Mountain Rose Herbs Blog

Essential Oil Blends for Summer Road Trips

Written by Hailey | June 17, 2024

With summer right around the corner, many of us are gearing up for adventurous journeys to familiar or undiscovered destinations. Hitting the wide-open road with a car packed to the brim, blasting your most beloved sing-along tunes, and playing endless games of I Spy or license plate bingo on a long road trip can sometimes be more rewarding than the destination itself. As enjoyable as driving many hours through winding forested roads and picturesque hills can be, road trips are not without their own set of challenges. Everything from stuffy air, motion sickness, backseat bickering, and impatient irritability are all too familiar nuisances when traveling in a car for a prolonged time. 

To combat the discomforts that may arise during long road trips, we turned to an unexpected ally, not typically high on road trip packing lists: essential oils! As our olfactory system (a.k.a. sense of smell) has a profound influence on our emotions, essential oils are a fantastic support system to make the lengthy drive ahead go as smoothly as possible. As someone who met the unfortunate fate of developing car sickness in adulthood, utilizing aromatherapy has allowed me to put my comical motion sickness glasses to rest so I can sit back and enjoy the ride on long road trips again. With one deep inhale of my secret weapon essential oil blend of invigorating eucalyptus and black spruce, complimented by soothing spike lavender and peppermint, my motion sickness becomes a thing of the past. The versatility of essential oils doesn’t stop at aiding with car sickness either! They can also promote mental clarity for staying sharp and alert behind the wheel, calming overactive nerves of inpatient passengers, and kicking suffocating, stuffy car air to the curb. 

Since road trips confine passengers to a packed full car for multiple hours or even several days, you want to ensure you’re equipped with the proper tools to evenly and safely diffuse your essential oils. Our Car Scent Essential Oil Diffuser is the perfect car companion to tag along on your next road trip, making on-the-go aromatherapy a breeze. With your diffuser plugged into the car outlet, all that’s left is to choose which essential oils are ideal for the next time you and your travel buddies hit the road!

So you can spend more time loading up the car, scanning through maps to find the most scenic route, and keeping an eye out for “something green” during countless games of I Spy, we crafted four essential oil blends to aid with a few commonly encountered road trip discomforts. With the support of these blends, a good book, plenty of snacks, and your loved ones in tow, you’ll be sure to glide over any bumps in the road you may come across on the next road trip you embark on.

 

Four Essential Oil Blends for Summer Road Trips

Makes enough for approximately 2-3 car diffuser applications.

Motion Sickness Relief

Mental Clarity & Alertness

Bright & Awake

Refreshed & Relaxed

Pro Tips

  • I recommend pre-mixing each of these blends prior to a road trip. It’ll prevent any accidental spills in the car and will also save extra room for more snacks!
  • You can multiply the quantity of each blend to your desired quantity. I like to make enough to fill a 10mL essential oil bottle in advance so I always have some on hand.
  • Start with 1 or 2 drops on your car diffuser of choice. The scent will be much more detectable in your vehicle than in your home, so use sparingly!
  • It is not recommended to store essential oils in your vehicle, as the high temperatures (especially in the summer) are not suitable for essential oil storage. I keep mine right next to my front door, so I don’t forget them when leaving my house.
  • Due to the confined space in a vehicle, it is not recommended to use essential oils if your pets are tagging along with you in the car. Please connect with a qualified veterinary professional if you have questions regarding the safety of using essential oils around our furry friends. 

 

Want some tasty road trip snack inspiration?

Check Out These Protein & Energy Balls with Maqui Berries

 

You may also be interested in:

Summer Essential Oil Diffuser Blends
Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling
Zero Waste Backpacking and Camping Hacks