At least in California, things are becoming normal again quickly and people are traveling. This week I will share the two essential oils that I always pack for my travel. Of course, I can expand and pack more oils for different purposes but I like to pack very light. If you are traveling with just carry-ons, you are limited to fit all the liquids in one quart sized bag.
These essential oils are Peppermint Oil and Lavender Oil.
You can smell or apply these essential oils topically by diluting them with a lotion or carrier oil such as sweet almond oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil. If you are allergic to any of these oils, skip these and research which carrier oil works for you.
A good rule of thumb for adult is 2% dilution or adding 6 drops of oil to 30 ml of carrier oil or lotion. Be careful about storing the mixture in a plastic container because the essential oils are known to dissolve some plastics. It’s better to mix and store it in a glass jar container.
Peppermint Oil
- To wake up – When you go on a road trip or even commuting a long distance or through traffic jams, peppermint oil is great for waking up. When you feel you are falling asleep just smell the peppermint oil and you will be awake and alert.
- To cool down – On hot summer nights or when you have a sun burn, drop some peppermint oils in the water, and soak the towel in it, wring it and apply on your skin to cool down.
- For your feet – Apply the peppermint oil mixed with the lotion or carrier oil on your tired feet after a long day of walking or hiking. Peppermint oil helps to control the foot odor from Athlete’s Foot and it helps to restore the cracked heels.
- To reduce pain – Peppermint oil helps to reduce pain such as headache and muscle ache. Inhale or put the peppermint oil mixture on your temples for headache or massage it into your sore muscles.
- To repel mosquitos and other bugs and pests – Peppermint oil is a great natural repellent for all kinds of bugs. For mosquitos, mix it with a carrier oil or lotion and apply on your skin. Peppermint also helps to repel bugs and pests such as ants, aphids, bed bugs, beetles, caterpillars, cockroaches, fleas, flies, gnats, lice, mice, moths, stink bugs, spiders, ticks and wasps in the alphabetical order. Mix the peppermint oil with water in a sprayer, shake well, and spray onto the surface where you don’t want these bugs. Or put some drops in a cotton ball and place it where you don’t want to see these bugs crawling in.
- To freshen up – Sometimes it’s hard to freshen up on the road. Use the peppermint water as a mouthwash to erase the bad breath and after taste and feel fresh in your mouth.
Lavender Oil
- To relax – It’s not always a smooth sailing when you travel and that makes it more interesting and memorable. If you feel anxiety during travel, smell the lavender and it will help you relax mentally.
- To reduce pain – Lavender oil is anti-inflammatory. Dilute lavender oil with a carrier oil or lotion and apply on sore muscles to ease the pain. So the lavender oil is good not just mentally but physically too.
- To sleep better – Lavender helps you to fall asleep. If you know you’ll have a hard time falling asleep, put a lavender oil in a tissue and put it by your pillow.
- To heal the burns – Lavender essential helps to heal the burns whether from a BBQ mishaps or sunburn. Unlike peppermint oil, lavender is usually safe to apply directly on your skin so I usually apply it on the burn and I haven’t had any problem. And the smell calms me down too.
- To repel mosquitos and other bugs – Lavender oil is also a repellent for bugs such as mosquitos, flies, fleas, and moths. Apply the diluted lavender oil on your skin or mix with the water in a spray bottle. Shake well because it’s oil and water, and spray on yourself and clothes to repel those unwanted bugs.
So the peppermint oil and lavender oil are the two essential oils that I always pack for my travel for their various benefits. And these are just my current collections. I haven’t used them for all of the benefits but this video has been a good reminder for myself.
Don’t try these if you are allergic to these essential oils. If you have medical conditions, I would research and check with your medical doctor first to see if it’s safe for your conditions. Otherwise, these oils go together very well and you can mix them too. But again, test out the essential oil and carrier oil together before you hit the road. You do not want to have any adverse effects on the road to ruin your trip.
Massage Monday #558 2 Essential Oils You Must Have for Your Travel http://bit.ly/mm-558