Hong Kong was my first foreign travel after having been introduced to essential oils, and there was a lot of trial and error. I knew I wanted some of my oils with me, and the question was whether I needed to store them in check-in luggage or put them in my hand-carry. If the latter, how much would I be allowed to carry?
But firstly, which oils to take? I had this keychain case that carries eight small dram vials, and I figured for my short stint in Hong Kong, that would be in enough.
So which eight oils to bring along? In the end, I settled for the following seven:
- On Guard: a must for immunity and just in case any illness threatens the body
- Digest Zen: coz you never know what may upset your stomach abroad
- Lavender: for relaxation and any possible skin irritations
- Peppermint: to revive me
- Balance: coz this one just gets me less agitated when stressed
- Tea Tree / Melaleuca: as antiseptic and any insect bites
- Deep Blue: for any muscle aches & soreness
I was told that these small dram vials were good to carry on board the flight. But still I had eight of them, and was a bit concerned that they may be confiscated; after all, they cost money. So I decided to check them in anyway, and they hardly took up any space in the check-in luggage.
As soon as we boarded, I kinda regretted stowing the oils into the check-in. When I was younger, I used to love the flight but as I grow older, the hectic busy-ness of flying just throws me off balance. I felt like I needed some Peppermint or maybe Balance to get myself calmer. The flight itself was okay, I was immersed in Steve Alten’s “Meg: Primal Waters”, and it was still only a four-hour flight. But I felt that a dash of Peppermint might have helped.
Once we arrived at the airport, and collected our luggage, I got the oils out before we took the bus to our hotel. Inhaling Balance just got me in the right frame of mind for the bus journey into town, when we faced apprehension about the language and where we should stop for the hotel. To relax before bedtime, Lavender and Balance were my choice of oils. Always great to have these two oils around to get the energy down.
The next day was a super full day. We were walking a lot, and chasing for the MTR trains. Sadly, I had listened to people who had warned about how cold it would be and took my warmest, least breathable shoes and socks. My feet were a soggy sweaty wobbly mess by the time we reached the hotel at the end of the first day.
I used Tea Tree to clean up. I am pretty OCD about clean and dry feet because my father and brother had Athlete’s Foot when they were younger, and I saw how painful and awful it was for them. Tea Tree is known for its anti fungal, anti bacterial and anti septic properties, so it was lucky I had brought it along. I also dabbed some between and under the toes the next morning before going out.
The shoes that I had brought was also not particularly good for walking, and I developed a very painful bunion. After the second day, the bunion had a blister on it. Joy…
Of all the suggested essential oils for bunions, I only had Lavender and Peppermint. So I used those two, and also Deep Blue to help sooth the discomfort, which turned to pain by the second day. And of course, Lavender and Tea Tree for the blister. Needless to say, these oils did help to alleviate the discomfort. But the bunion was really bad, and I had to use Yoga Tape when I got back to KL. It’s much better now, the tape is off and I am finding that Frankincense helps.
I found Digest Zen handy as well, after a dinner of Thai Hong Kong food and also on a windy uphill bus ride to see the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. Digest Zen, or Peppermint, is good for motion sickness. And of course, we both used On Guard for overall immunity health! Aside from these two must-haves, I think Tea Tree and Deep Blue were invaluable. Besides what I mentioned above, I also use Tea Tree for my face, and Eddy used Deep Blue for a headache.
What oils would you have taken along? Which do you find most useful for travel? Tell me in the comments below!