What Are The Best Essential Oils For Travel?

Essential oils in the home are exploding in popularity, due to their natural health benefits and more. But travellers, do you know that essential oils for travel can help you improve your travel experience in ways you never imagined? From natural insect repellant to essential oils to help with anxiety, headaches, motion sickness and many other ailments that affect travellers every single day.

Insurance is an absolute must when traveling abroad as it helps you save money and also get the right treatment. If you have a Cannabis prescription, it could be covered by certain medicare and you can use these helpful oils to help with anxiety, headaches, and other benefits that you receive from this plant. There are also other great oils for travel and we reached out to some of favourite travel bloggers and lovers of essential oils to tell us what their favourite essential oils for travel are and how it’s changed the way they travel. Below we have 18 Essential Oils for Travel to help you learn more about the amazing world of essential oils.

18 Best Essential Oils For Travel

Disclaimer: Some of these links are affiliate links. We do make a small commision if you happen to purchase products using them. Thank you for supporting our blog by using these links.

Black Pepper Essential Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Black Pepper Essential Oil

With so many different essential oils available and so many of them having multi purpose uses, I feel like black pepper essential oil takes a back seat when it comes to muscle related pain. I have to tell you though, black pepper is one of the best essential oils to relax your muscles when they are aching. My favourite thing about black pepper essential oil is the spicy feel of it. It’s hard to describe, but we all know what black pepper tastes like, and I feel like when it’s applied topically it gives the same “spicy” sensation, if you know what I mean.

Black pepper is also a good anti-inflammatory essential oil and has a warming feel. I think it’s a great addition to your essential oil kit, especially if you walk around with a heavy backpack all day or spend a lot of time on your computer as you get work done while traveling around. If you need more ideas, here’s more ideas on essential oils for muscle pain.

– Jason from Mint Habits

Sage Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Sage Oil

When packing for any trip, sage oil is a must. Not only does it smell amazingly clean and refreshing, but it also has a range of benefits that are useful to travelers everywhere. It’s known to be an antibacterial and antimicrobial substance, perfect for washing off your hands, cleaning up scabs, or spritzing on your face. It’s also a stimulant, fabulous for helping to fend off jet lag, sleepiness, and other drowsy feelings without the use of caffeine. Sage is also known to be a cleansing herb overall, perfect as a backdrop for a meditation or yoga practice on the go.

Personally, I carry a small spritzer bottle full of sage oil and water, which I spray on my linens in the morning to wake myself up and feel refreshed. In my opinion, the spritzer bottle method works better than dropping the oil into your hands, because it’s portable and you can easily apply it evenly to any surface.

– Kay from Jetfarer

Peppermint Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil can be used to treat an upset stomach. When we were travelling Thailand my son got food poisoning. We placed some drops of peppermint oil on his pillow and towels to help soothe him when he was resting. You can also put it on a wet cloth and place it on a radiator or a fan to help spread it throughout the room. It helps to relax the stomach a little and can help with travel sickness.

– Natasha from Meldrums On The Move

Tea Tree Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Tea Tree Oil

My absolute favorite essential oil to take with me on my travels is tea tree oil. It’s extremely versatile and can be used for so many things.

It’s perfect for taking to tropical locations because it really helps with insect bites. I get bit by mosquitoes every single time I step out of the house, so it’s a lifesaver for sure. Tea tree oil is also perfect for drying out pimples and making them smaller and less noticeable. If you get a pimple out of nowhere before your flamenco night in Spain, just put a little oil on to make it shrink in size.

Tea tree oil can also help with any bumps and scratches you get while traveling, whether you’re hiking through the Amazon rainforest or just trying to navigate the sidewalks in Thailand. I also just found out that it’s antifungal! So if you’re getting athletes foot from walking around Rome all day, cover your feet in the oil to relieve the itchiness.

There are a thousand different ways to use tea tree oil and that’s why I literally never go on a trip without it. It’s magic in a tiny, travel-sized bottle.

– Michelle from Maps And Muses

Lemon Essential Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Lemon Essential Oil

Whether I’m going down the street or halfway around the world, lemon essential oil is one of three essential oils I never leave home without. Made from the rind of the fruit, the fresh scent of lemon essential oil brightens spirits on a dreary day, soothes sore throats, fights allergies, and is my go to remedy for insect bites.

Here are four ways to use lemon essential oil when traveling:

Address acid indigestion and heartburn. Time changes, new foods, and other experiences can cause upset stomachs when traveling. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil to a glass of water and drink to help your tummy troubles disappear.
Comfort a sore throat. There’s nothing worse than being sick while on the road! If you find yourself battling a sore throat, add a few drops of lemon essential oil to hot water and honey and sip to reduce sore throat pain.
Attack allergies and hayfever. Exciting, new destinations can also mean new plants, animals, and allergens. Inhaling lemon essential oil or applying it to the soles of the feet helps with seasonal allergies, asthma, and related respiratory issues. If you travel with an essential oil diffuser, diffusing lemon essential oil is another way to attack allergies head on.

Bid farewell to bugs and their bites. Mosquitoes, fleas, and other bugs hate the smell of lemon essential oil. But if you find yourself with a bite, a single drop of lemon essential oil on the bite immediately removes the itchiness and keeps you from scratching it raw.

Important note: don’t apply lemon essential oil to open skin. If the bug bite has already been scratched raw or is bleeding, a drop of lemon oil will burn. Apply a drop of lavender essential oil instead.

– Sage from Everyday Wanderer

Frankincense Essential Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense essential oil has many benefits before, while and after traveling. If used regularly you can really make a difference in your day to day life.

Before and during traveling, for us women, using Frankincense can help regulate your menstrual cycle. It can also help alleviate symptoms of menstruation and menopause. Which as we all know this can be a game changer while on the road.

Frankincense also can give a boost to your immune system, so use it before you get on that plane filled with germs. If you stress about traveling it works great as a sedative and relaxes you. I try to rub a little on each temple before flying, it helps me sleep on those long flights.

If you can bring a small travel diffuser with you, add some frankincense. It will help relieve any stress or anxiety from travel woes, help with your breathing, boost your immune system before heading home, and aid your digestion. Frankincense is a “must have” in my travel gear.

– Sherrie From Travel By A Sherrie Affair

Rose Oil

Essential Oils for Travel -Rose Oil

Whether I am at home or traveling, I always have a vial of rose essential oil on hand. Not only does it have a sublime fragrance, rose oil is wonderful for emotional support. Working straight on the emotional heart, rose oil calms and soothes the mind and emotions. It helps melt away the stresses of a hectic travel day and recharges me for the following day.

I find that rose oil aromatherapy is an excellent way to end each day. You can use it in a diffuser when you wind down before you go to bed. You can also dilute a drop or two in a light carrier oil and apply the scented oil to your wrists, temples, and behind the ears, just like you would fragrance. Or add a few drops, along with bath salts, into your bathtub as it’s filling up. You will find it’s sheer bliss to soak in the warm scented water.

Whatever way you choose to use the sweet oil of rose, it will make you feel serene and blissful!

– Dhara from It’s Not About the Miles

Bergamot Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Bergamot oil

Bergamot oil may not sound familiar, but tea drinkers may have already had a little sip without even being aware. The oil is what gives Earl Gray tea the distinctive flavor. Being my favorite tea, this was my first acquaintance with the bergamot. It came as a surprise to me when my reflexologist recommended the essential oil for my airport anxiety. Now I carry a vial along on every trip.

For anxiety, it is the fragrance of the oil that aids in regaining calm. I put a little onto each wrist, and when I am going to a very busy airport, I also carry a hanky or scarf, scented with the oil. As the crowd begins to press in, I inhale a few deep breaths of the fragrance, to calm my anxious thoughts.

Bergamot oil is said to have a number of other health benefits, including aiding in sleep and raising spirits. In both cases, it is also the bright, crisp scent can bring the benefits, but a couple drops in some tea before breakfast or after dinner will increase them.

– Roxanna from Gypsy With A Day Job

Eucalyptus Oil

Essential Oils for Travel -Eucalyptus Oil

I like to travel with a little vial of eucalyptus oil because it works well as an insect repellant, especially on long hikes under dense canopies. It’s perfect for your essential oils starter kit. Most insect repellants in the market contain DEET which raises health concerns that I would rather avoid. While the smell of eucalyptus is not something everyone might find pleasant, I’ve gotten used to it over the years and it’s a trusted companion on my travels whenever I need to keep insects at bay. I also wear a mix of geranium and lemon as a body mist, as I love the fragrance of these two together.

With essential oils, a little goes a long way so that’s something I love about them. But one has to be sure it doesn’t have adverse effects, so a patch test might be a good idea before regular usage. Hope that helps!

– Namita from Radically Ever After

Oregano Oil

Essential Oils for Travel -Oregano Oil

Oregano has antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. For those times where you eat something, you shouldn’t have or are just unlucky while traveling and find yourself with a bad case of diarrhea; Oregano oil will be your best friend. As soon as you start experiencing symptoms, take 4-8 drops in a gel capsule. Repeat every 3-4 hours, as needed. I often only need 1 or 2 doses before I start feeling better.

Oregano oil is strong and can cause skin irritation. Therefore it isn’t recommended for use on skin without dilution. Although I haven’t needed to try Oregano oil for other illness yet, reportedly it is also useful for treating UTIs, respiratory infections, yeast infection, and even amoeba giardia! It is now one of the first items to go in my travel bag!

– Robin from Life.Education.Travel

Coconut Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Coconut Oil

As both a travel and natural beauty devotee, I swear by essential oils every single time I travel. I always stash a few in my travel beauty kit. I rely on drops of lavender to help me sleep on long-haul flights and citronella to keep the mosquitos at bay in the jungle. But my absolute favourite oil to carry on any trip is coconut oil for its sheer versatility – and delicious scent! You can use it for nearly every beauty or health emergency you encounter on the road. It works as a makeup remover to take off even your most water-resistant mascara, as a balm for chapped lips or a leave-in conditioner for sun-damaged hair. You can rub it over cuts and scrapes thanks to its anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and even rub it on your chest when you’re feeling congested.

There is literally nothing coconut oil can’t do. I’m currently crushing over Leahlani’s Coco Fusion, but you can easily find some of the best coconut oils in your local drugstore or supermarket. Just try and get your hands on the cold-pressed varieties as they retain the most goodness.

– Yariella from The Beauty Backpacker

⇒ Want to learn more about Essential Oils? Read our Best Essential Oil Brands (for travel) Guide

Citronella

Essential Oils for Travel – Citronella oil

Citronella essential oil is distilled from two varieties of lemongrass. It has a yellow to brown colour and a pleasant citrus fragrance. It is widely used for candles, soap, incense, cosmetics, perfumery and food flavouring.

Our favourite use of citronella when we’re travelling is a different one though. Citronella oil is the ultimate natural insect repellent and a great alternative to chemicals like DEET. Registered as an insect repellent in the US since 1948, Citronella falls in the category of non-toxic biopesticides. The effectiveness of citronella, including repelling of the Dengue mosquito, has been verified by research.

Things we really love about using citronella as a mosquito repellent are that it smells a lot better than stinky DEET products and that you can easily create your own Citronella mosquito repellent spray. Mix a few drops with some olive oil or other carrier oil and water. To get the most anti-bug benefit, you have to reapply the Citronella to the skin every 30-60 minutes.

While citronella is a great natural mosquito repellent, we still like to have some more powerful weapons in our travel anti insect arsenal. We normally use citronella during the day when mosquitos are less active or when we are traveling in areas we know to be free of malaria, Zika or other mosquito-transferable diseases.

– Sarah from TripGourmets

Jojoba Oil

Essential Oils for Travel – Jojoba oil

My go-to oil when I travel is Jojoba. I discovered this oil when trying to find a way to control my psoriasis – nothing the doctor prescribed seemed to work. This oil did though and I now use it for so much more.

Jojoba makes a great moisturiser. And what’s more, it’s safe to use everywhere: body, hair and even face. Although you do have to be careful not to over apply, as too much can cause a greasy effect. This moisturising effect is also great for sunburn, I find that (if I am silly enough to get sunburnt) my sunburn practically disappears overnight with a decent application on Jojoba.

Another use I have for Jojoba is makeup removal. I rarely wear makeup when travelling, so don’t want to carry something specific. Jojoba is gentle enough to use on your face, including close to your eyes, so makes the perfect natural makeup remover. It doesn’t have any chemicals, unlike commercial products, and the moisturising effect makes me feel like the makeup hasn’t dried my skin.

It is also a carrier oil, so you can use it to make all sorts of blends if you take more oils with you.

– Nat from Natpacker

Peppermint Halo

Essential Oils for Travel -Peppermint Halo

One item I always bring with me on my travels is my Peppermint Halo from Saje Natural Wellness to alleviate headaches. It’s a blend of peppermint, lavender & rosemary. I’m prone to getting headaches and using peppermint halo means I don’t have to take as many painkillers. While it doesn’t work with migraines or more intense headaches, if my headache is not as strong but still painful, my peppermint halo comes out.

It comes as a roller which allows you to roll it around your hairline and up and down your neck and shoulders. I also have it in wand form so I can hit points under my hair as well. Both are small and can fit easily into your carry on liquid allotment. They can be a bit pricey, but being able to quickly deter a headache has been wonderful, especially when on the road.

– Adelina from YVR Bucketlist

Black Pepper Oil

Essential Oils for Travel -Black Pepper Oil

Black pepper oil is a distilled version of the peppercorns in your pepper grinder and, as well as adding flavour to your food, black pepper can be used to soothe tight muscles and reduce aches and pains.

Travel can involve a lot of aches and pains, it has to be said. Whether it’s cramped airline seats, uncomfortable beds, or bumpy overnight bus journeys, I often find myself with a sore back or neck on the road. I also workout and run when I’m travelling, and I’ve taken part in a few long-distance hikes like The West Highland Way in Scotland as well. Needless to say, I’m often in need of anything that can help with a sore back or legs.

There are a couple of different ways that you can use black pepper oil. You can use it as part of a compress, blended massage oil, or in the bath. I usually try and use it in the bath, as the hot water is good for muscle pain as well. If I don’t have a room with a bath, which is often the case, I’ll make up a massage oil and rub it into the affected area.

– James from This Travel Guide

Lavender Oil

Essential Oils for Travel -Lavender oil

Lavender oil can be used for a lot of things while traveling. For instance, it makes you sleep easier and has a relaxing effect on the human mind. When the refreshing aroma is inhaled it also relieves stress and anxiety. But not only is it effective for our mind, it’s also healthy for our body and skin. According to dermatologists and aromatherapists, lavender oil is great for treating Acne and it also relieves pain. Lavender Oil is good for your hair as well and can help against eczema.

I love to bring Lavender Oil on my trips, and I’ve even used it successfully to keep bugs and mosquitoes away. It’s a very potent type of essential oil that can be used for various treatments. My favorite use is to put some lavender oil on my wrists before I go to sleep.

– Alex from Swedish Nomad

Rosehip Oil

Essential Oils for Travel -Rosehip OIl

One of the oils I cannot travel without is rosehip oil. Rosehip oil has several benefits, but the best thing about it is that it really moisturize your skin. Other benefits are that rosehip oil is treating wrinkles (good if you’re out in the sun much), brighten your skin (gives you that glow), evening out skin tone, and helps firming your skin.

I just add a couple of drops to my face cream every morning and also before going to bed. In warmer and more humid climates, I add 1 drop of rosehip oil during the day and 2-3 during the night, but when in drier or colder climates I add 2-3 during the day. It’s different for different kinds of skin, so you just have to try finding the right amount for your skin.

It’s lightweight, doesn’t take up much space in your toiletry bag, and it lasts a long time, which makes it perfect for traveling. My skin looks so much better after I’ve started using rosehip oil, so I can highly recommend anyone to try it – both men and women!

– Christine from Christine Abroad

Gaultheria Oil (Also known as Wintergreen Oil)

Essential Oils for Travel – Gaultheria Oil

Gaultheria oil, a special type of oil for different body ailments are found in Nilgiris in places like Ooty, Kodaikanal, and Munnar. This oil acts as a magical cure for all body ailments and muscular pains and diseases like arthritis, gout, spondylitis and other body aches. They are sold in aluminium boxes and containers in all major outlets across the town. They are specially prepared from certain leaves and acts a natural herbal cure for most body ailments. The oil can be applied to the affected area and a small soft massage of around 10 minutes would do the trick if applied over a continuous period for a week.

There are however other types of oil that are also found at the above places like eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil and lavender oil available at affordable prices to all tourists and travelers across the globe. Gaultheria oil holds a special significance for me as it has been useful in eradicating some back ailments that I was having when I had traveled to these locations. It provided a great relief and acted like a miracle when I needed it the most. I would recommend this oil to my friends and readers to go for it without having the necessity to buy allopathic medicines or drugs and get physio treatment to get rid of these ailments

– Somnath from Travel Crusade

Want to learn more about Essential Oils? Click Here to Read our Best Essential Oil Brands (for travel) Guide

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Ever considered using Essential Oils for Travel? They're a natural way to deal with anxiety, motion sickness, insects & more! Here we list 18 of the Best!

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