Skincare For Reducing The Symptoms Of PANS/PANDAS Naturally

The symptoms of PANS or PANDAS often appear out of nowhere, with no identifiable reason or trigger. And when you’re new at PANDAS parenting, it can feel totally overwhelming to ride it out day in and day out with no end in sight.

I’m here to tell you there ARE things you can do to reduce the symptoms, flare-ups, relapses, mood swings and more.

Even when you have no clue what’s causing it.

Because the symptoms we see on the outside are usually the culmination of many triggers piling on top of each other until the mind and body can’t contain it anymore.

Those explosions and meltdowns are the result of overloading the system.

Reduce the load and you reduce the symptoms.

It’s no coincidence that PANS and PANDAS symptoms can also look like a reaction to toxins in the environment. Until you know about them, and make a determined effort to avoid them, we live with toxins every day. Some of which are extremely harmful. 

I’m a strong advocate of reading the labels on everything you buy. As a general rule, if an ingredient is hard to pronounce, or difficult to spell, it’s probably harmful. For our kids with PANDAS, being aware of these ingredients can mean the difference between happy children and angry children.

If a toxic reaction can cause symptoms similar to PANDAS, can you imagine what happens when you add those toxic reactions on top of PANDAS? Conversely, if you reduce the toxins your child is exposed to on a daily basis, how much easier do you think their life becomes?

Every day, your child washes their face and cleans their teeth and at least once a week, they wash their hair. Until I started reading labels, I had no idea of the number of chemicals in the products that we were using. Products that we grew up using because our parents trusted them.

Now we know better. Now the news is filled with stories of lawsuits against those same companies for selling contaminated products. Which is why we now only use natural products. 

(Want a full list of the products we switched to? See the list here.)

In this post, I’m going to focus on Coconut oil and how it can help reduce the effects of your child’s symptoms.

Have you used Coconut oil before? 

Have you even heard of coconut oil before? If not, don’t be embarrassed! 

It’s one of those things that you see everywhere after someone introduces you to it. And that’s my goal. To introduce you to amazing solutions for everyday problems that help your kids grow up happy, confident, and healthy.

The Benefits of Coconut Oil as a Soap or Cleanser

Coconut oil consists mainly of saturated fat which is why it’s so popular with people who eat a Keto style diet. But a study conducted in 2014 found that it can also reduce symptoms of eczema and dermatitis.

We’ve also found it to be great for acne!

Often, children with PANDAS have sensitive skin and sensory issues to cope with so coconut based soaps are ideal. It also has a moisturizing effect which is another bonus.

Here’s an easily adapted recipe we found at healthyholisticliving.com for a skin cleanser that can be used twice a day that’s perfect for kids between 5 and 12 years old.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Coconut Oil

3 drops each of Lavender and Tangerine essential oils 

Instructions:

1. Melt coconut oil in a saucepan on a very low heat. 

2. As soon as the coconut oil begins to melt, take it off the stove. 

3. Add 3 drops of Lavender essential oil and 3 drops of Tangerine essential oil. 

4. Mix well and then pour into a mason jar to cool.

When your child is ready to use it, all they have to do is rub a little on their face with warm water and then rinse off.

If your child is reaching those tumultuous teenage years, you might find that soap is a bit harsh on their skin and the acne-specific cleansers can trigger all kinds of symptoms that don’t make the acne trade-off worth it!

Let’s face it, acne is nobody’s friend and children with PANDAS usually have enough anxiety without having to worry about acne. 

Instead of using lavender and tangerine essential oils in the above recipe, swap them for 6 drops of tea tree and watch your teen’s self-confidence rise. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of Coconut Oil

6 drops of Tea Tree essential oil 

Instructions:

1. Melt your coconut oil in a saucepan on a very low heat. 

2. As soon as your coconut oil is melted, take it off the stove. 

3. Add Tea Tree oil

4. Mix well and then pour into a mason jar to cool.

Why doTERRA brand oils?

Why bother with doTERRA oils when you can pick up essential oils at nearly any health food store these days?

Because doTERRA is the only brand that is Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade and grown in the region that is optimal for the plant’s medicinal benefits.

What this means in regular language is that doTERRA oils are pure, potent, and tested to ensure they’re free of contaminants like mold or other impurities.

Which means they’re the safest and most trusted oils for use on your skin. Most of doTERRA’s oils are also safe for internal use, depending on the plant of course. Some plants should never be used internally, no matter who makes the oil.

When it comes to eliminating toxins from our house to reduce symptoms, doTERRA is the only brand I trust. 

But you don’t have to believe me, please do your own research and see for yourself!

If you love the idea of trying doTERRA oils, I’d be happy to help you get the best deal and sign up for bonuses and monthly free oils. Just message me here if that interests you and let’s chat. Np strings, no obligation, just a neighbourly chat.

Other Uses and Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil consists of about 50% lauric acid which turns into monolaurin when it’s digested. Monolaurin kills off bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus (the root cause of PANS and PANDAS) and candida albicans. 

And you don’t have to ingest a lot of it to get these results. Pop a teaspoon into your child’s morning smoothie to keep it simple.

You can even use coconut oil as a mouthwash! 

It doesn’t taste awful like most mouthwashes do so you might find your child will use it even if they refuse to use commercial products. It helps kill bacteria in the mouth and throat, which as you know, is vital for children with PANDAS.

I’m sure there are many more uses for coconut oil that we haven’t thought of yet, so please drop any suggestions you have in the comments section!

What are your favourite ways to use coconut oil?