Motion sickness is essentially a battle between your eyes, muscles, and inner ears. They send conflicting information to the brain, disrupting your sense of balance and causing nausea. If you’re someone who gets upset while traveling, aromatherapy may help you find your balance and settle your stomach.
Alone or combined, some suggested essential oils for motion sickness are:
• Fennel
• Ginger
• Grapefruit
• Lavender
• Peppermint
Safety First
If you’re treating a child for motion sickness, avoid using peppermint oil. You can use spearmint instead, or one of the other oils on this list.
As a preventative measure before the onset, or as you start to feel those rumbles in the belly, apply these quick aromatherapy techniques.
• Stomach massage. Dilute a few drops of settling essential oils in the carrier oil of your choice and massage your belly in clockwise circles while you take slow, deep breaths and look at the horizon.
• Car spray. An easy solution for motion sickness is to combine antinausea essential oils with water in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray the interior of the car. This acts as a diffuser while you travel. You could also try one of the car diffusers available.
• Rollerball blend. Before you go, prepare a travel-ready rollerball treatment, which combines the benefits of both massage and inhalation.
Natural Partners for Aromatherapy
For maximum results, combine your essential oils with these other natural remedies:
• Avoid triggers. If you know that reading or texting while traveling makes you sick, don’t do it.
• Move up. If you’re a passenger in a car, ask to sit in the front seat.
• Look at the horizon. Focusing on distant stationary objects along the way can help you avoid motion sickness.
If you suffer from motion sickness, make sure you have one of these essential-oil recipes at the ready for all your travel.
Make this nausea remedy ahead of any travel so that it’s ready whenever you need it.
3 drops ginger oil
3 drops lavender oil
2 drops peppermint oil
2 drops fennel oil
1 10-milliliter rollerball bottle
Carrier oil to fill
Add all of the essential oils to the rollerball bottle, then fill it the rest of the way with carrier oil. Shake to blend. Apply to pulse points or simply breathe it in straight from the bottle.
If you’re heading out on a long trip, prepare this massage oil before you leave. This should be enough to last through your travels. When you feel yourself getting queasy, massage ½ teaspoon of the mixture onto your stomach while taking slow, deep breaths.
20 drops peppermint oil
20 drops lavender oil
20 drops ginger oil
2 ounces grapefruit oil
1 small dark-glass bottle
Add all of the oils to the glass bottle and shake to blend. Store in a cool, dark place.