Essential Oils for Travel: Combined Digestive and Sleep-Support Blend

Hello Friend!

This wk. end, Jenny and I are off to Crete for a small permaculture conference. It feels like such a gift: the chance to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and spend time with local distillers and farmers who live so close to the land.

Of course, as exciting as it is, travel comes with its own set of challenges. Packing, flights, time zones, all the details that leave your body feeling a little off balance. I’ve been reminding myself to ease into the right mindset because stress affects every system in our body. And our digestive system often carries the brunt of it. When it tightens, digestion slows, elimination gets sluggish, and even sleep can be disrupted.

That’s why I created blends to carry with me. These blends support ease and balance before, during, and after travel. I want to feel grounded and well, so I can fully soak up every moment of this trip and be the best travel companion I can be. You’ll find the two recipes I’m taking in Aromatic Creation below.

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Aromatic Creations Recipe

Travel Ease Topical Blend and Travel Ease Inhaler Blend

When I’m traveling, I want just a few blends that can do a little bit of everything: keep my digestion moving smoothly, calm tension, and help me rest when the day is done. These two recipes combine some of my favorite essential oils that support all of these needs. And because there might be a time when an inhaler is more practical, the second recipe covers that.

As a bonus, the topical blend is also wonderful for soothing jumpy legs and tight shoulders on a long flight (I love rubbing it behind my knees for instant relief!) and for helping me settle into deeper sleep both on the plane and once I arrive.

Travel Ease Topical Blend

• 6 drops Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis)

• 5 drops Ginger Oil (Zingiber officinale)

• 4 drops Sweet Marjoram Oil (Origanum majorana)

• 3 drops Roman Chamomile Oil (Chamaemelum nobile)

In an amber bottle, combine the essential oils in 1 fl oz (30 ml) of carrier oil. This makes enough for you and a travel buddy. Massage into your abdomen, shoulders, or the back of your knees for comfort during long periods of sitting. Or use it before bedtime for calm, restful sleep.

Travel Ease Inhaler Blend

• 6 drops Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis)

• 5 drops Ginger Oil (Zingiber officinale)

• 4 drops Cardamom Oil (Elettaria cardamomum)

• 2 drops Peppermint Oil (Mentha × piperita)

Add drops directly to the wick of a blank inhaler. This version is perfect for a quick pick-me-up during travel, especially when digestion feels sluggish or energy dips.

I’ll be carrying both on the trip: the topical blend for calm, sleep, and body ease, and the inhaler for those moments when I need clarity and digestive support.

Notes of Discovery

The Magic of Cardamom Essential Oil

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is one of those oils that feels both grounding and refreshing, with gifts for digestion, emotional balance, and even respiratory ease. It has a warm, slightly sweet aroma that blends beautifully with citrus and spice oils.

Cardamom is steam-distilled from the seeds of the plant. Energetically, seeds connect us with beginnings. Yet seeds often have to go through a dormant period while they nestle in the winter ground (a process called stratification). Cardamom’s seeds are tropical and don’t require this, but they still sometimes take months to germinate and grow. Beginnings are exciting… but they don’t happen all at once. Now is the time of year when we can begin thinking about new phases of life, projects, or dreams we’d like to accomplish in 2026. Cardamom gives us the spark and energy to connect with inspiration, but it also reminds us to be patient.

You can read more about cardamom’s history, extraction, and practical uses in our full article on the Aromahead blog.

Product Spotlight

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

This week feels like the perfect time to highlight cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). Smooth, warm, and slightly sweet, it’s a true ally for travel: supporting digestion, soothing tension, and bringing balance to body and mind.

The cardamom we’re currently using comes from India, and it’s absolutely exquisite. It is soft and comforting, yet full of depth and vitality. We also have a limited amount of our previous Guatemalan harvest remaining, available in 5ml bottles. They are both beautiful! It’s gentle yet powerful, with a rounded aroma that layers seamlessly in blends.

Cardamom has many hidden talents. It’s known to:

• Ease digestive discomfort and bloating

• Calm inflammation and soothe aches

• Clear the breath when congestion sets in

Its aroma is sweet, fresh, and warmly spicy, with a touch of eucalyptus-like brightness. A middle note, it blends gracefully with both citrus and spice oils.

If you’d like to experience Cardamom for yourself, click below.

From The Vine

A question from our Aromahead Student Forum

Aromahead student Johanna had a question about the main component of cardamom. Our instructor, Kuan, had a beautiful reply that illustrates the way our understanding of essential oils is always unfolding.

Q:Johanna: In studying Esters, Cardamom is high in terpinyl acetate, but it does not appear on the Therapeutics Components List.  I realize that usually means there is not enough research on that component, but can anyone tell me about the component "terpinyl acetate" and why it is so high in cardamom?

Our instructor, Kuan, agreed that there isn’t much research yet, but still offered some insight on how we can utilize cardamom!

A: Kuan: Yes, you are right, that usually means there is not enough research as yet. I came across this new and exciting research, specifically on terpinyl acetate and Cardamom in Alzheimer's disease. So amazing! It seems like a great oil to enhance cognition, given its high 1,8-cineole content, and now, with the addition of terpinyl acetate!

We’d love to hear from you! Join inspiring conversations inside the NLC group! If you aren’t a member, it’s only $24 a year!

Stay Inspired!

Travel has a way of pulling us out of our routines and asking us to be flexible. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s in those moments, such as waiting at the gate, navigating new places, or sharing space with strangers, that we often find small, unexpected gifts.

As you travel, whether across the globe or just into your daily life, carry something with you that helps you feel steady and cared for. A few drops of essential oil, a kind word, or even a deep breath can turn the journey itself into part of the joy.