Homemade Teething Oil (That Really Works!)
Do you wake up in the morning . . .
Put both contacts in one eye, find your dustpan in your fridge and your milk on the floor next to the broom?* Have you ever fallen asleep with the car running in the driveway, or pulled into a Starbucks drive-thru and tried to order from the trash can? Well then, you just might have a teething baby on your hands!
Now, if you’re planning to pick up a bottle of Anbesol or Baby Orajel at the store here’s something you won’t find on the warning label: The FDA has warned consumers not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES that the active ingredient in these gels is potentially fatal for children under two. Though the reaction is rare, there’s no way to predict when it might happen. For some babies complications occur within minutes or hours of the first application, while others may seemingly have no reaction after several uses only to develop problems later.
Fortunately there’s an easy, inexpensive . . .
And completely natural alternative that really works! Clove oil is a natural analgesic (numbing agent) with a long history of safe use in dentistry. In fact a 2006 study conducted by dentists found it was just as effective as store bought gels.
Because of it’s potency, clove oil needs to be diluted before application. Below is the recipe I use, which was adapted from a product I recommended in this post on natural remedies for teething. Personally, I like this one more because it’s willow bark-free.
Not familiar with willow bark? It’s a natural form of aspirin. Though I’m sure the concentration is really low I try to avoid fever reducers if at all possible. Fevers have a purpose, even when they’re from teething! Low-grade fevers commonly associated with teething usually occur when a tooth is breaking through the gums. This ensures that pathogens that enter the bloodstream via the broken skin – like um, when your little one starts gnawing on the dogs toys while you answer the phone – are dealt with right away. But enough about that, here’s the recipe!
Homemade Teething Oil
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or for a milder flavor 1 tablespoon olive and 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 drops clove essential oil
To Make
Combine ingredients and test a little on yourself to make sure it’s not too strong. Once you’re comfortable with the ratio’s pour your mixture into a clean container. Light oxidizes oil, so a dark amber or cobalt is best if you plan to leave it on the counter. Another option is a clear glass container that is kept in a cool, dark cabinet.
To Use
Shake well, then apply sparingly to gums with your finger tip. Reapply every 1-2 hours as needed.
Need More Teething Help?
Click here for the scoop on 5 more things you can do to make teething easier, and here’s one on why Hyland’s teething tablets don’t work for everyone (plus what to use instead).
* This post was inspired by this one on sleep deprivation. Click over if you need a good laugh!
Teething Talk With Katiepotamus « The Mommypotamus The Mommypotamus
[...] Update: You can make your own teething oil at home. It’s cheap and easy! Here’s the recipe. [...]
Monica
Great timing! My baby has one tooth up and I’m pretty sure she’s working on two more. No fever but she has had a runny nose.
Neveen
Can it be given to a 5-month-old?
Crystal - Prenatal Coach
Thanks! I’ll definitely make some of this to have on hand for when/if teething gets bad! Madison is 5 months old now
Crystal – Prenatal Coach´s last [type] ..Happy Nappy Vancouver Cloth Diaper Service Review
Jesse May
Thanks for this timely recipe, Heather! I have been absolutely devouring all the information in your posts, and am so thankful I found your website (through Pinterest)! I so appreciate the thorough research you put into each subject. Please keep up the amazing work!
Marianne
Thank you! Ingredients ordered.
Marianne´s last [type] ..Rå vaniljemelk :: et næringsrikt mellommåltid
Karen
I’ve heard that chamomile essential oil is good as well for teething drops. I did not know that clove essential oil was safe for babies.
Bailey
Just wanted to say that I use this too, and it works great! Yea for getting some sleep!
From what I understand it is perfectly safe, as long as you choose a high quality, pharma grade oil (preferably organic) and dilute the heck out of it. Chamomile is good too. I have also used yarrow. My twins were pre-term, and then they were early teethers, so I stuck with the super-safe-for-newborns oils for them for a while.
Pru
Hi. I love the sound of this recipe. My son is not teething yet but I want to be ready. I was just wondering if it is clove leaf or clove seed oil? My health food store has both. Thanks
Leah G
Heather do you happen to know if our amber teething necklaces need replacing every six months I feel like I read that somewhere and I’ve noticed my lil one a bit crankier lately.
Heather
I have heard that, too. I’m not sure if 6 months is the magic number but they do lose effectiveness over time.
NicoleW
Can you use all coconut oil? I don’t currently have a high quality olive oil in my house but I do have a teething 7 month old.
Heather
Yes, you can! The mixture may become solid if your house is below 76F but as long as you can get it out of the jar that’s no problem.
Emily
Hi Heather. I have heard that clove oil should not be given to children under age 2. Do you know anymore about this?
Heather
Hi Emily! I am not an expert, but all I can say is that it has been used without a problem by many moms including myself. As with everything from bananas to milk, there is always a risk of a negative reaction. I watch my babies carefully after introducing any new substance to make sure there is not a reaction. Hope that helps!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen
What a great idea! We’ve just been dealing with it because I didn’t know of a healthy alternative!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen´s last [type] ..Maple Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Melissa
Thanks for the recipe! Do you have a certain brand of clove oil that you like? Amazon had lots of options!
Christi
Just so you know, your link to the study by dentists links to a 2007 paper comparing benzocaine with lidocaine. Perhaps this was the study you meant? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16530911
There is also a 2012 study about clove oil improving pain (and cognition!) in mice.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22453493
Heather
Oops! Thanks for letting me know, Christi! This is the study I meant to link to: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16530911 Very interesting about cognition!
Simple Essential oils – Part Four: My growing stash « Something Simple
[...] analgesic and so I’ve used very diluted clove oil to help my babies with teething pain. This is a good recipe for it; just test it on yourself first to be sure it isn’t too [...]
10 Blogs to Follow in 2013 « CARROTTALK
[...] raise your child. Posts like how to treat a headache naturally and what to do when your child is teething are loaded with good information and have helped me feel more confident when these issues arise in [...]
Julie
Clove oil reminds me of my childhood. My mother used to keep a bottle in the medicine cabinet for teething and toothaches.
Julie´s last [type] ..Week of Discovery
Julie H
Clove Oil reminds me of my childhood. My mother always kept a bottle in the medicine cabinet for teething and toothaches.
Julie H´s last [type] ..Week of Discovery
Dara
I pinned this article as part of your Canon Rebel giveaway. Such a simple recipe, and so helpful! Thank you!
Rebecca
I pinned this article (along with many others) because I love it! And because I want to win a Canon Rebel..haha
Rebecca´s last [type] ..Anberlin: 2013 Vital Tour
Lobe
Do you know if I can make this with the actual cloves rather than the essential oil? I am very cautios when it comes to essential oils as even when I’ve used them diluted they’ve caused me sensitivity to Lavender, Chamomile and Orange (I love these three and now I can’t have anything with these in it, including tea or the fruit itself).
Heather
Hi Lobe! Here’s a comment from a site on old natural remedies you may find interesting:
“My little girl does NOT take kindly to pain killers and orajel doesn’t work for very long. My granny told me to mix cloves (ground works the best and you find it in the spice section of any grocery store) and butter, sweet cream unsalted lasts the longest in the fridge. Mix together and place into the fridge. The more clove you use the longer it will work. Just rub on baby’s gums whenever needed. Works amazingly fast. Good Luck.”
Sarah
Very serendipitous, seeing as how imclaying here nursing a 12 month old back to sleep for the second time…after only having gone to bed three hours ago :/
I have a super tether on my hands-at 12 months she has four top, four bottom, one molar and is cutting THREE more molars. Needless to say, she’s a little cranky!
Jen
thanks…baby is teething again…anxious to try this out.
thanks!
Lorna
THanks for this, I’ve used clove oil myself in the past but hadn’t thought to use it on my teething toddler. She’s had a lot of pain with all of her teeth, and we’re at our wits’ end. She’s slept right through the night only four times – and she’s two on Sunday! Two years of no sleep, I can’t wait until all of her teeth are through; only four to go. We sleep in separate beds every night now, one with the baby monitor and one without, because it’s the only way we can get any sleep at all!
Monica
I would love to make this for my son who is having a hard time teething, especially at night. Can you recommend a good brand of essential oils to use please?
Heather
I use Young Living
Mary Light, ND MY
I would have to say that Young Living , while certainly not the only good therapeutic grade oil out there (and so many others so readily available, without having to go through a pyramid sales scheme to get the product) – gets a red flag from me for consistently recommending their products without regard to proper contraindications. They mislead potential consumers through their “seminars” which are designed to sell and not to educate with cautions and regard to physiological knowledge. I have personally witnessed all kinds of bad reactions, caustic burns, irritations, and toxic internal reactions resulting from people who have attended their “training” and then gone out and used the oils. I would recommend training and education that is NOT ASSOCIATED with the conflict of interests involved in selling product. And starting out with well written guidebooks This author and also Kathi Kelville come to mind: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Essential-Oils-Aromatherapy/dp/0931432820/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368658159&sr=8-1&keywords=valerie+worwood
Stephanie
I like that you made your own and did not purchase the one with willow bark because Aspirin should be avoided in children due to the risk of Reye’s syndrome. It is used in children in some cases but the risk of Reye’s increases if the patient has recently had chicken pox or flu symptoms and so it is safer to say that it should be avoided altogether in children unless instructed by your doctor.
Bethany
Is clove bud essential oil the same as Clove oil?
Heather
From what I undersand, yes