I travel a lot and I try to travel light. This means keeping cosmetics, remedies and other bottles and jars to a minimum, but there are a few things I don’t ever want to travel without. My natural remedies travel emergency kit contains most of the following items.
Vicks VapoRub
A Simple Natural Travel Remedies Kit:
- Aloe Vera gel: to relieve sunburns.
- Arnica: homeopathic arnica tablets for first aid in injuries or in a shock, and arnica cream for bruises.
- Arsenicum album homeopathic tablets: for food poisonings, travelers’ diarrhea and other stomach upsets.
- Ginger capsules: to prevent and to relieve travel sickness. Ginger sweets or fresh ginger infusion can help too.
Fresh Ginger for Travel Sickness
- Lactobacillus tablets: for keeping the digestive system balanced when traveling to new climates and to places with less than ideal hygiene. The stomach can react to even a small change in diet (and to airplane food) regardless of how careful you are about what you eat. If you are going to take lactobacillus, start taking them before your trip and continue after the trip.
- Lavender essential oil: use lavender oil to relieve the itch on insect bites. Lavender creams (available from many aromatherapy suppliers) soothe sunburned skin.
- Natural insect repellent: a store-bought one or a homemade one. Essential oils that work as insect repellents, and that can be used in homemade bug repellent oils and sprays, include Citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus and Lemongrass.
- Rescue Remedy (Recovery Remedy): the most popular of the Bach Flower Remedies range, Rescue Remedy* helps with pre-travel stress and calms nerves in any stressful travel situation. Available in drops, spray and even sweets. (*affiliate link)
Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Tea Tree essential oil: a general natural antiseptic.
- Tiger Balm: relieves itchy insect bites, muscular pain, stiff neck, headaches – there are few things you cannot use it for. Red Tiger Balm is heating, White Tiger Balm is cooling.
- Vicks Vaporub: I never travel without Vicks. I use it for steam inhalations during colds and sinus infections, and I massage it on the chest to relieve coughs. It works wonders.
I also always carry a Vicks Inhaler stick (I’m sure there are other good brands too, as long as they contain pure essential oils). If you, like me, are one of those people who often get a cold or at least a stuffy nose when flying, this decongestant inhaler stick saves the day.
Photos:
Vicks Vaporub: Richard Wheeler
Ginger Root: Snarkmaster
Tea Tree Oil: Stephanie
