Top Ten Essential Oils for Travel

July 15, 2019 The Provident Princess 0 Comments

While I would love to have my entire collection on hand, space is usually at a premium so I try to focus on what my top health concerns would and how many I could address with one oil.

One thing I love about essential oils is that they are so versatile. There are so many chemical constituents that make up the structure of each oil and each of those constituents make it useful for different purposes. For example, Lemon oil has the therapeutic properties of being anti-anemic (helps blood flow),  antimicrobial (immune support), anti-rheumatic (arthritis), anti-sclerotic, antiseptic and bactericidal (cleansing-surfaces, wounds, skin/hair), diuretic (digestive support), insecticidal (bug repellant), and tonic (energizing). It is such a useful oil, but it is also phototoxic; which means it makes skin especially susceptible to UV radiation . Since we will be spending most of our days outside, I don't want any sensitized skin reactions. Most citrus oils are photosensitive and are not recommended to be put on topically if skin will be exposed to sunlight in less than 12 hours. Taking it internally does not have the same effects though. 

Ok, let's have a look at what I will be bringing!

Peppermint- Next to lemon, I think peppermint is the most versatile oil. You can use it for everything it seems like! This is what I think it will be most useful for- headaches, congestion/ clear airways, anti-itch for bug bites, scratches, sunburns, over-heating (you wouldn't think it, but it actually has amazing cooling properties making it great for fevers too).

On Guard or Stronger-  Ours bodies are usually a little more susceptible to illness when we travel and I don't want anything getting in the way of our vacation fun. These are DoTERRA's protective blends and I will be rolling this on the soles of our feet every day to keep any sickness at bay. You can also buy or make a sanitizing spray to use one everything from spraying down airplane surfaces (especially if you have a baby touching and sucking on everything), doorknobs, on hands before meals etc. Stronger is the protective blend in the kids line and it comes diluted and reading to use in an easy roll on which can also just be rubbed on little hands if you don't have a spray. 

Lavender-  Lavender is multi-purpose as well for soothing (think sun burn), itching, pain management, calming (anxiety and stress), and restful sleep which is a must when sharing hotel rooms with little kids. 

Digestzen- I love this digestive blend! There are always things we eat that don't agree with our tummies so I love to have Digestzen on hand. It runs the gammut from helping heartburn, stomach discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, carsickness etc. 

Terrashield- Any time you head into the jungle you need a good bug spray. One thing to keep in mind is that if you plan to visit Mexico and go to a Cenote, you absolutely won't be allowed to use a bug spray with DEET in it. You shouldn't put that stuff on your skin anytime but that is a topic for another day. Mexico requires an all-natural, biodegradable bug spray to help keep the water pure since locals use it for drinking and to help keep the ecosystems from being taxed too much. Terrashield is a blend of oils shown to have repellant properties like ylang ylang, arbor vitae, cedarwood and especially eucalyptus. There are some studies showing that eucalyptus works even better than DEET which is awesome considering how destructive DEET is. Terrashield comes in an oil and a spray option.

PB Assist + probiotics- This one might seem like a weird one to include but it is vital especially if you are travelling internationally. I know I said that this will be our first international trip as a family but technically we took a carribean cruise with the 2 older girls when they were younger, but all we did was snorkel at Cozumel, Mex and spend a day at the Disney island of Castaway Cay so I don't really count it. All our food was prepared by american standards and we didn't spend any time at the Cozumel port. One of the best things about travelling internationally is trying all the different cuisine. Usually though, you have no control over how your food is prepared and all the ingredients used. Every country/ region/ culture actually have been shown to have different digestive flora and when our bodies come in contact with these foreign microbes we sometimes experience major stomach upset. Did you know that over 70% of our immunity comes from our gut? Since that is true, we can't afford to have anything disrupt our gut and immune system so taking a high quality probiotic is key. I love that doTERRA offers a kid probiotic too and it comes in a powdered form and my kids eat it just like a pixie stick. There is no sugar but a natural strawberry/melon taste so my kids love taking it. 

Correct X- Think all-natural neosporin. It is a gel with frankincense, helichrysum, cedarwood, melaleuca and lavender for anti-bacterial properties, inflammation, skin healing, and pain management. It's great for bruises, cuts, scrapes, and bug bites. Another tip I love comes from the Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle) from all her plane travel. Just swipe a little of this in each nostril after you sit down in your seat or before you get on your flight and since it has anti-microbial properties it will help neutralize any airborne pathogens from the recirculated air we breathe for hours helping to keep you from getting sick. And it also helps keep your nose from drying out as well. I just love this tip. 

After Sun Spray- Ok now we are down to my DIY products I love. If you are going to be spending a lot of time in the sun, you will need this After Sun Spray. My husband and daughters have extremely fair skin and burn so easily and this spray has peppermint, lavender and frankincense in it that really helps get the heat out with such a nice cooling sensation, calms the itching and hurt and helps speed healing. Usually when my husband gets burned, he gets really red then it peels and goes straight back to white skin. Well my husband and I got REALLY burned one day and we used this After Sun Spray for a few days and he was amazed at how nice the peppermint felt on his skin, and his skin never peeled and actually became a tan. Check out my recipe here. 

Hair Detangler- this one isn't a must, but it sure makes my life easier with my long hair as well as three daughters when we spend every day at a pool or the beach. One thing that I like is that not only does it work to get the snarls out, but it is made from essential oils that are actually good for your hair and will help nourish and protect hair at the same time which is so nice with all the salt and chlorine exposure. You can make one with rosemary,  lavender, melaleuca and a little coconut oil or your favorite conditioner or if you want a short cut like I've started to use, the Root to Tip serum has all those oils and more like argon oil that are good for your hair and scalp and is a product I already use at home after showering, so I just squirt a few pumps of that into a spray bottle and fill to the top with water making it so easy. 

One other thing you can use that spray for is as a poo-pourri. Some of the hotels really don't have too much privacy between the bathroom and living areas so it is nice to have an air freshener. Just spray the top of the toilet water and when you go to the bathroom everything will be encapsulated in the oil and keep the smell and airborne germs at bay. 

 

How to Get Your Oils   ___________________________________________________________

Well, there you have it. All my favorite oils for travelling with. I got a lot of these oils when I bought my 1st doTERRA oil kit because I knew I wanted to overhaul our lives and reduce our toxic load in as many areas as I could and wanted the best value for my investment so I got the Home Essentials Kit for $275 since it is a bundled package of doTERRA's top ten oils that comes out to less than wholesale prices, comes with a diffuser and came with a wholesale account that gets me 25% off anything else I want to buy. 

If you aren't ready to make that kind of a financial commitment but really want to get started with a few oils, I would recommend the mini kit that comes with the 3 most versatile oils: peppermint, lavender and lemon for $55. This also gives you a wholesale account so you can add on CorrectX and Terrashield (or anything else!) for 25% off retail if you want. And, Terrashield is an extra 10% off this month as well! That makes it $86.50 for all 5 products and the wholesale account. You can check it out and add or remove anything you like here.

I hope this was helpful and a good jumping off point for you to start planning how you can support your family's health on your next vacation. 

Tiara

-Provident Princess