Essential Oils for Traveling with Pets: Stress-Free Journeys

Essential Oils for Traveling with Pets: Stress-Free Journeys
Traveling with your furry companion can be a rewarding experience, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Pets, especially dogs, can often experience stress, anxiety, and stomach upset during journeys. Essential oils, derived from plants, have gained popularity for their potential to help these issues in pets. In this blog, we'll explore the world of essential oils for traveling with dogs, providing you with valuable insights, safety tips, and alternative methods to help ensure your furry friend enjoys a comfortable and stress-free journey.

Understanding Pet Travel Anxiety

Before delving into the world of essential oils, it's essential to understand the root causes of pet travel anxiety. Traveling, whether by car, plane, or any other means, can be unsettling for pets due to several reasons:

1. New Environments: Dogs are creatures of habit, and being in a new and unfamiliar environment can trigger anxiety.

2. Motion Sickness: Just like humans, dogs can also suffer from motion sickness during car rides or flights, leading to nausea and discomfort.

3. Separation Anxiety: Leaving their familiar surroundings or being separated from their owners can make pets anxious.

4. Loud Noises: The noises associated with travel, such as engine sounds, turbulence, or loud fellow passengers, can distress pets.

Now that we understand the potential causes of travel anxiety, let's explore how essential oils can help mitigate these issues.

The Power of Essential Oils

Essential oils have been used for centuries for their wellness properties. When used correctly, these natural extracts can help alleviate tension and discomfort in pets, including dogs. Here are some essential oils that can come in handy during travel:

1. Lavender Oil: Lavender is known as the 'Swiss Army knife' of essential oils. When in doubt, try lavender. It's also well known and studied for its calming and relaxing properties. It can help relax dogs and reduce tension during travel.

2. Roman Chamomile Oil: This soothing essential oil is known to promote relaxation and calmness in dogs. Its gentle, relaxing properties make it useful for reducing tension during stressful situations, making it an excellent choice for soothing nervous pets.

3. Peppermint Oil: Peppermint oil is a popular choice for enhancing dogs' digestive well-being, offering relief from occasional stomach discomfort and fostering optimal digestion. Moreover, when applied topically, peppermint oil delivers a refreshing sensation, making it an excellent option for comforting muscles and joints that may experience discomfort due to inactivity during travel.

4. Frankincense Oil: Frankincense can be used to promote balance and reduce tension in dogs. Frankincense is known for its grounding and calming effects. It can be used to help pets feel more secure during travel.

5. Cedarwood Oil: Cedarwood oil has a calming scent that can help reduce tension and promote relaxation in dogs. With its earthy and woody aroma, cedarwood essential oil can create a peaceful atmosphere for both dogs and their owners alike.

6. Ginger oil: This warm and spicy oil is often used to soothe occasional digestive discomfort and promote a healthy digestive system in dogs. Its natural wellness properties may also help ease joint and muscle discomfort, creating a sense of comfort and mobility on long travel days.

7. DiGize™ Essential Oil Blend from Young Living™: Digize™ is a powerful blend of essential oils from Young Living. This unique combination includes oils like Tarragon, Ginger, Peppermint, Juniper, Fennel, Lemongrass, Anise, and Patchouli. Digize is renowned for its digestive support properties, making it a must-have for anyone looking to support a healthy digestive system. 

8. Valor™ Essential Oil Blend from Young Living™: Valor™ is an empowering blend of essential oils exclusively from Young Living. This remarkable blend combines frankincense, spruce, blue tansy, and rosewood to create a harmonious synergy that helps balance emotions. Valor is famously known for its grounding properties, promoting feelings of courage, confidence, and inner strength. 

Using Essential Oils Safely

While essential oils can offer numerous benefits for pets, it's crucial to use them safely and responsibly. Here are some guidelines for using essential oils with your furry travel companion:

1. Quality is Key: I believe the number one issue for pet safety is quality of essential oils. Unfortunately not all essential oils are created equally and there is little regulation in the industry. The majority of essential oils on the market today are either adulterated or low quality. Distilling essential oils is an art steeped in knowledge. For more info on how to make sure you are purchasing pure and premium essential oils, click HERE.

2. Dilute: Essential oils are potent and in general should be diluted before use. When you use an essential oil in a diffuser, you are diluting it. For topical application, you can mix the essential oil with a carrier oil. I like to use fractionated coconut oil as a carrier oil. You could also use an oil like olive or jojoba oil as well.  For more info on carrier oils, click HERE.

3. Diffusion: A diffuser can be an effective way to disperse calming essential oils in the air during travel. You can simply purchase a portable travel diffuser or use cotton balls and wooden clothespins. You can even simply wear the essential oil as a perfume and be a walking diffuser for your dog. To dive into making your own perfume with essential oils, click HERE.

4. Observation: Monitor your pet's reaction to essential oils. If you notice any adverse effects, discontinue use and see if you can't dive deep into the reaction and how you are using the essential oil.

5. Individuality: Every dog is different and can react to essential oils in different ways. Keep in mind that age, size, breed, and health can factor into how your animal processes essential oils.

6. Travel Test: If you plan to use essential oils during travel, introduce them to your pet in a non-stressful environment beforehand to gauge their response. It also works well to anchor the essential oil with positive feelings by trying the essential oil during a positive experience like playtime or cuddle time. This can train your dog to associate the particular essential oil to a positive experience further adding to the relaxing properties. 

Essential Oils for Specific Travel Issues

Now, let's explore how to use specific essential oils that can address common travel-related concerns in pets.

1. Stress and Tension:


2. Motion Sickness, Nausea, or Stomach Discomfort:

   - Ginger oil
   - DiGize™ 

3. Separation Anxiety:

   - Vetiver oil
   - Valor™ 

4. Muscle And Joint Discomfort:
 

Pick one of the above essential oils based on need and:

  • Add a few drops to a car diffuser 
  • No diffuser- add a few drops to some cotton balls or wooden clothespins and place in the air vent
  • Wear the essential oil as a perfume and be a walking diffuser for your dog 
  • Place a drop on your dogs bedding
  • Diffuse in hotel
  • Mix a drop with coconut oil and rub it on your pet's belly in a clockwise motion to aid digestion
  • Mix a drop with coconut oil and rub it along your dogs spine
  • Mix a drop with coconut oil and rub it into area of need like hips or shoulders 
Tips for Stress-Free Pet Travel

In addition to using essential oils, here are some general tips to help ensure a stress-free journey with your furry friend:

1. Familiarity: Bring familiar items like their bed, toys, and blanket to provide comfort.

2. Gradual Acclimation: If possible, acclimate your pet to the travel carrier or crate gradually before the trip. Make it a positive place, by rewarding your dog with treats and praise.  

3. Exercise: Give your pet plenty of exercise before traveling to help reduce their anxiety.

4. Regular Breaks: Plan frequent stops during road trips to allow your pet to stretch, relieve themselves, and stay hydrated.

5. Adequate Rest: Ensure your pet gets enough rest the night before travel to reduce fatigue and tension.

6. Positive Reinforcement: Reward your pet with treats and praise when they exhibit calm behavior during travel.

7. Identification: Make sure your pet has proper identification and is microchipped, just in case the unexpected happens. 

8. First-Aid Kit: Pack a pet first-aid kit with essential supplies, including any necessary medications. 

Alternative Methods for Pet Comfort

In addition to essential oils, several alternative methods can help alleviate travel-related stress and discomfort in pets:

1. Pheromone Products: Consider using pheromone collars that mimic the natural calming scents of mother dogs or cats.

2. Anti-Anxiety Apparel: Specialized anxiety wraps and vests can provide a sense of security for nervous pets.

3. Prescription Medications: Consult your veterinarian for prescription medications that may be appropriate for your pet's specific needs.

4. Crate Training: Proper crate training can help your pet feel secure during travel.

5. Music and White Noise: Playing calming music or white noise in the car or travel crate can mask unfamiliar sounds.

6. Pet Travel Accessories: Invest in travel-specific accessories like seat belts, carriers, and collapsible water bowls, designed to make travel streamlined and easy.

Traveling with dogs doesn't have to be a miserable experience for you or your furry friend. By understanding the root causes of travel tension and utilizing essential oils, along with other tips and techniques, you can help ensure a less stressful journey for your beloved pet. 

I personally source my products directly from Young Living, renowned for its stringent 'Seed to Seal' quality assurance process, which guarantees the utmost purity and excellence. When you make a purchase through my affiliate link, you not only support my small business but also benefit from this association at no extra cost to you - it's truly a win-win! 

To explore the unique Young Living experience and help alleviate the stress of travel for both you and your furry companion, simply click on any of the essential oils mentioned above, or you can also explore a curated bundle of the essential oils I've specifically mentioned for travel by clicking HERE. Thank you for being a part of my community! Your support is greatly appreciated, and as a valued member of my community, I'd like to show my gratitude by reaching out with something special just for you. Thank you for being a part of my community!


Essential Oil Roller Bottle Blends You Need When Traveling!

Essential Oil Roller Bottle Blends You Need When Traveling!
Let's face it, these days traveling is tough! Masks, tests, requirements, canceled flights, delays...the list gos on-haha! Thankfully I have a secret weapon to keep my emotions in check and support my health when traveling....drum roll.....you guessed it-essential oils! 

One of the easiest ways to use essential oils when you travel is to make a roller bottle. I like to buy empty 10 ml roller bottles on Amazon, and add essential oils and a carrier oil. New dual sided roller bottles are now available from Young Living™ and they are the bomb! One end is a roller and the other is a drip! Check them out HERE.You can also recycle your empty essential oil bottles (fill with your blend and carrier oil and use by the drop or by adding a roller fitment). Roller fitments are available thru Young Living™ or Amazon. Making a roller bottle is easy, quick, and keeps your essential oils safe and at the ready for quick application. For a step by step guide to making a roller bottle, click HERE.

Recently, I just returned from Salt Lake City and my flights were canceled not only once...but TWICE...yikes, I could feel the steam coming outa my ears...then I reached for my roller bottle made with my favorite calming oil blend....rubbed some on my wrists...rubbed my wrists together...inhaled deeply...and I could feel the stress melting away...then I rolled some on the back of my neck for good measure-hah!

Why do essential oils works so well for our emotions? Our sense of smell is directly tied to the emotional center of our brain, aka the limbic system...it's why a smell can trigger a memory like baking with grandma...or a disagreement with something you ate! Within about 5 seconds, those tiny molecules of essential oils pass over our olfactory receptors and enter into our brain...in over 20 years as a massage therapist , I haven't found anything that can work as quickly to change my mood! That's just the beginning, essential oils can support our wellness too!

Did you know a recent study concluded in 2021 (randomized, double-blinded, and placebo controlled) sponsored by Franklin Health Research (registered on clinicaltrials.gov NCT04980573) with results published on ScienceDirect has the outcomes of:

  • Shown to promote increased energy levels in women who inhaled Young Living Longevity ™ Essential Oil blend twice daily for 14 consecutive days
  • Shown to decrease fatigue levels and increase vigor levels in women who inhaled Young Living Longevity ™ Essential Oil blend twice daily for 14 consecutive days
  • Shown that aromatherapy with Young Living Longevity ™ Essential Oil blend can provide a novel non-invasive approach to improving energy and decreasing levels of fatigue in women
I have 4 roller bottle blends I never leave home without!  I always like to carry my 'It's Peoply Out There' blend, 'Wellness Blend', my 'Tension Melter' blend, and my 'I've Got Too Much Luggage' blend. I've included my honorable mentions blends here as well. Sometimes I run out of an essential oil or I get bored so I make the runners up instead. 

Also, we all like different aromas!  I'm not particularly fond of Patchouli essential oil, yet my friend wants it in every one of her blends! It's good to have choices! We all can respond to essential oils in different ways, so eyeball the recipes, trust me...you'll gravitate to one or the other based on essential oils listed...then try the blend out and see how ya like it! Does it evoke feelings of calm or make you happy. Do you get a sense of relaxation or do you suddenly get an extra burst of energy? Feel free to experiment! Use these recipes as a base to start. Recently I tried a new blend in a diffuser and the difference of using 6 drops versus 10 was more than I would have thought...completely changed the vibe of the aroma. 6 drops actually smelled like the label..."Seaside" (essential oil blend from the new Simplified™ Jacob & Kait line from Young Living™)....and 10 drops gave it a cool citrus vibe, but not one where I thought of the beach!

For the following recipes, add the essential oils to your roller bottle, then fill up the remainder of the roller bottle with a carrier oil. I like to use fractionated coconut oil, which is simply coconut oil processed to stay liquid. It's light, non-greasy, and soaks into the skin well. You can use any carrier oil ya like tho...olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, etc...

I like to apply the calming oil blend throughout my journey, anytime I feel 'my blood begin to boil' over this or that... I think it's best to apply it before you get on the plane tho to be considerate of your fellow passengers. Although, I often get the comment from my neighbor..."boy, you sure smell nice"..in which I immediately offer to share in the aroma...:)

For the wellness blends, I usually apply in the morning before I leave and again at night. Oftentimes to my chest or bottom of my feet. Or, if I feel like there were a lot of 'coughs heard 'round the airport', I might apply one to my chest and one to the bottom of my feet as soon as I get where I'm going, or even to my chest before I get on the plane. 

It's Peoply Out There


Wellness Warrior


Tension Melter


I've Got Too Much Luggage


Honorable mentions....

Calm Me Down


Just Relax


Worries Away


Making an essential oil roller bottle blend is easy, simple, can help tension melt away while traveling, and help you to stay above the wellness line! 

For more essential oil recipes, tips, and tricks, designed so that you never wonder what to do with your essential oils again, jump into 'The Weekly Oiler' HERE



My Top 5 Essential Oils For RV Travel

My Top 5 Essential Oils For RV Travel
I love to travel around in my bumper pull RV. One of the things I love about RV travel is you are not as limited on space as you are when traveling by plane. I love to take everything but the kitchen sink-lol...ya never know if it might come in handy and I would much rather have it and not need it than want it and not have it! 

So how does this relate to essential oils? Well I'm on an RV trip now and I literally took 3 full cases of essential oils 'cause I had the room-haha....but I find myself reaching for the same ones over and over...so I'd like to share with you my top 5 essential oils I keep grabbing...all..day..long...

First you'll notice that I use the essential oils aromatically, topically, and by ingesting them. When I ingest them, I only use essential oils labeled for ingestion, and I like Young Living's Vitality™ product line. With Young Living™, I never worry about quality ('cause all essential oils are not created equally) and I've been to their farms and have seen firsthand the Seed To Seal™ process- to read more about that...click HERE)

Since Young Living's Vitality™ essential oils are the same essential oil as the regular label essential oils, just labeled for ingestion, you can get away with taking only one bottle :) 

1.) PEPPERMINT: Hands down, #1. Let me count the ways I use Peppermint-haha! It's my go to essential oil. 
 -First, I love a drop in my coffee every mornin'. ( Peppermint Vitality™ labeled for ingestion) Inhaling the aroma from my cup invigorates my senses and helps to wake me up, then the taste...I never thought peppermint coffee would taste so good. 
 -Then we usually head out for a hike and depending on the temperature, a drop of Peppermint in the palms, then rubbed on the back of the neck, cools me off quickly. 
 -Any digestive upset with me or the dogs can benefit from a diluted drop rubbed on the abdomen. A drop of Peppermint Vitality™ down the hatch in a capsule can come in super handy as well!
 -Inhaling the aroma serves as a nice pick me up during the late afternoon slumps. I either just smell from the bottle or start a diffuser. 
 -If you have over exerted yourself in the daily activities, rubbing a few drops of peppermint on the areas can really help. It's easy to put a dollop of coconut oil in your palm, add a few drops of peppermint, and then you have plenty to cover any areas that ya may be feeling' some tension or discomfort in. 
 -Hanging around outside, if the pests start to come out, its super handy to make up a quick spray by adding 10 drops to a couple of ounces of water. Then have fun spritzing about and on everyone-haha!

2.) Next up CEDARWOOD: I love to diffuse Cedarwood while I'm away from the camper to keep the dogs calm. It's also a great relaxer at the end of the day or bedtime, especially if anyone is finding it hard to fall asleep. 
 -Sometimes in an RV showers can be limited, so I like to rub a few drops into my scalp and hair on non wash days, and it also makes a great addition to my face moisturizer. 
 -If you are sittin' outside the camper at night and find some 'pests' buzzing around, it can be a great help to rub a few drops on exposed skin. I like to do this with the dogs too after diluting it with a dollop of coconut oil. It's good for their coat too!

3.) LEMON: I have a filter on the water intake to the RV, but I'm used to reverse osmosis at home, so I like to add a drop of Lemon Vitality™  to my water bottle each time I fill it up so I don't notice the difference in taste ( stainless steel-no plastic!)(you can use glass but I don't like to camp with glass cause I'm always breaking it-lol) 
 -A drop of Lemon rubbed into the abdomen can also be a good addition to Peppermint, if you have eaten something that wasn't that great for you. 
 -I also tend to take a lot of pre-packaged food, dips, etc. and Lemon Vitality™  can be a great flavor boost. A drop in some cream cheese for a mornin' bagel, a drop in some dip with crackers, a couple drops in guacamole (helps it last longer too) or even several drops in a fruit salad to add flavor. (For more ways you can use essential oils with your food, click here and grab my freebie 'Boost Your Flavor' HERE) Lemon Vitality™ contains antioxidants and can also be used for immune and circulatory support.

4.) COPAIBA: Great for any discomfort or tension, dogs too! 
 -It's also a very mild oil in aroma if you have guests in the camper that need a little time to get used to an oilers aroma-haha! 
 -I generally dilute any essential oil I use with my dogs, especially 'cause they are all under 10 lbs. But sometimes, if I'm in a hurry or need an oil quickly, Copaiba is a mild oil that I have used on occasion undiluted with no problems. I especially like to use it on any minor irritations that may come up with the dogs, or areas of discomfort that I might notice crop up. 
 -Taking a drop of Copaiba Vitality™  in a capsule is great overall wellness support while traveling.  

5.)  FRANKINCENSE: Almost as many uses as Peppermint! It can be very helpful for calming, in a diffuser or a diluted drop rubbed along the spine of my chihuahua BooBoo..he gets very scared of the wind...well really any noise, and Frankincense usually works to calm him right down...and me too :) 
 -It's another oil that you can use on any skin irritations, rub into your scalp, or add to your daily moisturizer. 
 -If everyone is getting tired of each other in the smaller space, passing around the Frankincense bottle is like magic! 
 -Frankincense Vitality™ is also a good essential oil to take in a capsule to support the immune system. Add a drop of Lemon Vitality™ to augment the immune support and for added circulatory benefits. 

If you're like me an wanna take a case of oils-rock on...if not-no worries, 'cause I got ya covered with my top list of top 5. 

If ya want easy tips and tricks to usin' essential oils delivered straight to your inbox every week, make sure ya jump on 'The Weekly Oiler' HERE!