Alternatives to eucalyptus, when you have a eucalyptus allergy/sensitivity.

After using a natural toothpaste that contained eucalyptus I discovered that it was not something I EVER wanted to put in my mouth again!

Laboured breathing, chest congestion, wheezing, itchy mouth and uncontrollable coughing was immediate but at least subsided after about 15 minutes.

it explained why vicks never worked on me and why my asthma became worse after smelling or using cleaning products with eucalyptus in it.

Now eucalyptus is great for cleaning and can in many cases be good for congestion in adults. but in many cases is is not so great. 3.5mls is fatal for adults and it is not recommended for under 10 year olds due to the high amounts of the constituent 1,8-cineole.

It is recommended that essential oils higher than 40% 1,8-cineole can cause breathing problems and issues with the central nervous system in young children if applied to, or near the face (or otherwise inhaled by) children under 10 years of age.

It is one of the essential oils that should be used with caution regardless, but was still annoying because many of my cleaning products and my new bloody toothpaste had eucalyptus in it!

So what do you do if you want to try are sensitive to eucalyptus or are under 10 years old? What are the alternative products, recipes and essential oils?

Congestion - When you or your child cant have vicks or eucalyptus based rubs you could try using Pine, Spruce, Fir, and Cypress oil (if over 6 months old) and use with a carrier oil.

'Dirty Hippy' who specialize in natural and organic products all made in NZ have a great 2yr+ chest rub also that contains safe essential oils for over two year old children.

Cleaning - Instead of eucalyptus oil try using orange oil that has all the great antibacterial qualities as eucalyptus but is safe for babies as young as 6 months. Just add together, 1 litre of water, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 10 drops of orange oil. Place into a spray bottle and shake before use.

Toothpaste - if you are after a natural toothpaste that doesn't contain eucalyptus you can try and make your own... You can find a recipe HERE that contains coconut oil, activated charcoal and baking soda.

You can also try a natural toothpowder from NZ based company 'Dirty Hippy' HERE!

It is all natural, easy to use and tastes like mild seawater and cinnamon :)