TRAVEL BENEFITS OF ESSENTIAL OILS
The exhilaration of travel can quickly be replaced with stress – unfamiliar locales, crowds and constricted movement, scheduling conflicts, motion sickness, and encounters with new foods, medications, and plants are only a few of the factors that can lead to feelings of nervousness, depleted energy, illnesses, allergies, and other mental and physical reactions, compromising not only alertness and relaxation but also immunity.
Essential Oils can help to naturally ease the bodily symptoms and emotional challenges that travel brings with it:
- Essential Oils with calming and sedative qualities are ideal for nervous or jet-lagged travelers
- Essential Oils with invigorating qualities are ideal for freshening a musty room and boosting the mood
- Essential Oils with grounding effects are ideal for helping to mentally prepare for a stressful business meeting or rendezvous and for unwinding at end of an active day
- Essential Oils with clarifying and cooling effects are ideal for easing congestion and for helping to keep the body at a comfortable temperature
Read on to discover the top essential oils that are reputed to be beneficial for protecting against harmful germs, promoting alertness, boosting energy levels, supporting immune function, warding off insects, enabling spiritual practices on-the-go, addressing or helping to prevent fungus from developing on sweaty feet, keeping the skin cleansed and hydrated, and for easing muscle pain, cramping, upset stomach, and exhaustion.
TOP 10 ESSENTIAL OILS FOR TRAVEL
- Bergamot Essential Oil: The reassuring effect of this cheerful, uplifting citrus Essential Oil is reputed to induce a sense of peace and to enhance the mood as well as confidence, an important outlook to have when travelling to a new destination. Its reputed ability to help calm the heart rate makes it a valuable sleep aid when experiencing jet lag. Its refreshing quality is reputed to help improve energy levels and circulation, such as when seated in cramped areas for extended periods, and to facilitate easy breathing when anxious or nervous. With antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, this oil makes an ideal addition to natural cleansing or disinfecting products, such as foot sprays or hand sanitizers, to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
- Cajeput Essential Oil: This soothing Essential Oil is said to help the body relax when muscles begin to ache or feel tight and joint pain arises from hauling luggage, sitting in confined spaces, or from resting at awkward angles. With warming, anti-spasmodic, and anti-inflammatory qualities, this oil is helpful for enhancing circulation and can be incorporated into stimulating roll-on or massage blends. Its anti-viral quality helps to protect against harmful bacteria, and its spicy aroma is said to help clear congestion.
- Citronella Essential Oil: The clean, revitalizing scent of this Essential Oil is reputed to help decrease the feeling of stress, helping to replace it with feelings of rest, comfort, and renewal, making it helpful for reducing mental and emotional obstacles to both happiness and sleep. Its antioxidant property is reputed to leave the skin feeling rejuvenated, and its strong antibacterial property helps to purify the skin, especially the area around a wound or sudden rash, in order to prevent infection. It also helps to deodorize fabrics and stuffy enclosed air. Its reputed ability to calm inflammation makes it valuable for easing pain and irritation. When used outdoors, it helps to gently keep pests from approaching. Citronella Oil makes an equally effective surface cleaner, such as for sticky restaurant tables or the countertops at an Airbnb.
- Helichrysum Rambiazina Essential Oil: The cooling quality of this Essential Oil has a calming effect on the mind as well as on physical aches caused by inflammation, including headaches and muscle or joint pain. The cooling effect is also reputed to help promote mental clarity, to boost energy levels, to ease pain, and to reduce the feeling of fatigue as well as negative sentiments that may be caused by the anxiety of new and prolonged stressful travel-related stressors. The clarifying effects of are reputed to facilitate easier breathing when suffering from congestion or other respiratory discomforts. Frankincense Essential Oil
- : The relaxing and sedative quality of this oil is reputed to calm the mind and to reduce feelings of stress, fatigue, and anxiety. In doing so, it is believed to help achieve or maintain normal and balanced breathing and to ease the distress of headaches. Furthermore, Frankincense Oil is often used to support and enhance immune function, to regulate the menstrual cycle, and to help manage its uncomfortable symptoms.
- Ginger Hydrosol: The sweet and spicy quality of this warm Essential Oil is reputed to help empower the user by replacing feelings of doubtfulness and helplessness with energy, determination, and confidence to face the challenges and unknowns of travel. This oil is commonly used to address nausea or upset stomach caused by motion sensitivity as well as to stimulate circulation and to ease joint pain or muscular aches.
- Lavender Bulgarian Essential Oil: The comforting scent of this oil is reputed to have a soothing effect on the body and the mind, helping to encourage rest and quality sleep, especially in hard-to-sleep places, such as airplane seats. It is ideal for addressing sleeplessness caused by jet lag and may potentially be effective in helping to reduce the energy levels of hyperactive children. Lavender Oil is said to have a mitigative effect on skin afflicted with eczema, acne, sunburns, soreness, inflammation, and other types of irritation.
- Lemon Essential Oil: The uplifting effect of this bright scent help to improve the mood during times of delays, loneliness, or overpacked itineraries, among various other causes for frustration, tiredness, and emotional pressure. Lemon Oil is reputed to be beneficial for soothing the symptoms of seasonal allergies and is said to not only soothe the itchiness of insect bites but to help prevent insects from wanting to approach in the first place. This oil is ideal for addressing respiratory complaints as well as the nausea and upset stomach that may be caused by new foods.
- Peppermint Essential Oil: This bright, invigorating oil is known to energize the body and mind with its cooling scent, thereby promoting mental clarity and alertness for enhanced ability to concentrate, especially when experiencing the mental fog of jet lag. This clarifying effect is also said to help reduce congestion, while its strengthening effect is known to support digestive health at times of nausea and motion sensitivity. Its cooling effect also extends to the skin; when applied topically, Peppermint Oil can help to ease discomfort in the muscles and joints and to comfortably reduce the body temperature, making it ideal for use after a tiring day in the heat. Its fragrance is also known to have an uplifting and boosting effect on the mood, especially during tense and demanding experiences.
- Sage Essential Oil: This oil is known to not only smell clean but to also have cleansing effects on the skin, due to its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. This makes it ideal for handwashing, for addition to natural hand sanitizer recipes, and for preventing wounds from developing infections. Its refreshing and stimulating scent can help to naturally fight drowsiness and to enable a more vibrant, unhindered mindset during times when increased focus is essential, such as during meditation or other spiritual practices.