essential oil is a potential mucous membrane irritant. Wendy Robbins also cautions that there is a low risk of skin sensitization and recommends a dermal maximum of 1.7% (14). Plant Therapy’s Spearmint Essential Oil and Organic Spearmint Essential Oil are safe for kids, pregnancy, breastfeeding, dogs, and horses.

If you aren’t looking for a kid or breastfeeding-safe option, Plant Therapy’s Peppermint Essential Oil and Organic Peppermint Essential Oil are slightly cheaper and safe for pregnancy, dogs, and horses. Just note that Wendy Robbins recommends a diluted dermal maximum of 5.4%. Additionally, she is very firm on avoiding peppermint essential oil in instances of cardiac fibrillation by those with a G6PD deficiency or applying it near the face of children (15).

Tea Tree Essential Oil 

Tea tree essential oil is well-known for its many health benefits. One study notes that a compound called alpha-sabine in tea tree oil is responsible for its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties (16). Tea tree oil’s anti-inflammatory properties may also reduce inflammation, which could alleviate sinus swelling and other congestion symptoms (17).

Trusted aromatherapist Wendy Robbins indicates a low risk of skin sensitization when using tea tree essential oil. She also recommends a dermal maximum of 15% and precautions against using oxidized tea tree essential oil (18). Plant Therapy’s Tea Tree Essential Oil and Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil are safe for kids, pregnancy, and breastfeeding but not for dogs or horses.

Remember, many oils are not kid, breastfeeding, pregnancy, or animal-safe at any dilution. Plant Therapy is a reputable online resource dedicated to practicing essential oil safety. Plant Therapy has a list of constituents in oils that should be avoided with children, plus even more kid-safe oils in their article Essential Oils for Kids: What’s Safe and What’s Not.

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