Kids Essential Oil Dosing Guide
Children clearly differ from adults in size. Size, however, does not explain all of the variations that must be considered for pediatric dosing. Immature metabolic pathways, developing bodily systems, and variations in immune function are all variables that play a role in pediatric dosing.
Unfortunately, because many of these variables are unknown, pediatric dosing is less precise than adult dosing. Because of this, it is typically available in a range, allowing the parent or provider to determine the best point within that range for dosing.
As a result, dosing cheat sheets or dosing charts are generally inaccurate. By oversimplifying a complex topic, authors of such charts sacrificed accuracy for ease. This produces doses which are often sub-therapeutic or lead to overdosing, both of which produce concerns with safety.
Similarly, pediatric dilution charts (i.e. certain percentages of oils for certain ages) also fail to serve their intended purpose. Because dilutions are merely the concentration of the substance and not the total exposure and because each dose is oil and condition specific, these charts serve no purpose in medicinal dosing.
Complete dosing guidelines must include: application/formulation, age/weight specific daily intake, frequency, duration, and purpose.
Application & Formulation
The first step to pediatric dosing is to evaluate the purpose of the exposure and determine whether or not a medicinal exposure is required. Environmental exposures have much more stringent exposure guidelines.
Environmental exposures (i.e. household uses such as diffusion, cleaning, personal care, food production): When essential oils are placed into a diffuser for most common applications, they replace potentially toxic synthetic air fresheners. With all air fresheners, synthetic or natural, it is possible to overdose on the substance diffused into the air and produce adverse health events. Due to variations in room size, air flow, ceiling height, and diffuser technology, it is not possible to produce accurate dosing guidelines for a diffuser and diffusers are not tools for medicinal applications. A general guideline is to maintain scent consistent with the presence of fresh plants. Depending on the parameters of the room, this may involve as little as 1-2 drops for 5-10 minutes or it could allow for 5-10 drops for 30-60 minutes.
When essential oils are used for skincare or personal care products such as body scrubs, lotions, and butters, standard dermal max are applicable. These rates are suitable because they are sourced directly from IFRA standards for safety. As a result, they do not produce medicinal effects but are safe enough for unrestricted use.
General application requirements:
A lipid (fatty substance) must be used for dilution. Essential oils are lipid-soluble; placing them into a glass of water will not dilute the oil because they do not dissolve in water. Without a lipid dilution, the essential oil may harm delicate tissues. Good lipids for essential oil dilutions include coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.
When measuring doses for product development and formulation, it’s critical to weigh the oils as a “drop” is not a precise measurement. The size of a drop depends on multiple things including the dropper size, the viscosity of the oil, and other factors. However, for personal use, it is impractical to weigh essential oils. Drops allow a reasonably precise method of measurement for small, household or single-use formulations.
Medicinal Applications
Precision is key to ensuring safe and effective doses of all botanical products. Because essential oils are so potent, it is crucial that doses be calculated to ensure that the essential oil is sufficiently diluted in a lipid and can be safely consumed.
The first step to calculating a dose is to determine the concentration of essential oil in the finished product. Oils must be diluted in a lipid or released in a sugar based substance for certain internal applications. Pediatric medicinal products are often produced using a low concentration which produces a much larger dosing requirement of the finished product. For example, an adult dose may be concentrated in 1tsp of a cough syrup while a child’s dose is concentrated in 1Tbsp of a cough syrup. The child is not actually ingesting more of the medicinal substance because the concentration is lower. The additional intake is in the form of the carrier materials.
This reduced concentration adds a layer of protection that prevents overdosing due to mistakes or childhood curiosity. The following measurements serve as guidelines for formulation of pediatric (and adult) medicinal products with essential oils:
Droplet Guide
| 1ml | 20 drops |
| 5ml | 100 drops |
| 10ml | 200 drops |
Note: Droplet size is calculated using a standard pharmaceutical eye dropper with a liquid which has the viscosity of water, which is low. Droplet size is affected by pressure, specific gravity and viscosity of the liquid, and the size of the orifice reducer. For professional formulations, weight is the preferred measure as droplets are highly variable.
Capsules
A size “0” capsule contains approximately 0.68ml of liquid. To allow for loss during blending, 0.7ml per capsule is recommended for usual household batches. If size “0” capsules are unavailable, a size “00” capsule contains 0.95ml, while a size “1” capsule contains 0.5ml.
Drops per Capsules
| size “00” capsule | 19 drops |
| size “0” capsule | 13.5 drops |
| size “1” capsule | 10 drops |
Household batches for adults should provide 1 dose per capsule. For households with children, 1 dose should be contained within 2-3 capsules, depending on the essential oil blend and the age of the children.
Syrups or Other Liquid Preparations
Syrups should be prepared so that an average kitchen measurement instrument can be used for dosing. For adults, this can be as small as a teaspoon per dose. For children, a tablespoon is more appropriate. Larger doses are created by reducing the overall concentration, which provides more flexibility for mistakes in dosing, ultimately increasing safety.
1 ounce = 2 tablespoons = 6 teaspoons
1 ounce = 29.5 ml (approximately 30ml)
1 ounce = approximately 600 drops