# is citronella safe for toddlers?



## stacey2061 (Feb 1, 2006)

we are leaving for a big camping trip in the Rockies tomorrow. the mosquitoes love DS and he gets major nasty hives from them that last a week or more, so i'm hoping to avoid bites...

anyway, i just went out and picked up some citronella bug spray for him, only to get home and see in bold letters on the back "DO NOT USE ON TODDLERS".

i googled and couldn't really find a solid reason why it shouldn't be used on toddlers...so, does anyone have anything to say? do you use citronella on your toddler? do you know of any good reason i shouldn't? i'm thinking the alternatives (chemical bug spray or bug bites) are worse, but i don't want to jump in and use it if there is a real danger.

thanks


----------



## stacey2061 (Feb 1, 2006)

bump


----------



## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Maybe is there something in it other than citronella? Like alcohol?

I can't think of a reason you wouldn't be able to use citronella on a toddler, but just in case, dab a bit on the inside of his elbow right now to make sure that it doesn't cause any irritation. It would suck to find out after you applied it all over that his skin is sensitive to it.

Also, it's a good idea to make sure he can tolerate the scent. I personally gag at the smell of citronella and I know other people do to... I think it's some weird genetic quirk, because I like the IDEA of it I just can't stand the smell.


----------



## stacey2061 (Feb 1, 2006)

thanks ~ i'll do a test patch as soon as he wakes up


----------



## krisw (Jun 8, 2006)

We have a sunscreen/bug repellent which has oils of: citronella, soybean, peppermint, cedar, lemongrass, and geranium. It says for use on kids 1 and older, and says do not apply to children under 6 months of age. It's "all terrain kids herbal armor" and we got it at whole foods.

so, I'd say that there's nothing inherently wrong with citronella, but perhaps other ingredients or perhaps it's a higher concentration--the citronella oil in the one I have says it's 10%


----------



## moneeleann (Jun 6, 2006)

I have found that the SkinSoSoft bath oil by Avon has a scent that repels bugs too, without being any type of pesticide. My aunt even dilutes it down and sprays it on her dogs to keep fleas at bay.


----------



## Katie Pa (Aug 30, 2016)

I came across this on another website when I was trying to figure out the same thing:

_(I have found that Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Natural works pretty well against mosquitoes. Like many repellents, they will eventually find you but it is rare for us to get bit when we have it on. The only problem is that it also serves as a human repellent because it has a really strong smell.)  _

*PSA - Citronella oil poisoning in children

BR8DBaby
Posted 05/02/2013
Adding this to the list of dangers to our children (I had never heard of this before!). Citronella oil is dangerously poisonous to children. As we are all child proofing our homes for our mobile LO (and for those with older children as well), this is something to add to the list.

Here is some info on why citronella is dangerous:

Citronella Oil is one of the most dangerous household chemicals you can have in your home. Torch lamp fuels are often packaged in containers that resemble plastic apple juice bottles yet can be very toxic if ingested or inhaled, causing severe lung injury and even death. When aspirated into the lungs, citronella oil fuel coats delicate tissues with toxic vapors, causes chemical pneumonia, and can trigger fatal pulmonary arrest.

This blog article is one family's experience with it (**Warning, possible trigger**). Their son made a full recovery after a very scary hospital stay.

From megandmartinmen blogspot*


----------

