I Won’t Travel Without This

Travel can bring surprises.

We always hope those are good surprises but sometimes they come in the form of small accidents, stomach aches, fevers, new allergies, jet lag, sleeplessness, anxiety, motion sickness, headaches, food poisoning or otherwise.

I know because in my travels around the states and the world I have experienced them all!

That is why I won’t leave home without my favorite portable travel remedy.

And the best part?

It is all natural and fits in my pocket!

As a Naturopath I wish I could bring ten different flowers, leaves and roots with me, some tinctures and a range of aromatherapy solutions and Bach flower remedies. However, the desire to pack light restricts my choices.

Airlines charge so much for extra luggage and restrict what you can bring on the plane. And for a bike ride, hike, kayak ride or overnight trip I don’t want to pack an extra bag just for remedies!

The trick is not what the remedy is, but knowing how to use it. Using our favorite remedy as inspiration you could choose your own “favorite” and bring it along instead.

Our favorite remedy is Tea Tree Oil. It comes in the form of an essential oil in a small bottle and that bottle can fit into your pocket, purse or day-pack.

But knowing how to use it in many different situations is the trick to being able to use it as your “cure all” for the trip and cut down on luggage and day-pack weight.

So how can you use it to help you with all the many things you may encounter while travelling? Use the guide below to help you survive the surprises of your next trip.*

(or click on the icon to see our awesome chart!)

Anxiety: Put two drops of Tea Tree Oil on a cloth and inhale the vapors. Keep this cloth with you and smell it when needed (take off and landing anyone?)

Bug Bites: Apply a drop to the bite for instant relief

Stomach Issues: Put one drop of Tea Tree Oil in one cup of water (for adults) and drink. For children make the dosage half for 12-year-olds, half of that for 6-year-olds and so on. Do not use for children under 3-years-old. Take this once.

Jet Lag: Add two drops of Tea Tree Oil to the hotel shampoo bottle or to an equivalent amount of your own shampoo. Use this to shampoo your hair upon arrival or the next morning. This will perk you up and re-set your time clock.

Food Poisoning: Same instructions as stomach issues. Take this once an hour for two hours. If condition does not improve then see a health care professional.

Sleeplessness: Combine two drops with any cream or oil you have and rub on to the bottom of the feet for ten minutes. You can give each of your own feet a massage for five minutes each or have a partner do this. Be sure to put pressure on all the areas of the foot especially the heels, tips of the toes and the sides.

Motion Sickness: Use in the same way you would for anxiety.

Headache: Apply one drop to each temple or behind each ear (depending on where the headache is) and hold your hands over it to heat the area slightly but do not rub the oil in.

Fevers: Use in the same way you would for sleeplessness.

Allergies: Put one drop of Tea Tree Oil under the nostrils. You can do this up to three times a day.

Small Accidents (Cuts): Put two drops of the Tea Tree Oil straight onto the cut or scrape. It does not need to cover the entire surface of the injury if it is larger. The Tea Tree Oil will spread through the system from the point of entry.

*Remember that any medical emergency needs to be taken care of by a professional. These remedies are ones we use either for acute manageable first aid or we use on the way to the local clinic. Also note that even natural remedies can cause reactions in some people. Before using Tea Tree Oil on yourself or another person please do a test on a small patch of skin to make sure you are not allergic to it. Lavender can be substituted for Tea Tree Oil in all the recipes above if you cannot use Tea Tree Oil.

Get a FREE SET of ten aromatherapy oils when you enroll in any of our certification, CEU or Audit classes at The Avicenna Institute of Natural Therapies. Offer expires July 1, 2014.