By Zenab Ishtay, Aromatherapist and Cosmetologist
Every parent wishes to give the best start in life to their baby. Giving love and care is very important for any child and through touch, you can communicate a lot to your baby.
Your baby likes to feel bodily warmth, especially if it is coming from a person with positive energy. Did you know that aromatherapy can help with a baby’s immune system, colic, its digestive system and helps promote a happy mood?
A newborn’s skin
A newborn baby’s skin is very delicate. It is much thinner than our skin. It will take some years to develop fully and for its functions to mature.
A premature baby has little subcutaneous fat, which leads to loose skin and a wrinkly appearance. The skin, in this case, has a weak barrier to fluid and heat loss.
On the other hand, the epidermis is not very well connected to the dermis, leaving the skin prone to blistering. A full-term baby has a well-developed epidermis, but the skin will still dry out easily. The older your baby gets, the more active the functions of the skin become.
Bonding through aromatherapy
Babies can’t tell us why they’re crying, so all we can do is rely on the wordless communication between them and us. There are many ways to bond between a baby and an adult and one of them is through massage.
The attention that is given to a baby while she is being massaged, gives her security and also gives her human warmth and contact. Aromatic massages have an incalculable value, even during the first year of a baby’s life, if done very gently and with the utmost care.
Using essential oils on babies isn’t necessarily to use them every single day; the essential oils can be used twice per week or only once. For other days, you can use the carrier oil only.
The Aromatherapist has a significant role in working with the parents or caregivers of the baby or child. This hopefully lays down a good foundation for continuing to use aromatherapy as and when required in life.
Aromatherapy should not be used
If the child has a bacterial infection
If the child has fever
If the skin has open wounds, scars or bruises
If the child has immune system problems
If the child hasn’t eaten for a long period of time
If the child is in shock
When doing an aromatherapy session,
You as a parent should stay in the room during the session and not leave the baby or child alone
The therapist should be a professional and know what she is doing
The blend used should only contain .5% of essential oils for babies over 10% carrier oil
The therapist should do a patch test on the baby’s skin, to check for allergies
Recommended Essential oils
Lavender
Chamomile
Frankincense
Myrrh
Zenab’s Blend
1 drop Roman Chamomile essential oil
1 drop Lavender
essential oil
30 ml almond oil
Mix them together and then use for your baby’s massage. Enjoy the precious time you spend together bonding!
You can contact Zenab Ishtay at [email protected]
