Erika Bragdon is a Certified Essential Oil Coach from the Essential Oil Institute.
Children who have autism sometimes (often) get stressed over things that seem so simple to the outside world. When it’s your child, you may know what “triggers” them, but those outbursts or “rages” (as my son calls them) are no less challenging.
I’ve been using a simple DIY essential oil blend to support my son who has high functioning autism for the past few months. I’ve been blown away at how quickly these essential oils help him calm down!
The first time we used this roller blend, my son was starting to get worked up. He was overwhelmed and started yelling. He was on the verge of a full-blown meltdown where in the past he has screamed and thrown things.
I grabbed this little “Calm and Collected” roller blend (we call it this because of his reaction) and swiped it on the back of his neck quickly. Even though he was angry and frustrated, I swiped it on so easily, he barely noticed.
In less than a minute, my son began to calm down, take deep breaths on his own (without me having to remind him!) and he actually verbalized “Mom, please help me, I’m really stressed right now!”
I almost cried! I couldn’t believe the difference!
That first time, I was still skeptical and I didn’t attribute the change directly to the oils. Maybe something else we had done that day helped him.
A couple weeks later, a similar incident happened and once again, Nathan calmed down very quickly as soon as I swiped our DIY Calm and Collected roller blend on the back of his neck.
I have been impressed with how helpful essential oils can be!
Please read my Essential Oil Common Sense Safety page before using this essential oil recipe.
I am not a medical professional and the information presented here is merely for educational purposes and not intended to replace medical advice. It is your responsibility to do your own research, consult with your doctor, and make safe decisions for yourself and your family.
There are no guarantees you will have the same results using this DIY essential oil blend with your own child who has autism; everyone is different, but I think it’s certainly worth a try!
How to make this DIY “Calm and Collected” Essential Oil Blend:
You will need:
- Frankincense essential oil
- Blood Orange essential oil (species: Citrus sinensis is my favorite – is also known as “Sweet Orange”)
- carrier blend – I recommend fractionated coconut oil
- roller bottles – this is what I use
Add 2-4 drops of Frankincense and 2-4 drops of Blood Orange essential oils to your roller bottle. (Always begin with fewer drops of essential oils, especially when using with younger children.)
Fill the remainder of the bottle with your carrier oil. Make sure you leave enough room to put the roller cap on.
Push the roller cap on tightly and roll the bottle in your hands to blend the oils together.
You are now ready to use your DIY “Calm and Collected” essential oil blend!
A note on the amount of essential oils in this blend: if you’re not seeing benefits, you may choose to increase the number of drops gradually. Remember that essential oils are very potent and a little goes a long way.
I have found that 7 drops of each oil (a total of 14) seems to be the magic number for my children, from ages 7-14.
You can apply this roller blend to your child’s neck, wrists, arms, chest, &/or the bottom of their feet. (Though the last one may not be easy to access if your child is having a difficult moment!)
I prefer to roll this DIY blend on the back of my child’s neck. In my experience, it works quickly and is easy to apply there.
A Note on Essential Oil Brands:
The saying “you get what you pay for” is very true when it comes to essential oil brands.
High-quality brands, such as Edens Garden and Rocky Mountain Oils are far more likely to give you the therapeutic results you are looking for. While the term “therapeutic” is not regulated, these oils do tend to be higher quality than non-therapeutic labeled oils.
Cheap essential oil brands, like the oils you may find at the grocery store, are likely to contain synthetics and fillers that may cause more harm than good, especially for sensitive kids with autism.
Be aware that many essential oil companies label their oils 100% pure essential oils without them actually being 100% pure at all. (Those labels will often have a guideline on the back stating “For aromatic use only. Not for topical or internal use.”)
For more information and how to choose the right essential oil brand for your family, read my article here: What to Look for When Buying Essential Oils
Rocky Mountain Oils is one of my favorite essential oil brands.
The benefits of Frankincense and Blood Orange
Frankincense essential oil can be calming, soothing, and relaxing. As an added benefit, some think that Frankincense may help boost the immune system.
Orange essential oil, particularly blood or wild orange, contains powerful antioxidants and may help support the immune system. Additionally, it can be energizing and revitalizing.
You can see how this DIY essential oil blend may help calm and relax anyone, especially your child who is affected by autism!
Looking for other ways to diffuse or use your essential oils? Check out these posts:
How to Make an Essential Oil Diffuser Necklace for Kids! (Perfect for Boys Too!)
Melissa harper says
I am very interested in book
Erika says
Hi Melissa, I’m glad to hear it! I’m excited for you to read it too!
You can sign up to receive the book using the widget at the bottom of this post. (Sorry it wasn’t working properly early, but it’s been fixed.)
Daniel says
what a lovely product. It is useful for me. Thanks for sharing this blog.
Naomi says
Thanks for the post! Can I use Orange instead of Wild Orange? What’s the difference?
Erika says
Hi Naomi, you’re welcome! Yes, you can use orange essential oil instead of wild orange. It’s also sometimes called “Blood Orange.”
Your results will depend on the quality of the essential oil you use. If you use essential oils from Walmart, it probably won’t work as well as you’re hoping for. I say that because I used to buy the cheap oils and then wonder why they didn’t work… 🙂
Naomi says
Thanks, Erika, for the reply! I’m excited to try the blend with my 4-year-old but it’s quite difficult getting doTERRA and Rocky Mountain Oils in my part of the world but looking for Young Living. What can you say about BioFinest?
Suzie says
Would tangerine work?
Erika says
I haven’t used tangerine myself so your results may be different, but it’s certainly worth a try.
Diane says
Link for download did not work
Carrie Dotson says
I would like to purchase this book!! Please!
Let me know how I can get it!!
Daphne says
I have been using these oils for a few months now and can see a difference..I wish I had looked into it earlier. I have started experimenting (that sounds wrong so trying would be better) different oils for concentration, etc. and it again seems to be working. I don’t use them everyday (not sure if I should if we are having a good day) but I do use them …even on me…and only wish I had learned this sooner. Thank you for helping this beginner.
Erika says
Thanks, Daphne! I’m so glad to hear that.
I don’t use essential oils every single day either – I think it’s honestly something where you have to do what feels right for you and your child. Some weeks you might need to use it every day, other times things are better and you don’t. Hopefully that makes sense. Did you download a copy of my free essential oils for autism e-book? You can get it here: https://livingwellmom.com/ebook-essential-oils-for-autism/
Allison says
Can you use this blend as a preventative? My child is a little nervous about starting a new school and I am thinking I could use this before he leaves (he is not autistic but gets anxiety sometimes) or is it only to be used if they are melting down?
Erika says
Yes, absolutely. I use it on myself and my son preventatively too. Good luck!
Erin Walker says
Do you have to use fractionated coconut oil for your carrier? Would almond oil work as well?
Erin Walker says
Nevermind, I see it haha.
Erika says
Glad you found it! Hope you enjoy this blend. 🙂
Kara says
Would this work in a diffuser? I have 2 students with autism in my class this year and it would be great if I could use this to help calm them and the rest of the class too.
Kate says
So glad I found this! I’m going to try it on my non verbal son when he gets overwhelmed. I was super excited as I already have blood orange and frankincense.
Michelle DeSmet says
Very interested in getting the e book for autism. Can’t find the link to download. Please advise. I am going to try the calm and collected recipe for the oil. Thank you so much, any help will be appreciated.
Chris says
Hello can I use lemon instead of sweet orange?
Wing says
May I know how many times to apply?
And can I apply during nighttime?
Nicole says
Hi! I appreciate your disclaimers but I get so nervous when I see titles like this one because people can be so quick to grab onto anything with autismattavhed to it. As a sped teacher for this population with a masters in autism and someone studying to become a BCBA I would be careful what you advertise. I am by no means downplaying the possible positive effects you have seen with your child but it is important to look at the behavior itself and the function inorder to help work through it next time or provide an alternative.Though the oils might calm him down in the moment it doesn’t give the him the skills to help prevent the behavior from happening again. Please just be mindful of advertising because without valid research it is not a researched based method the majority should use. I applaud you as a mom for looking for out of the box ways to help your child… I don’t mean to diminish that at all.
Erika says
Hi Nicole, I never said that essential oils are the only way to help kids with autism or ADHD. This essential oil blend worked wonders for my son (still does) and one of the ways it does so is to help him get into a better, calmer, more open place where he can accept and learn the life skills presented to him.
Delta says
My child really benefitted for essential oils. I found a good resource online on 11 oils that help:
https://www.dealwithautism.com/news/11-essential-oils-for-autism-and-adhd-that-are-super-effective/
Michele Lucchine says
I worry about the amount of drops for a child . Did you check a dilution chart before making it ?
Erika says
Hi Michele, thanks for your comment and I appreciate your concern.
I came up with the quantity of this blend on the recommendation of a friend who has also used this over some time. I tried using fewer drops initially and did not see the same results with my children. That being said, I’ve now edited the post to recommend starting with fewer drops, especially for younger children.
When I initially wrote this, I was with an MLM company that tended to recommend higher quantities of oils. I’m now starting to go through older posts and change some of my recommendations. Thanks for alerting me to this.
Gabby Pike says
I really enjoyed reading this! I just started experimenting with essential oils and our son with autism and so far it seems to be a hit or miss. I’ll have to try this roller ball blend with him and see how it goes! Usually I just have the diffuser going but maybe a topical application would work better? I also signed up for your free email eBook and absolutely cannot wait to dive in! Parenting is already hard, but parenting a child with autism definitely has its own set of unique challenges and I look forward to reading your eBook!
Erika says
I hope you enjoy both the oil blend and ebook, Gabby! Hugs!
Allison says
Vetiver and cedarwood are also great choices. I use them in conjunction with orange and Roman chamomile for my 16 yr old who has autism and other special needs. Also look into marjoram. Always do your own research and go with what feels right to you 🙂
Corinne Ramirez says
Looking for help for my 9 yr old nephew with Austim. Its not severe but other kids tend to shy away from him. And he gets frustrated easily. I would love to see your book on autism and essential oils.
joannej says
can I use another carrier oil like grapeseed
Erika says
Yes, you can!
Kelli Mcleod says
Love Love Love this recipe!!! I stumbled on this article last fall, and have been using it ever since. It’s amazing how it just seems to bring a total calm over the house. I use it in the diffuser and we all benefit. I can’t thank you enough. You really notice a difference when it’s not being used. It’s like a switch.
Erika says
That’s wonderful to hear, Kelli. Thanks for sharing!
Jillian says
My 7 year old daughter has ASD and hyper sensory challenges. I am wondering if the scent would cause her to refuse trying it. Does the blend have a pleasant scent or is it quite strong? She told me yesterday that my homemade chicken noodle soup smelled gross. Lol It was so good!
Erika says
No, it’s not strong but if she’s very sensitive, you can start with 2 drops Frankincense and 1 drop orange.