15 Best Essential Oils for Travel

Got a vacation or trip coming up? Stay well on the go with these 15 best essential oils for travel – including natural remedies for jet lag, long car rides, immune support, sleep and more.

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Going on a trip but aren’t sure what essential oils to bring? I’ve rounded up the 15 best essential oils to bring on flight, road trip, cruise ship, and other travel adventures to stay healthy on the go. You can keep your oils in your backpack, purse, carry on, or checked luggage.

These oils can help with everything from tummy troubles to jet lag to immune support and so much more – and a great addition to your arsenal of natural remedies on the go.

15 Best Essential Oils for Travel

1. Lavender

Lavender essential oil is a must-have for travel. It’s great for sleep, relaxation, and even skin issues (like spending too much time in the sun, dry skin, or the occasional zit). Put a drop of lavender oil on a sleep mask or put a drop in your palms and then rub your hands together and inhale. The scent of lavender can be so relaxing and help promote restful sleep – great for a long flight to prevent jet lag.

2. Thieves

Thieves essential oil is a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils. It’s great for helping to support a healthy immune system. Add a drop or two to a warm cup of water when you’re on the go to boost your immune system, or even put a drop or two on an airplane tray and wipe down with a wet napkin to keep surfaces clean.

3. Purification or Citronella

Purification essential oil is a blend of citronella, lemongrass, lavandin, rosemary, melaleuca (tea tree) and myrtle essential oils. Citronella, in particular, is known for keeping bugs at bay. You can use it with some coconut oil while on a hike in the woods. It’s also excellent to freshen the air from cigarette smoke and other odors in rental cars or hotel rooms.

4. PanAway or Wintergreen

PanAway essential oil is a blend made with helichrysum, wintergreen, clove and peppermint. It’s great for soothing and reliving tired muscles during and after a long car ride or airplane flight. You can also use it on tired feet, calves, neck or anywhere you need some muscle relief.

4. Tea Tree

Tea tree essential oil is great for cleaning on the go. It’s naturally purifying and cleansing. So you can add to a spray bottle with some water to clean airplane trays, toilet seats, hotel countertops, car rentals, etc. while on the go. You can even use it as an air freshener.

5. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus essential oil is great for opening up your nose or your chest (if you’re feeling stuffy). Use a drop or two along with some coconut oil, and use as a chest rub. It can also be used in the shower to create a spa-like environment. Just add eucalyptus to small spray bottle and add water. Mist the shower before you get in and enjoy the aroma.

6. Peppermint

Peppermint essential oil is fantastic for digestion. Put a drop in a large cup of water and drink to settle an upset stomach. It’s also very energizing. Put a drop in your hand and rub together and inhale, or even rub on your temples (stay near the hairline because the scent is so strong it may sting the eyes if you go too close) when you’ve got head tension.

7. Ginger or DiGize blend

DiGize essential oil is a blend  made with tarragon, ginger, peppermint, juniper, fennel, lemongrass, anise and patchouli essential oils. It’s the best for settling an upset stomach from too much junk food, long car rides, cruises (getting used to those rocky boats), or even relief from high elevation. Take a drop under the tongue for fast relief. Ginger essential oil is also great for stomach relief and digestion. You can put a drop of Ginger in your hands, rub together, and inhale the scent.

8. Lemon

Lemon essential oil is uplifting and when combined with peppermint essential oil in a diffuser it can help to energize and get focused, which is great when you’ve got a meeting right after a flight. Add a drop of lemon oil to a glass of water instead of using lemon juice.

9. Bergamot

Bergamot essential oil is a citrus oil that’s uplifting and great to get energized after a long flight or car ride. Combine it with Ylang Ylang in the diffuser to lift your mood.

10. Valor

Valor essential oil is a blend made with black spruce, blue tansy, camphor wood, geranium, and frankincense. It’s great for calming and soothing those travel jitters – like long car rides, airplane flights, or anytime you have occasional anxiousness. Just rub a few drops along your wrists and neck, and even put a drop in your hands and rub together and inhale the aroma.

11. Peace & Calming

Peace & Calming essential oil is a blend of ylang ylang, orange, tangerine, patchouli, and blue tansy. It’s the go-to oil blend for feeling zen and calm after a long day of travel. Put it on the kids or yourself to unwind. It’s also great for those long days at the theme park too.

12. Rosemary

Rosemary essential oil smells herbaceous and works well for focus and mental clarity. If you’re on deadline or need to be on point for a meeting after a long day of travel, reach for rosemary. You can simply put a drop or two in your hands, rub together and inhale the scent. The aroma helps to perk you up and get you on task. It’s also great in the diffuser too.

13. Frankincense

Frankincense essential oil works well for emotional balance and grounding. If you’re feeling the jitters about a flight or your trip, this is the oil to bring you back and get you grounded. Apply a couple of drops to the temples and rub in your hands to smell the aroma. Frankincense is also great for immune support. Just put a drop or two in cup of water or even on your tongue.

14. Ylang Ylang

Ylang Ylang essential oil works great for lifting your mood, which is great after a long, hectic day of travel. Just apply a drop on your neck and on your wrists and wear like perfume. You can also put a drop or two on your travel bed for a romantic night in with your sweetie.

15. Roman Chamomile

Roman Chamomile essential oil is like a chill pill in a bottle. Combine a drop with a drop of Lavender and apply to the temples and even rub in your hands and inhale. The aroma is relaxing and promotes sleep. It works well for kids too.

Can You Take Essential Oils on a Plane?

I’ve traveled a lot with essential oils in tow, and yes you can definitely bring your oils on a plane. You can check them in your bag (just be sure to put them in a resealable clear bag to prevent any leaking in flight) or you can carry them on. Put them in a quart-sized resealable clear bag to go through airport security. Some airports will ask you to take them out for inspection, while others wont.

I’ve never personally had any issues carrying my oils and taking them through airport security. I’ve traveled with up to 30 bottles of oil (5 and 15 ml sizes) on my carry-on with no issues. But if you have a particular oil you cannot live without consider putting an extra bottle in your checked bag to be safe.

Plane Etiquette

If you have an oil that you would like to use on an airplane, put them on before boarding, or put a small amount in a diffuser necklace or in your hand. You can even prepare wipes or diluted sprays ahead of time. Remember that not everyone is used to the scent of essential oils so avoid those that can be really strong like oregano and patchouli. Lavender oil is usually a safe bet.

Traveling by Car

Keep a small kit in the car by putting your most-used oils in 5/8 dram vials. You can put this in the glove compartment, or in a seat pocket. You’ll want easy access to your most-used oils while you’re on the road.

Feeling sleepy? Put some Peppermint oil on a cotton ball and leave it in your air vents. Of course, if the driver is feeling very tired, it’s also probably a good idea to stop driving and take a break.

Essential Oils in Cold Climates

Whether you are sledding through Alaska or skiing in Colorado, you can still use your essential oils, but there are a few things remember if you want to get the most out of them.

With cold oils you can open them, and even use them if they will flow. But some cold oils will convert to a more solid state – usually not truly “frozen” but crystallized to various forms. Hold them in your hands (or put it in your bra) for for a few minutes to gently heat the oils to your body temperature I’ve found that Rose and Myrrh, in particular, tend to do this more often.

Essential Oils in Warm or Hot Climates

Be sure to keep essential oils out of direct sunlight. Heat can reduce the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. As long as you keep them in a cool, dry place (even in a warm climate), the oils should be fine.

Top Tips for Traveling with Essential Oils

• You can take standard vials of airplanes, just make sure you put them in a sealed bag.
• If you are traveling with bottles you mixed yourself, a good idea is to label them, for your reference as well as through the airport security.
• Store your oils in a cool, dry place and if needed gently warm up oils in your hands.

More Posts You Might Like

• Beginner’s Guide to Essential Oils
• How to Make DIY Lotion Bars
• Backpack Essentials: Top Essential Oils for Back to School

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