The Best Essential Oils For Summer Road Trips

When we think of Road Trip necessities, some might not immediately think of Essential Oils as part of their must-pack items for the long car rides and hours of sitting. However, the reason Essential Oils are so integral to aromatherapy is because their scent profiles are reputed to have an effect on the mind, body, and spirit. Oils such as Lavender, Chamomile Roman, and Cedarwood can be blended or diffused individually to help one relax and potentially promote a good night’s sleep. Meanwhile, Peppermint, Basil, and Rosemary Oils exude soothing properties, but are also energizing and invigorating. Citrus Oils, including Lemon, Grapefruit, and Orange, are believed to enhance the mood and inspire positivity, while also eliminating airborne bacteria. In the home, the office, and in sacred spaces, Essential Oils are diffused to achieve specific results in mood and air quality, and thus, the inside of a car should be no exception.

Whether you’re travelling with friends, children, family members, or even acquaintances, road trips require a great deal of patience, focus, organization, and flexibility. While Essential Oils may not guarantee a smooth trip without any hiccups, they can potentially provide natural solutions and support for a memorable vacation!

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil – Known for its exotic, floral scent, Ylang Ylang is believed to bring harmony to the mood and environment. It can encourage alertness and mental clarity while creating a sense of peace and calm. Ylang Ylang has a soothing yet invigorating effect that is less likely to induce drowsiness.

Rosemary Essential Oil – In aromatherapy, Rosemary Essential Oil can support healthy respiratory function while stimulating the senses and alleviating fatigue. Rosemary may also come in handy during unpleasant road trip discomforts, such as motion sickness and stomach aches.

Peppermint Essential Oil – Active components such as Menthol and Menthone are responsible for this versatile oil’ clean and sharp aroma. When diffused in the car during road trips, Peppermint Oil is energizing and invigorating to the senses, while also calming overactive nerves. For especially hot days on the road, Peppermint’s cooling effects can provide relief alongside the car’s air conditioning. Find out more about peppermint oil uses.

Lemon Essential Oil – The road ahead is bright with “liquid sunshine”! A reputed mood enhancer, this brilliant citrus oil is uplifting and energizing, perfect for travelling with loved ones. Lemon Essential Oil is also believed to alleviate airborne bacteria, which can make a difference in a stuffy vehicle.

Basil Essential Oil – Another stimulating yet calming Oil, Basil’s uplifting qualities promotes focus and provides relief from headaches. A fresh aroma that is equal parts floral and herbaceous, Basil can alleviate any foul odors that can crop up from being cramped in a car. Basil’s aroma is also believed to be repelling to insects, which may come in handy for trips into the deep woods.

Grapefruit Essential Oil – Citrusy, tart, and sweet, Grapefruit Oil can ease symptoms of stress, anxiety, frustration, and restlessness that can occur during long car rides. It also inspires a surge of energy in the air for a road trip pick-me-up.

Vetiver Essential Oil – Another grounding, calming Essential Oil that will also keep you alert and awake. This earthy oil has a balancing effect that can soothe symptoms of stress and anxiety to balance emotions. Since this oil has a strong, earthy aroma, it can easily be blended with citrus oils or Ylang Ylang to balance it out.

New Directions Aromatics carries the CarScenter Electric Diffuser that is easy to use and distributes the oils evenly and effectively. It comes with 5 refill pads that can be reused until it discolors, eliminating the risk of spilling a bottle in the car. Simply add 2-3 drops of your choice of oil or blend to one pad and place it in the diffuser. Attach the diffuser into the cigarette lighter. The small light on the top will activate when it is plugged in correctly. It will take about a moment for the device to activate and for the Essential Oils to fragrant the air. One can also first blend the Essential Oil in Diffuser Oil Base to avoid strong and heady scent or aroma.

For a DIY option, glue one cotton ball to a single clothesline clip. Then, apply a few drops of your oil or blend of choice and attach the clip to the air vent of the car. If you’re feeling creative, you can add felt and cut our fun patterns.

When choosing Essential Oils to accompany your road trip, it is important to ensure the oils are suitable for every passenger. Allergies, cautions, and preferences must be considered before diffusing any oil in a packed car for long periods of time. For passengers who are pregnant, Essential Oils may not be safe to diffuse into the air. Avoid oils that are too strong to be diffused into a small space. Protect the safety of the passengers and encourage the driver’s concentration and alertness by refraining from relaxing oils such as Lavender, Chamomile Roman, and Cedarwood which can cause drowsiness or sleepiness.

To alleviate stuffiness in the vehicle, encourage air flow by running the air or keeping the window slightly open. This can also help if you don’t like the aroma of a particular oil or blend, just be sure the car is aired out before diffusing a new oil.

Energize the Driver (source: Aroma Tools)

• 1 drop Bergamot + 1 drop Peppermint
• 1 drop Rosemary or Basil + 1-2 drops Lemon

Nausea Stops Here (source: Aroma Tools)

• 1 drop Ginger + 1 drop Peppermint, Orange, or Lemon

Bright Road Ahead (source: Aroma Tools/ Roots and Boots)

• 1 drop Lemon + 1 drop Grapefruit + 1 drop Orange
• 1 drop Frankincense + 1 drop Grapefruit + 1 drop Douglas Fir
• 1 drop Breathe Easy (Synergy Blend) + 1 drop Orange Sweet + 1 drop Lime
• 1 drop Rosemary + 1 drop Lemon

Stay Awake (source: Roots and Boots)

• 1 drop Peppermint + 1 drop Lemon + 1 drop Orange Sweet
• Invigorating Synergy Blend
• Vitality Synergy Blend
• Pillager’s Potion Synergy Blend

Razor Sharp Focus (source: Aroma Tools)

• 1 drop Basil + 1 drop Peppermint and/or 1 drop Lemon
• Mental Clarity Synergy Blend

Simmer Down (source: Aroma Tools)

• 1 drop Ylang Ylang + 1 drop Bergamot + 1 drop Lemon (or other citrus oil)
• Relax Synergy Blend
• Breathe Easy Synergy Blend

Bellyache Relief (source: Roots and Boots)

• 1 drop Peppermint + 1 drop Ginger + 1 drop Lemon
• Breathe Easy Synergy Blend
• Relief Synergy Blend

The terms “essential oil” and “perfume (oil)” are often used in place of each other due to their aromatic qualities, but there are significant differences between them. Essential oils are natural, volatile, aromatic compounds extracted from botanicals. Fragrance oils are artificial and synthetically created by chemists, who reproduce the chemical composition of a plant’s components; however, they do not contain the same therapeutic benefits as essential oils, and thus they are not used in aromatherapy, as the body does not absorb the structures of the synthetic molecules in the same way it absorbs natural molecules. The similarity between essential oils and fragrance oils is that both types of oils can be found in cosmetics such as moisturizers, soaps, and of course perfumes as well as odorant products used around the house, such as scented candles, diffusers, and sachets for laundry.

Sometimes the term “fragrance oil” or “perfume oil” is used to refer to essential oil blends, which are combinations of several essential oils even though essential oils are not artificially made. The advantage of using essential oil blends is that money will not be spent on purchasing individual oils, but the downside is that the oils contained in a blend will not be customized to the individual’s preference.

It is beneficial and advisable to purchase quality essential oils from a reputable source that specializes in supplying essential oils that are therapeutically active in order to receive their health benefits. Because the purpose of an essential oil is aromatherapy, it is best to avoid using commercial grade oils, which are usually better suited to the industries of perfumery or flavoring. For an essential oil that is 100% pure and natural, and ready to be used in aromatherapy, it should not have anything added to it, as this will compromise its therapeutic properties.

Regardless of how pure an oil claims to be, its composition can vary and is determined by the following factors, all of which impact the final quality of the oil: the scarcity of the botanical, the country of origin, the year the crop is grown, the season, the weather, the geography of the land, the method and duration of distillation, the distiller’s quality standards and how much oil the botanical yields.

The quality of an oil may be identifiable by its label, but it is important to keep in mind that Health Canada and the Food and Drug Administration do not regulate essential oils, thus there is no way to validate the truth of the claims on the bottle label. One hint that points toward an essential oil possessing a good quality is the printed Latin name of the botanical from which the oil was extracted. Also, despite the chance that a label could mislead with the claim of being a “pure” or “100%” essential oil if a label claims this there is a better chance that it is of high quality. Oils with the terms “fragrant oil” or “potpourri oil” on their labels are synthetic, so while they may smell like essential oils, their effects will not be therapeutic and may instead cause an allergic reaction.

To ensure that an essential oil can be used for therapeutic purposes, check for a “Canada Organic,” “United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified,” or “Organic Certified” seal. For more information about the quality that these seals guarantee, have a look at our article titled “Safe Cosmetics.” All of the Organic Essential Oils at New Directions Aromatics are NOP/USDA certified. This means they are 100% pure, natural, and meet all USDA regulations and requirements for organic products, including soil quality and avoidance of genetically modified organisms.

Essential oils are typically sold individually in small, dark individual glass bottles that prevent exposure to light, which would cause them to oxidize and diminish their fragrances as well as their therapeutic properties. The oils may even evaporate. The most common bottle colors are amber and cobalt blue. Oils will cause plastic bottles of any color to deteriorate if they are not PET AND HDPE plastics.

The bottles must be tightly sealed by their caps, as exposure to air will also lead to oil oxidization. The caps should only be taken off when the oil is in use and then it should be recapped immediately afterward. Screw-on bottle caps are recommended over lids with droppers and bulb because despite the rubber droppers making application easier, the rubber will eventually deteriorate and possibly leak into the oil. Oils should not be stored on surfaces that are easily damaged such as paper, plastic, or painted or polished surfaces, as oils can stain these materials.

The ideal spot for storing essential oils is in a cool, dry place with a stable temperature away from direct sunlight, as sunlight will cause oxidization. Oils may be stored inside a refrigerator to prevent exposure to air, direct sunlight, and fluctuating temperatures, and in this case, the optimal temperature is between 5 and 10C (41 and 50F). Although the oil might coagulate, this will not have an unfavorable effect on the quality of the oil, which should return to its liquid state after thawing outside the refrigerator and returning to room temperature. Oils should not be kept in the freezer, as freezing may damage the oil quality. Due to their flash points – temperatures at which a liquid’s flammable vapors mix with air and ignite when exposed to heat – essential oils should be kept away from heat sources such as stovetops and candles or they may catch fire.

Essential oil prices depend on crop and growing conditions and both the suppliers’ and each company’s resources, and their process and production practices, which give insight into their quality and control standards. A buyer should be cautious about avoiding buying only the cheapest oils, as they may not necessarily have the same therapeutic properties as more expensive oils. One company’s high prices might be due to the care given to their distillation, shipment, and storage of their oils. Certified organic oils are also more expensive than non-organic or “conventional” oils. The prices for fragrance oils tend to remain steadily reasonable. Though there are some essential oils with lower prices than their synthetic versions, they are also more volatile. These oils include Lemon, Orange, Pine, and some varieties of Lavender.

Generally, when aromatherapy is approached with the proper cautions it does not lead to any adverse side effects and can promote well-being both physically and mentally. On the other hand, due to their powerful potency and their capacity to act as natural medicine, essential oils are best avoided under the following circumstances: when uninformed about essential oil properties, when undiluted, when pregnant or when pregnancy is suspected, while on medication, near open flames, near eyes, when exposed to sunlight or tanning booths, near children and pets, if prone to allergies or sensitivities, when room lacks proper ventilation.