The Essential Travel Companion

The Essential Travel Companion

by Ashley Knight

Last year, we were on an unbelievable vacation in Scotland and Ireland when my husband suddenly felt horrible and quickly developed a fever. This is quite rare for him and I guess after 10 days of delicious brown bread, a ridiculous amount of cheese, rich stews and travel his immune system lost the good fight. We were in Ireland and had spent the day sightseeing. He was exhausted and could barely make it through dinner that night.

When we returned to our room at the quaint bed and breakfast…

…we put our then 13-month old daughter to bed, then I applied peppermint essential oil directly onto the entire length of his spine. I also applied Thieves™ essential oil blend to his feet before he quickly fell asleep. Our daughter was waking up a couple times a night and each time I got up with her, I would apply more peppermint oil to his spine. The next morning when he woke up his fever was gone and he felt much better. He was able to continue on with our trip without missing a beat.

This was not the first time I experienced the cooling powers of Young Living’s peppermint essential oil. When I first started using essential oils, I was visiting my parents in Scottsdale, Arizona when I came down with a virus that knocked me out. I was feverish for almost 12 hours and refused to take any over-the-counter medications. After many hours, I remembered my oils and did a quick search on oils to use as a fever reducer. I found peppermint and asked my mom to apply it to my back every hour. After falling asleep, I woke up soaking wet. My fever broke soon after applying the peppermint! It took me a day to recover but I was so relieved the peppermint worked so quickly.

In addition to it’s abilities to cool the body, peppermint essential oil is often used to support the digestive system. It may relieve indigestion, gas, diarrhea and general digestive discomfort. Peppermint Vitality™ oil can be ingested so it’s great to add to water when you’re feeling nauseous or have indigestion. A friend of mine loves to add it to her water after eating to help her with digestion.

Many people have shared testimonials about the powers of peppermint for supporting the digestive system, so I wanted to share this one which is pretty similar to what many others have experienced with peppermint.

“While visiting family in CO I came down with an upset stomach. Years before, I had been diagnosed with a spastic colon. My sister in law, who is a massage therapist, gave me two drops of Peppermint essential oil in a glass of water. Within minutes my upset stomach was gone. I was then able to join the rest of the family and had a great visit. When I feel an upset stomach coming on, I use my Peppermint oil that I carry in my purse at all times.”
-Sheryl H.

Not too long ago I was suffering from seasonal allergies and my eyes would not stop watering. I felt intense sinus pressure and fluctuated between congestion and eyes and nose running. As soon as they symptoms started, I began applying and inhaling peppermint oil. When it’s applied to the skin it has a wonderful cooling sensation so I was careful around my eyes but I applied it to my forehead, back of my neck and even put a drop on my tongue and pressed it to the roof of my mouth. I would feel immediate relief from the sinus issues. I did this every time my sinuses would act up and it made it much more manageable to still function. I also love to diffuse lavender, peppermint, and lemon oils when allergies flare up. That is known as the blend for allergies and it smells so so good.

Peppermint essential oil may also provide relief from headaches. When I’ve had a tough headache and refused to use anything else (have you noticed my extreme stubbornness yet?), peppermint has relieved the headache. I’ve applied it to the back of my neck, my forehead and behind my ears where there isn’t any hair. It’s invigorating smell plus it’s quick absorption in the skin provide fast relief for me.

Peppermint essential oil is also a great support before, during or after working out. If you’re anything like me at this stage in my life, it’s really really hard to get up the motivation to exercise. Between chasing a toddler and still waking up at least once a night with my baby, exercise is low on my list. Peppermint helps me to find focus and more energy to exercise or get motivated for the task at hand.

Additionally, here are a couple fun ways to use Peppermint Vitality™ essential oil. You can make Peppermint Brownies, add it to water or hot tea for a refreshing and minty beverage. Peppermint essential oil is also great in a hot bath for relaxing your muscles and even better used as a massage oil with it’s warming and cooling sensations.

Important Note about using it with young children: I want to be sure and note that the smell of Peppermint essential oil can be very strong for babies’ and small children’s respiratory system so it’s important to be careful. Always be sure to dilute it with your children and when they’re very young, it’s best to apply it diluted to their feet.

Please head over to DropsofJoy.org to learn more about Peppermint and other fantastic tools to take control of your family’s wellness.

-Ashley