There are not many of us that don’t enjoy traveling. But as with any fun-filled adventure, there may be a snag or two along the way. Whether it's feeling depleted from motion sickness or nausea, bug bite irritation or feeling under the weather, aromatherapy can help. Natural, holistic and compact enough for most travel bags, essential oils are a travel must-have. 

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts used for centuries as remedies for their therapeutic properties. In this blog post, we'll explore how during your travels, essential oils can come to the rescue for a multitude of issues and offer relief from bug bites and nausea as well as supporting one's overall health and travel anxiety. Let's explore the why and what of travel-worthy essential oil blends.

What Are The Best Essential Oils To Travel With?

Immune Support

Traveling often exposes us to different environments, climates, and potentially harmful pathogens and we want to be sure that we are prepared. Edens Garden formulated an uplifting and protective blend called Good Health. This blend is fortuitously filled with essential oils that possess antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties such as Frankincense- Serrata, Clove- Bud, Laurel Leaf, Bergamot, Lemon and Ginger.[1,2,3,4]

The purpose of this blend is to give your body a boost of germ-fighting power which will keep you and your loved one's immune systems as healthy as possible during your stress-free excursion. As a bonus, this blend contains citrus oil and Frankincense which can uplift mood and calm anxiety and stress. 

Nausea & Motion Sickness

While most of us have experienced motion sickness or witnessed someone who gets nauseous on a boat or in a car, these unfortunate moments can put a dent in one’s plans. Thankfully, many essential oils have been studied extensively on this subject and have been found to have a compelling influence on feeling nauseous. 

Edens Garden Nausea & Motion Sickness essential oil blend was formulated with the simple but effective combination of Lemon, Ginger, Peppermint and Balm Mint Bush essential oils. 

• Studies in hospital settings showed that the inhalation of Peppermint oil alone, as well as Peppermint combined with Ginger, improved nausea and vomiting scores significantly in patients compared to placebo. 
• A study on morning sickness in pregnant women showed Peppermint combined with Lemon helped to reduce stress and nausea.[5,6,7]

We recommend that this oil blend be directly inhaled with a drop of the oil directly on a tissue or cotton ball or used with an Essential Oil Inhaler or diluted with a carrier oil such as Fractionated Coconut oil and applied topically onto pulse points so that you can get on with your day with uplifted and energized spirits as well as a strong stomach. 

Natural Insect Repellent

Depending on your destination, you may encounter biting insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and flies. Various essential oils carry plant properties that actually ward off those biting annoyances. 

Formulated for your benefit, Bug Bite Relief essential oil blend contains a powerhouse combination of essential oils that help to keep bugs away.

Ylang Ylang oil is highlighted in this blend. Studies show it contains properties that repelled several species of mosquito as well as kills mosquito eggs.[8]  Nootka Tree essential oil contains two bug deterrent properties, nootkatone and nootkatene, the former of which recently was announced as approved by the EPA for its effectiveness and non-toxic nature to pets and people.[9] A few other noteworthy essential oils found in this blend that hold high merit for their natural effectiveness against biting bugs are Cedarwood- Virginian, Catnip and Eucalyptus- Lemon.

There are a few DIY recipes here showing how to best use these blends to prevent bites and ward off ankle biters. 

• First, if using them topically, always dilute essential oils in a carrier oil or unscented cream. Be sure to massage the blend gently on exposed skin and especially around your ankles and lower legs where mosquitos like to sneak attack. For your convenience, add them to a 1 oz Amber Glass Bottle with Cap for easy traveling. 
• Diffuse this blend outside on your porch to prevent an insect bite, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are more prevalent or try your hand at making your own DIY spray. Fill a 4 oz Amber bottle with a Pump with 1 oz grain alcohol and 40 drops of Bug Bite Relief. Let this sit overnight and the following day add 3 oz distilled water. Shake and you are ready to roll. Keep this and all essential oils out of the direct sun and away from heat to preserve the ingredients.  

How To Use EOs While Traveling?

A few of our favorite ways to use essential oils while traveling include:

• The Aromaride car diffuser uses a wick that you fill with our aromatherapy oils and insert back into the device. Attach it to your car's vent, and when the air is turned on, it propels the aromatics into your vehicle while driving.  
• Staying in a hotel and feeling stressed from the trip or maybe you don’t want to miss out on your nightly sleep diffusion while traveling? The Mio Mist portable diffuser fits in the palm of your hand and stays charged for up to 8 hours. When using the device, it runs at one-minute intervals, perfect for use in a small area by giving a burst of essential oils just for you when you need it. 

How To Travel With Essential Oils On A Plane?

Traveling is not always easy, and essential oils not only are extremely portable but are beneficial for their aromatic properties for a myriad of issues. Calming, cleaning, fighting germs, indigestion, warding off bugs and helping with sleep are just a few of the perks. But during travel, we may find ourselves surrounded by people we do not know, it's best to consider how essential oils may affect those around us.

Whether it's babies, young children or someone who may have allergies to particular aromas, we suggest refraining from using essential oils in ways where an aroma can spread easily and that may irritate others (such as a room spray). One way to tackle this issue is to use Eden's Garden Essential Oil Inhaler. It's a small, portable personal device that easily fits into a pocket or purse and can be used for relief from the stress of travel or opening up the breath or calming a cough. In this device, an appropriate essential oil or blend can be added to the cotton wick of the device before heading out to the airport. 

Another potential option is to make DIY wipes to wipe down trays and armrests. Here's the simple recipe to make them (once ready, you can store them in small containers for travel or a zip lock bag): 

• Distilled water
• 1 tbsp Castile soap 
• 25 drops Edens Garden Natural Cleaning essential oil blend
• Stack of folded Paper Towels (½ sheet size)
• Rectangular container (an old plastic one with a lid you can continually reuse)

To make these DIY wipes, fold the ½ size Paper Towels in half and set them aside. You want to fold enough paper towels to fill the container plus some as you will be pushing them in to fill it completely. 

Then, fill the container with approximately ¾ inch of water and add 1 tablespoon of Castile soap and 25 drops of Natural Cleaning essential oil blend and mix the liquids together.

Using a small handful of paper towels at a time, gently begin to lay them in the water (if you push down too hard water will spill over the sides). Once you have filled up your container, put the lid on and turn it upside down so that the cleaning liquid blend can soak into all the paper towels for about 10 minutes. Once the towels are all soaked, your portable wipes are ready to go. 

Here is other important safety information to keep in mind when using essential oils: 

• Essential oils may only be for some due to varying sensitivity to aromatics. For instance, some essential oils may be too potent for women who are pregnant and for young children. 
• We also advise against using essential oils around children under 2.  
• Certain medical conditions warrant caution.
• If you are unsure about using essential oils, please consult with your healthcare provider.

Can I Travel Internationally With Essential Oils And How Can I Pack Essential Oils For Travel?

For airplane travel these days whether between cities or internationally, the TSA maintains restrictions for contents of carry-ons and applies to liquids over 3.4 ounces or 100 ml. 

Thankfully, essential oils are normally housed in small containers well under this maximum in 5 ml, 10 ml and 30 ml bottles. These essential oils can easily fit into any makeup case or if you like to repurpose packaging from other products, you may have just the thing at home. If worried about leakage, a bag can work just as easily.  

However, some of us like to travel with an arsenal of essential oils and to keep them organized Edens Garden has the perfect Essential Oil Carry Case where you can keep all of your oils neatly organized, safe and within arms reach. 

We do suggest, especially if you are traveling in a hot environment, that you refrain from leaving them locked up in the car where temperatures can soar, because heat and sunlight can damage essential oils. It's best to leave them in a cool environment. 

Wherever you travel in these coming months, have a safe and joyful adventure with the versatility of the essential oils you choose and their myriad ways of use. Bon voyage! 

SOURCES:

1. Antimicrobial Influence of Nanoemulsified Lemon Essential Oil and Pure Lemon Essential Oil on Food-Borne Pathogens and Fish Spoilage Bacteria https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31319195/
2. Antimicrobial Activity of Six Essential Oils Against a Group of Human Pathogens: A Comparative Study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471180/
3. Laurus nobilis: Composition of Essential Oil and Its Biological Activities https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6152719/
4. Boswellic Acids as Effective Antibacterial Antibiofilm Agents https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9228269/
5. Peppermint Essential Oil for Nausea and Vomiting in Hospitalized Patients https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0898010120961579?journalCode=jhna
6. A Brief Review of Current Scientific Evidence Involving Aromatherapy Use for Nausea and Vomiting https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22784340/
7. Research: Lemon oil for Morning Sickness https://tisserandinstitute.org/learn-more/lemon-oil-morning-sickness/
8. Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Bioactivities of Cananga odorata (Ylang-Ylang) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4534619/
9. The Secret Behind New Insect Repellent’s Potent Punch Is Found in Grapefruit https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/grapefruit-scent-wards-insects-and-safe-enough-eat-180975552/