By the time you’re reading this, I will be in beautiful Paris….one of my favourite places in the world. I’m on my way to Young Living’s Diamond Retreat…after teaching a one-day oils class in Belgium this Saturday, followed by a series of classes all around Iceland next week.

If you’re wishing you were with me in my suitcase, first remember the almost 43 hours of non-stop travelling it took to arrive here!!! Recognising how intense this is on the body, I’ve scheduled in a few nights in Montmartre (Paris) at the beginning of my trip, to recover and reinvigorate after the long haul flights.

With travel at the forefront of my mind, I want to share some of my top travel tips with you in today’s post.

I often get asked, “What oils and other Young Living products should I pack for my travels, and am I safe to take them on planes?”

With that question in mind, here are my top tips for a trouble-free holiday, specific to what products I take in my hand-luggage. Next post, I’ll share what goes into my checked-in luggage, and why. Enjoy!

Is it safe to take my essential oils on a plane?

The short answer is, “100% YES!!!”. It’s not uncommon for me to take up to 50 essential oils with me when I go on an international trip where I’m going to be away for 3-4 weeks, and I’ve done this for over 25 years without a hitch.

On international flights for most airlines, in your hand luggage you are allowed a

quart-sized bag with liquids, and no one liquid should exceed 100ml.

So some of my oils and some of my NingXia Red sachets make it into that bag, and the rest go into my checked-in bags.

Back in the early days, we wondered if essential oils in hand luggage were affected by going through the x-ray machine as you check in for your flight. Gary Young (the founder of Young Living) did some studies on this, and found that their frequency did indeed drop…but it picked back up again within about 45 minutes. So there’s no long-lasting harm to the oils when you take them on a plane with you.

The only hilarious misadventure I had was when travelling with Noel (who was my partner at that time). He had lathered himself with oils, and the biosecurity dog took a very keen interest in him….to the point that the quarantine officer decided to strip search Noel to see if he was harbouring some illegal substances on his body.

We both felt that the biosecurity dog just loved the smell of the oils Noel was wearing (like catnip for dogs). To put your mind at ease, I can honestly share that I lather myself with oils before every flight, and I’ve never been flagged in an airport, anywhere.

What should I take in my hand luggage?

Oooh…this is a fun question, and I have so many wonderful suggestions!

1. The screaming child in the 19th row

My favourite oil to calm myself and the screaming children on a flight is always either Peace & Calming or Lavender….and I personally lean towards Peace & Calming, simply because I love its smell.

Once the child who was screaming happened to be in a seat directly in front of me, so I put a few drops on my wrists, and wafted my wrists in her direction.

It took her all of about 3 minutes to settle down, and then another 10 minutes later she drifted off to sleep and slept for the rest of the flight.

At other times, if the child is not so close to me and the screaming goes on…and on…and on…I’ve been known to ask the parents if they’d be open to putting a drop of calming essential oils on themselves or their child. Most times they’ve grateful accepted, and it’s done the trick.

2. An abundant mindset whilst flying

Abundance oil is another non-negotiable for me on a flight. It’s always in my hand luggage, and I apply it to my wrists before each leg of the flight.

The Egyptian Pharaohs may not have had planes, but they certainly understood the power of essential oils that draw positive experiences to us. Abundance oil is a mix of

the essential oils that the Pharaohs used for prosperity and manifestation…and in my personal experience, it absolutely works.

Because it keeps our energy field spinning in a positive and clockwise direction, this in turn makes the flying experience so much smoother.

I notice I’m much more likely to have planes running on time (or ahead of time), and there are fewer travel disruptions when I wear my Abundance oil before a flight.

My bags arrive in one piece; I arrive in one piece; and everything runs to plan.

Almost every time I’ve had flight delays, I’ve kicked myself because I realised I had forgotten to wear my Abundance oil that day. Although not impossible, it’s extremely rare for me to have flight disruptions when I wear Abundance oil.

3. Panaway to the rescue

We never know what is going to happen on a flight, in the airport, or when we’re travelling. That’s why Panaway oil is right up the top of my list for oils to take.

On my flight this week, I must have pulled my socks too tightly on my left foot,

cramping the space for my middle toe. By the time I’d finished the first leg of the flight, my middle toe was aching from this tight-fitting sock. Panaway came to the rescue – a few drops, and 10 minutes later my toe was feeling so much happier. It’s a wonderful oil for relaxing tight muscles.

4. Fresh Breath mid-flight

If you’re like me and you love having fresh breath on a flight, make sure you either take a small container with some Thieves Whitening Toothpaste in it to use during the flight, or a 30ml glass spray bottle with some Thieves Mouthwash in it. Alternatively you can put the Thieves Mouthwash into an empty Thieves Spray bottle – that works a treat! Either (or both) are great for keeping up your oral hygiene routines even when you’re flying high, but ensuring you stay within the 100ml limits for liquids.

5. Purifying hands, surfaces & the air

I know many people travel with Thieves Spray, and spray their seat in the aircraft at the beginning of the trip. Personally, I’ve never done this (even though it’s a great idea).

Instead I do something quite unconventional, and I wear a face mask on international long-haul flights.

Do you know why?

Dr. Mayank Shukla is a leading pulmonologist in New York City. On his website, he states that “humid air is better for your sinuses than dry air: aside from bloody noses, by “raising indoor relative humidity levels to 43 percent or above”, you can avoid 86 percent of…virus particles.”

So this is why I wear a loose-fitting cloth face mark. Being loose-fitting, I can continue to breathe well throughout the flight. However, its purpose is to keep the air I breathe humid, so I’m preventing the respiratory dryness that is a happy place for viruses.

But I do more than that. I also put a drop of RC oil under my nose at the beginning and end of the flight, and often once or twice throughout the flight. I love the smell of RC, and because it contains 3 different eucalyptus oils and other oils, I know it’s helping to purify the air I breathe in.

It also helps me when there’s someone sitting near me wearing a strong-smelling perfume.

On my flight this week from Singapore to London, one of the flight attendants had just drowned herself in a highly scented perfume.

I’m sure she thought it was beautiful, but to me it absolutely stunk!!! I wanted to hold my breath every time she walked past. Thankfully a drop of RC oil under my nose helped to mask her perfume.

Another non-negotiable product for me is Young Living’s Thieves Hand Sanitizer. I carry this in my pocket or handbag, and use it after every trip to a public restroom (whether that’s on a plane, or in my day-to-day life when I’m out running errands).

This is a much better alternative to the fragrance-filled soaps that the airlines offer, given that synthetic fragrances are hormone-disrupters, and often contain toxic and/or carcinogenic ingredients.

It’s incredible the number of times people comment on my beautiful aroma after I’ve used Thieves Hand Sanitizer on my hands…it really is a wonderful smell!

6. Getting some restful sleep on the flight

Some people sleep well on planes, others don’t…and most of us have our own tips and tricks.

Personally, I’ll watch a movie, finish my meal, and then I settle down to sleep. I always have the intention that I’m going to get at least 5 (and often more) hours of restful sleep.

The two calming oils mentioned above (ie. Lavender and/or Peace & Calming) are some of my favourites for sleeping. I just put a drop on my pillow before I close my eyes, on goes my face mask (optional but important if the cabin lights are on), and I settle in to sleep.

I also take 2 capsules of Young Living’s Deep Night Essence. This is a melatonin-free formula to calm body and mind, and promote a restful night’s sleep.

In the US market, we are allowed to make the following statements about this product. It contains:

• Spearmint and green tea extracts which promote more restful sleep*
• Holy basil and lemon balm extracts to support the body’s natural response to stress*
• Lavender essential oil which supports sleep quality during occasional restlessness*
• Spearmint essential oil which supports overall wellness*

Deep Night Essence is not available in our local AU/NZ market, so I order it via Young Living’s NFR program. To do that, simply log into your virtual office, change the Australian flag to a US flag, and you’ll be redirected to the “not for resale” site where you can purchase various items from the US Young Living market – ie. some of the products we can’t buy in our local market. It’s a great option, and you can use your accumulated reward points to pay for these products if you wish.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

7. Fortifying from the inside out, and the outside in

A 2018 study showed that if you sit within one row of an infected passenger, your risk of catching something can be as high as 80%, while it drops to under 3% for passengers farther away.

When we’re travelling, our body is already under stress. That’s why I like to give myself some extra fortification.

For the flight itself, I make sure I have a sachet of NingXia Red both at the beginning and the end of the flight, and sometimes another one in the middle. These contribute to the one-quart sized bag of liquids you can take on the plane itself, so be mindful of this when packing.

Here’s How to Order

If you already have your own wholesale account with Young Living, you can order through the shopping cart on your virtual office, or via phone or live chat with your local Young Living office.

If you already have your own wholesale account with Young Living, you can order through the shopping cart on your virtual

office, or via phone or live chat with your local Young Living office. You will need their member number when you place your first order.

If you have lost touch with them, or need any other assistance, we are here to help. Simply click on the button below, and we’ll be in touch to assist you and help answer your questions.