Scents & Sensibility: Lavender for Back-to-School Calm

The back-to-school season brings excitement, fresh starts… and sometimes a fair amount of stress. Between early mornings, homework battles, and packed schedules, both kids and parents can feel the pressure. Fortunately, nature offers a gentle way to help everyone transition smoothly: lavender essential oil.

Why Lavender Is Perfect for This Season

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, for those who pay attention to botanical names) has long been utilized  for its calming properties. Scientific studies suggest that inhaling lavender can help reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and even promote focus. That makes it a superstar for easing those first-day jitters and helping kids settle into new routines. Plus, it’s one of the safest oils to use with kiddos of different ages. 

Easy Ways to Use Lavender During the School Transition

1. Ease Anxious Feelings in the Mornings Add a drop of lavender to an inhaler stick or diffuser bracelet for your child to carry. A quick sniff straight from the bottle before school can take the edge off anxious feelings. 

2. Homework Focus Roller Blend lavender with spearmint or rosemary in a roller bottle at a safe dilution (2%) and apply to wrists or the back of the neck before study time. It’s relaxing without making kids sleepy — the perfect balance. Here’s a simple recipe:

In a 10 mL roller bottle, combine 

• 6 drops lavender

• 5 drops spearmint

• 4 drops rosemary (use the chemotype verbenone or cineole, avoid camphor. If this is stressful to figure out, you can omit this oil and just add a couple more drops of lavender and spearmint, or leave as is. 

Top with carrier oil of choice- I like just normal fractionated coconut oil for this use. 

3. Sweet Dreams Pillow Spray Back-to-school often means earlier bedtimes. Spritz a lavender linen spray on pillows or bedding to create a calming nighttime ritual. 

Here’s an easy, calming recipe:

• 1.5 oz distilled water

• .5 oz everclear (can use witch hazel, just be mindful to use within 2-3 weeks, as witch hazel is not a preservative and will not prevent bacterial growth)

• 12 drops lavender essential oil for kids 6+

• 2 oz spray bottle

Shake, spray on the pillow, air, sheets, etc. Do not spray directly on the face. Keep out of reach of children and pets. 

Note: Between the ages of 2-6, you may use 6 drops of lavender and keep the rest of the recipe the same. 

Safety Tips for Using Lavender with Kids

• Dilution Matters: For little ones (ages 2–10), stick to 1% dilution (that’s about 1 drop of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier oil). Adults can safely use 2% for lotions or rollers.

• Avoid Eyes, Nose, and Mouth: Always keep oils away from mucous membranes and sensitive areas.

• Patch Test First: Apply a small amount of the diluted blend to the inner arm and wait 24 hours to check for irritation.

• Diffusion Guidelines: Limit diffusion to 30 minutes at a time in a well-ventilated room, and keep diffusers out of reach of children and pets.

• Quality Counts: Choose 100% pure, unadulterated essential oils from reputable sources. No synthetic fragrances. A lot of people ask me for brand recommendations. I love Liv Holistic oils, Eden’s Garden, Revive, Simply Earth and Plant Therapy- I always emphasize the importance of transparency and proof of purity (for example, batch-specific GCMS reports)  while being cost effective!

As an aromatherapist, I love helping families feel supported through life’s transitions. If you’d like to have some relief for anxiety readily available without having to buy all the DIY supplies, check out my anxiety relief inhaler here. I’ll have something for focus support soon!