How to Start Essential Oils With a Scent Avoider

Wondering how to start essential oils with your child who is hypersensitive to scent? This is how this mom did it!

My son has a super sniffer. Seriously. As a child, we would walk into a room and one of the first things he would say was “What’s the smell?” It didn’t matter if it was good or bad. For him, the scent was overwhelming.

I kept hearing about essential oils but thought that there was no way my scent avoider was going to put up with any type of smell in his room. But I decided to try it anyway. Here’s what happened.

How to Start Essential Oils with a Child Hypersensitive to Scent

What is a Scent Avoider?

For my family, a scent avoider is someone who smells everything. And because they can smell everything, they try to avoid a lot of scents.

Last summer, we went to an outdoor party. My boys were ecstatic. There was a jumpy! But then my oldest came to me with a huge look of distress.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Vman said.

“The bathroom’s right inside, sweetie,” I replied. But he didn’t budge.

“Mom, the house smells,” Vman said. Huh. I don’t remember the house having a bad smell at all.

I walked into the house and took a long deep breath through my nose. The only thing I could smell was a scented candle, and that was exactly what Vman was referring to. This floral candle was so overpowering that he actually didn’t want to have to go into the house to use the bathroom.

I came back outside and told him I would help him get to the bathroom directly so he didn’t have to be in the house any longer than he needed to be. He let out a big sigh and we booked it for the bathroom. In less than two minutes, he was back outside.

He still talks about the house that smelled. (Sigh.) Honestly, if I didn’t have a kiddo who was hypersensitive to smell, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed the scented candle.

How to Start Essential Oils with a Scent Avoider

Bedtime has always been tough for my kiddo. Turning off his brain and settling down are challenging many nights. We have books for him to read and nighttime songs to calm him.

I kept hearing about essential oils through our sensory and mommy communities, but I thought that there was no way my scent avoider was going to put up with any type of smell in his room. However, after him not falling asleep for many nights in a row, I decided to try it anyway. (The products I mention do include affiliate links.) The worst that could happen is he leaves his room and sleeps in my bed because he can’t handle the scent.

Lavender is the perfect essential oil to begin with (and a personal favorite of mine). It’s a perfect introductory one and also is commonly used to create a calm atmosphere at bedtime.

First, I talked to Vman about this new approach in advance so there were no surprises. Then I opened the bottle and had him take a small whiff about 6 inches away from the bottle top so he wouldn’t over inhale.

Then I set up the essential oils diffuser I had gotten through Young Living. With this Home Diffuser, you fill it with water and then add in 8-10 drops of lavender oil. The first night, I added only 6 drops. Better to err on the side of not adding too much, right?

Vman walked right up to the Home Diffuser and smelled. “Hmmm,” he mumbled. “Not bad.” However, within 15 minutes, he was ready to turn off the diffuser.

The next night, I turned it on. Again, within minutes the room smelled lightly of lavender. This time, he didn’t ask for me to turn off the diffuser. Some time between when I said goodnight and when I went to check in on him before I went to bed, he had turned it off.

The third night, I turned it on again. A half hour later, Vman quietly came downstairs.

“Mom, there’s no more water in the diffuser and it turned off,” he said. Ah! He had actually gotten used to and was enjoying the scent!

We still haven’t gone above 6 drops of oil in the diffuser. For him, there’s absolutely no need to. That super sniffer of his doesn’t require anything more.

It’s actually quite lovely to snuggle in bed with him, reading books and smelling lavender . But I’m kind of kicking myself in the pants as well. I’m thrilled he likes the soothing scent in his room, but am I ever going to get my Home Diffuser back?!?