The Science of Lavender For Kids
The Science of Lavender for Kids: What we know, What we’re learning, and Why it matters
Presented by Dr. Jessie (Hawkins) Cavanaugh, PhD
Globally, lavender is one of the most widely used essential oils for children, yet scientific evidence on the efficacy and safety is limited. This session cuts through the noise with a critical review of the existing pediatric evidence base, establishing what evidence-based practice actually requires in this context vs what has simply been extrapolated from adult data or sourced from laboratory studies.
From there, the session explores two areas where a little more scientific literacy goes a long way: varietal identity and sourcing, and the endocrine disruption conversation, where a handful of observations have been generalized in ways that don’t match what the evidence actually shows.
The session closes with an overview of a forthcoming independent pediatric clinical trial examining topical lavender use in first aid contexts, including what it measures, why independent funding matters in this space, and how the aromatherapy community can support bringing this work to completion.
Biography
Jessie Cavanaugh, PhD is the founder and director of the Nutraceuticals Research Institute (NRI), an independent clinical research organization specializing in natural products, botanicals, and women's health. With more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, including a high-citation elderberry meta-analysis, the world's largest elderberry RCT, a COVID fatigue aromatherapy RCT, and a pediatric essential oil inhalation RCT, she brings rare methodological depth to natural products research. Dr. Cavanaugh is a prolific author across both academic and popular audiences. Her forthcoming pediatric essential oils textbook (fall 2026) represents a career-long commitment to bringing clinical standards to one of the field's most under-researched populations. She is a regular speaker at major aromatherapy conferences nationally and internationally.
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