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Going on a trip is usually thought of as a wonderful experience, one that you & your family may have planned & looked forward to for some time. To have the most pleasant – to obtain the most out of the experience – it’s distinctive that you & your loved ones have the means to overcome those little ailments & discomforts that can make the experience anger from mildly unpleasant to downright unbearable. How can we include a little ‘Trip Insurance’ to our already overstuffed carry…
aromatherapy,travel,essential oils,wellness,alternative,health
Going on a trip is usually thought of as a wonderful experience, one that you & your family may have planned & looked forward to for some time. To have the most pleasant – to obtain the most out of the experience – it’s distinctive that you & your loved ones have the means to overcome those little ailments & discomforts that can make the experience anger from mildly unpleasant to downright unbearable. How can we include a little ‘Trip Insurance’ to our already overstuffed carry-ons or mini-vans? Aromatherapy has an answer with some readily-available cultured oils.

Motion sickness, bug bites, digestive difficulties, & general travel weariness – to name a few – are usual discomforts experienced when venturing away from home. A small collection of inexpensive cultured oils can provide tremendous relief from these amusement-threatening ailments. ‘Treatment’ with these oils is simple – ranging from inhaling a little oil from a tissue, to adding to a bath, to drinking a drop with a warm cup of water. And, thankfully, relief often comes quickly because of the oils’ powerful properties & compatibility with our own bodies.

Peppermint & Ginger Essential Oils – Tummy Troubles & Clearing the Head

We’ll commence with ‘getting there’ – any trip starts with traveling. By car, boat, plane, or otherwise, motion sickness commonly effects many people, particularly children. This can easily make the ‘traveling’ portion of your experience absolutely no fun. Enter Peppermint cultured oil.

Peppermint has long been used to calm uneasy stomachs, & is easily used. One drop (it is strong!) in a cup of warm water, sweetened if you like, can be sipped before & during the voyage. For the fussy ones, a drop can be added to a small amount of honey & taken from a spoon for the same effect.

Ginger cultured oil is moreover known for it’s calming of upset stomachs – a little inhaled from a tissue or diluted in a carrier oil & rubbed on the abdomen can bring relief. One can moreover add a drop of ginger to warm water & drink as a strong tea – this may be effective for some food-related stomach issues as well, particularly when combined with the abdomen massage method.

Peppermint can moreover be uplifting to the weary driver or passenger – a drop or two placed on tissues in the car or near your seat will release the aroma into your surroundings. Be careful with this oil however, as getting it on sensitive areas of the skin (directly under the nose, & certainly near the eyes) can cause irritation. Tissues with the oil on it should not touch these areas directly.

Lavender Oil – the Great Soother

Lavender has been called ‘a medicine chest in a bottle’ due to its wide anger of effects. The aroma of Lavender is uplifting & relaxing, useful for stress in congested airports or crowded highways. Breathing this very safe cultured oil is effective for adults & children alike – inhaling drops from a tissue directly, or from one’s placed in your surroundings can assist you & your companions be at ease.

Plus Thyme, Tea Tree & Eucalyptus – Cleansing & Keeping Bugs & Bites at Bay

Lavender cultured oil is moreover an effective wound-healer because of it’s anti-inflammatory, mild antibacterial, & skin-regenerative actions. It can be used directly in case of burns, mixed 50:50 with Tea Tree & put on band aids to prevent infection, or blended with Thyme Linalol & Eucalyptus (2:4:2) & added to a bowl of water for an effective disinfectant wash.

Lavender is very useful for treating bites & stings – just place a little ‘neat’ (undiluted) on the affected area. This versatile oil is moreover a component of an insect repellent combine comprised of equal parts of Lavender, Thyme Linalol, & Peppermint, & a double-dose of Lemongrass cultured oil. A drop or more placed on tissue or cloth approximately your room can keep the insects out of your space; 3 drops of this combine per teaspoon of carrier oil can be regularly applied to the skin – or you may mix a similar amount into any lotion you may have.

Lavender can be used in combination with Geranium, Chamomile, Peppermint & Eucalyptus oils in relieving the effects of jet-lag. Getting out of this weary state as quickly as possible makes any trip more enjoyable. This requires getting yourself & companions in-synch with local time, having satisfactory rest at night & perhaps a gentle lift in the mornings & throughout the day.

To obtain yourself into the swing of local time, relax & be ready for bed with equal parts of Lavender & Geranium cultured oils – Chamomile may moreover be used in place of the Geranium, & works especially well for soothing children (if they are irritable for ANY reason). Add a few drops to a bath or use in a massage oil. For a morning eye-opener, do the same using equal amounts of Peppermint & Eucalyptus. You will find these useful at other times when you need a little clarity & lightening-up.

Lemon Oil – the Purifier

Lemon moreover has some wonderfully diverse uses. It is effective as an antibacterial, yet not so strong as to be an irritant. Adding several drops per quart to your drinking water will assist purify it, & the water can act as a disinfectant to be used in washing your fruits & vegetables ?the need for this certainly depends on your location, yet it not a offensive idea whenever bacterial contamination may be a possibility. Further, regularly drinking water with added lemon oil can gently stimulate the lymphatic & digestive systems, helping lighten that sluggish feeling that often accompanies extended plane & car travel.

Eucalyptus Oil – For Keeping Cool & Cold Relief

Eucalyptus – the Narrow Leaf assortment is a favorite – has a tremendous anger of uses as well. It can rad the body when too hot, & protect it when too cold. It is found in almost all formulas used to relieve congestion, can support circulation, & bring lightness to a travel-weary head.

Eucalyptus oil can be used like peppermint to uplift & invigorate during long intervals in an automobile. It can be added to a rad bath or used on a cold compress in cases of heat exhaustion & heat stroke (accompanied by, of course, copious amounts of water & electrolytes!), & used in a similar manner to reduce fever.

Eucalyptus oil may be blended with Geranium as a massage oil (3 drops Eucalyptus & 2 drops Geranium per teaspoon of carrier oil) to relieve heat cramps. For congestion relief, to a drawn bath, add 1 drop Eucalyptus, 3 drops Lemon, 2 drops Thyme, & 2 drops Tea Tree – soak & breathe deeply – or simply add a few drops to a steaming bowl of water & inhale.

These are just a few examples of ways to make your travel experiences more enjoyable with aromatherapy. With a little effort, you can expand your knowledge of these oils, discovering further uses, & find other oils that work well for your particular needs.

These cultured oils are readily available, & fairly inexpensive – though caution should be used when buying oils, as some can be adulterated, & others are mass-produced with techniques that may limit their therapeutic benefits. The more pleasant & ‘well rounded’ an oil’s aroma, generally the higher the quality. Your nose will know! And as with any aromatherapy application, start slowly – cultured oils deserve a healthy respect.