7 Must-Have Essential Oils For Traveling

The weather is warming up, the days are getting longer, and summer break is practically here. Which means it's the time of year for your cross-country road trips and family vacations! While traveling can be an exciting adventure, many of us often experience at least a hiccup or two along the way. This could be anything from an uncomfortable hotel bed to a stinky care to irritating insect bites -- whatever it is that keeps you from fully enjoying your getaway. 

No matter where you're going or what you're doing for your vacation this summer, don't let the little hiccups stop you from making the most of your trip. In fact, with the help of essential oils, it can almost be like those hiccups never even happened! 

1. Lavender 

It's a shock that Lavender is on this list, right? Well, not really, considering it is the go-to oil for just about everything. Are you feeling stressed or anxious about your upcoming flight? Use Lavender. Did you get a sunburn, bug bite, or unwanted acne? Use Lavender. Are the kids getting restless in the car? Use Lavender! 

Lavender oil helps you relax in times of stress, and it promotes better sleep. Lavender is also great at soothing skin irritations, such as those caused by acne, bug bits, or sunburn. So, be sure to keep this oil handy to help you travel in peace and keep fabulous, healthy skin. 

Ways to use Lavender while traveling: 

• Add a few drops to a cotton ball, and place the cotton ball by your pillow to promote better sleep. You can also add a few drops to a kid's blanket or car seat to help them relax or sleep in the car. 
• Inhale from the bottle, diffuse, or rub on the wrists to help calm your nerves, relieve stress, and reduce headaches. 
• Apply with a carrier oil directly to a bug bite to help ease discomfort or irritation. 

2. Purify 

Road trips and vacations can be a blast, but one thing you don't want to deal with is a smelly car or hotel room. Keep the air you breathe clean and fresh with Purify! If you're on a road trip, you are trapped in a confined space that can fill with lots of different odors: stinky baby diapers, yesterday's fast food leftovers, smelly feet, or who knows what else. Whatever the smell is coming from, you definitely don't want to be breathing it in. 

If you are staying in a hotel room, you don't know what odors will be lurking behind from the previous tenant. Purify can help rid the air of noxious odors, including smoke, if you discover any unpleasant smells. 

Ways to use Purify while traveling: 

• Add a few drops to a clothes pin (or add your drops to a little pom pom that's glued to the end of a clothes pin), and attach the clothes pin to your car air vent. 
• Use a travel diffuser to clean the air in your hotel room. 
• If you don't have a diffuser, make a room spray by filling a 4oz spray bottle with water and adding 45 drops of Purify. 

3. Tea Tree

Tea Tree is definitely a must-have for any vacation because it has a wide range of uses that will keep your vacation running smoothly. Tea Tree is antimicrobial, so it can help keep those germs at bay. This can be especially helpful if you or your family are prone to scrapes or owies. As an antifungal, Tea Tree can also help keep unwanted viruses away, especially foot fungi that can get transferred around swimming pools or water parks. 

If you feel an unwanted zit popping up during your trip, Tea Tree's antimicrobial properties can help reduce the zit's redness, discomfort, and appearance. The same goes for any pesky big bites, too. Finally, Tea Tree is great for soothing a dry scalp, which can be a lifesaver if you begin to experience some flaking due to a new climate. 

Ways to use Tea Tree while traveling: 

• Apply directly to blemishes or bug bites with a carrier oil. 
• Add a few drops to Tea Tree to your bottle of shampoo.
• Apply Tea Tree with a carrier oil to your feet a few times a day to relieve itching, burning, or dryness between your toes or anywhere on your feet. 

4. Citrus Oils

Whether you choose to bring Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime, Orange, or Bergamot, you definitely need to bring a citrus oil with you on your vacation. While all citrus oils do have different and specific benefits, they also share some benefits, including the ability to boost your energy and mood, freshen the air, and calm nervousness or anxiousness. 

Ways to use citrus oils while traveling: 

• Add a drop or two to your wrists, or to an aromatherapy necklace or bracelet, to help boost your mood and energy. 
• Add a few drops to the toilet before you go to help keep the bathroom air smelling fresh (this can be especially helpful if you are traveling or sharing a living space with others). 
• Combine 35-40 drops of your citrus oil with water in a 4oz spray bottle. Spray the mixture in a room or the car to help freshen the air.

5. Black Pepper

While traveling is fun and leads to many new memories, there are times when traveling can just be tiring and a little painful. Whether you're sitting in a car all day on your road trip, walking through the amusement park, hiking through the mountains, or feeling crammed in your airplane seat, it's not uncommon to experience some aches and pains while traveling. For those moments when your muscles feel sore and worn out, Black Pepper is your best friend. 

Black Pepper is an anti-inflammatory, so it can help take the ache out of overworked or tight muscles. With the help of this oil, you can loosen up your muscles and be ready to go for tomorrow's adventure! 

Ways to use Black Pepper while traveling: 

• Add a few drops of  Black Pepper with a carrier oil to a warm bath, and soak tired or sore muscles. 
• Use Black Pepper with a carrier oil as a massage oil. 

6. Peppermint

Traveling and vacation often means long days and eating foods you may not be as familiar with. As a result, you may experience headaches, fatigue, mild overheating (especially if you're out in the sun all day), or an upset stomach. For any of these situations, you need Peppermint oil. 

Peppermint has an almost instant cooling effect, which comes in handy on those extra hot days. This cooling sensation is also great for headaches and sore muscles. Should you experience an upset stomach while you're out and about, Peppermint can help soothe cramping stomach muscles and feelings of nausea. Peppermint's minty and crisp aroma also helps boost your energy, so you can keep going all day long. 

Ways to use Peppermint while traveling: 

• Keep your body cool on a hot day with a Peppermint body spray. Mix 20 drops (more or less if desired) of Peppermint with water in a 4oz spray bottle. Spray the mixture on your body throughout the day to stay cool. 
• Rub a few drops of Peppermint with a carrier oil on your tummy if you feel nauseous or experience an upset stomach. 
• Rub a drop of Peppermint with a carrier oil on your temples to help relieve a headache. 
• Inhale the minty aroma during the day to help keep your energy up.

 

7. Immune Strength

Road trips and vacations mean exposing yourself to a bunch of germs. No matter where you go, germs are everywhere, and if you don't want to be sick on your vacation, you've got to take some precautions. Immune Strength can help keep your immune system strong, allowing it to better fight off new and unfamiliar germs. This specialty blend is also a great cleaner, which can help keep surfaces germ-free no matter where you are. 

Ways to use Immune Strength while traveling: 

• Mix a few drops of Immune Strength with a carrier oil, and apply mixture to the bottom of your feet at night to help keep your immune system strong. 
• Add a few drops to your hands and rub together when you don't have hand sanitizer handy. 

No matter where you're planning to go on your vacations this summer, don't forget to pack your essential oils! These oils will certainly help turn any potential mishap into a "problem solved" situation that won't interfere with your getaway plans.