An Airline Pilot’s Top 12 Essential Oils for Travel

Because Ryan is an airline pilot, he spends a LOT of time traveling and I’ve had a LOT of practice figuring out his top 12 essential oils for travel. He takes the same 12 on his airline trips, National Guard trips, deployments, even vacation with us. There are SO many essential oils to choose from that it can feel overwhelming to narrow it down to one small bag before you walk away from your collection, but I promise– these will cover nearly everything you will run into on any trip you take!

When we travel, we try to make sure that our oils are some of the broader-use oils so that they cover more of the needs we might have. For example, we ALWAYS bring our lemon, lavender, and peppermint essential oils because they’re the basis of any essential oil collection. It’s a colorful rainbow of essential oils for travel!

Make sure when you’re choosing essential oils that you’re choosing only the best oils– certified pure therapeutic grade. If you need a little more clarification as to WHY doTERRA CPTG oils are truly the safest, most effective on the market, check out this post. And once you’re done figuring out which ones you need for your next trip, head over to my shop page to get the best on the market for your family!

Top 12 Essential Oils for Travel

1. OnGuard– Y’all, airplanes are cesspools. Gag. We use OnGuard on our spines and our feet every time we get on an airplane and every evening before bed to give our immune systems their best chance of fighting off whatever it is that everyone else brought onboard.
2. Breathe– New areas bring new environmental threats and misery. Breathe helps us open up our airways so we can do the hiking, sightseeing, and other outdoor activities we traveled so far to do!
3. Deep Blue– Speaking of hiking and walking and other strenuous activities, Deep Blue will soothe and cool achy muscles after a long day.
4. Serenity– We don’t usually have a lot of trouble with our bodies settling down to rest because we pack our days full on vacation, but with weird airline pilot hours or kids who can’t settle themselves down, Serenity is an awesome option to help all of my boys (the 32 year old, all the way down to the 1 year old) get some great rest on the road.
5. Peppermint– From tummy troubles in the car or on a mountain to headaches or lethargy, peppermint is a great choice to settle down your stomach or wake up your mind on a long drive. It can bring up to 25% more oxygen to the brain which is good for everyone!
6. Lemon– I love putting a couple of drops on a wet washcloth before I lay it on the AC unit for a makeshift diffuser in the room to help it smell a little fresher (and less like a hotel room).
7. Lavender– Lavender is always a great option for relaxing an overly-stimulated mind, but it’s also perfect for soothing skin irritations from bug bites or whatever is on those hotel sheets. It’s my favorite of our essential oils for travel.
8. Peace– Peace helps promote feelings of calm and reassurance when anxious feelings rear their ugly head. It’s perfect for an anxious flier or out-of-your-norm situations (of which there tend to be plenty on a trip).
9. Balance– When you just need a little grounding on the road, inhale a drop or two of this. It’ll help balance out your emotions and get you on your way to a calmer day!
10. Forgive– Similar to Balance, Forgive helps promote feelings of contentment and patience– super important when dealing with all sorts of people throughout your travels.
11. DigestZen– Eating adventurously is one of our favorite parts about traveling. We LOVE to try new foods from the areas we’re visiting, but they don’t always agree with us. DigestZen saves the day every time!
12. Cheer– This one is exactly what it sounds like– a little happiness in a bottle! It can wake you up, reenergize you, and put you in a better mood, no matter what road bumps you’ve hit on your trip.