Tips For Travelling Abroad

I have to say it. With all the rain we have been having recently, I can’t wait to go on holiday and escape into the sun. Yet if you’re like me and are going abroad, then I imagine you’re already worrying about insect bites, sun burn and avoiding the local water.

Last year I made the delightful mistake of drinking from the tap whilst inTurkeyand let’s just say the rest of my holiday was spent in the hotel room surrounded by unpleasant aromas.

Yet your holiday doesn’t have to be this way…

If you have got an herb garden (or access to a great range of herbs and oils) it is possible to equip yourself for your hols and deal with the likes of travel sickness, diarrhoea, insect bites and sun burn.

Here are some of the homemade remedies I am planning to take with me:

Travel sickness

My youngest suffers from travel sickness, whether we are in the car, on a boat or travelling by plane. Normally I rely on my doctors to help but the last couple of years these haven’t worked so I plan to try her with the following herbs.- Ginger - contains rhizome that calms and sooths your stomach. Can be taken as a decoction, tincture or in tea before your travel.

  • Valerian - rich in valepotriates, these help to sedate your nervous system and reduce fears which can trigger sickness.
  • Catnip – similar to peppermint, Catnip contains iridoids and tannins which work to sooth and sedate your stomach and nerves.
  • Peppermint – helps to balance and calm your stomach. Add a few drops to a handkerchief to breathe in whilst travelling.

To create Ginger and Cayenne tea grate 2cm of fresh ginger root into a jug; add a dash of ground cayenne pepper; cover in boiling water and leave to steep for 5 minutes; strain off the liquid and sip 30 minutes before travelling.

Diarrhoea

If you are doing to anywhere in Africa, Asia or Latin America then drinking tap water can be bad for your stomach. According to the experts taking any of the following as fruit and herbal teas can relieve diarrhoea.Simply steep ginger, blackberries, wild oregano, persimmons and chamomile in boiling water for 3-5 minutes and allow the tea to cool. Once cool drink 1 cup every 2 hours until your symptoms subside.

Other tricks I have heard of is swallowing a teaspoon of ground nutmeg, or taking any of the following: German Chamomile, Slippery Elm, Meadowsweet, Aloe Vera and Black Walnut.

Sunburn

The easiest way to protect your skin from sunburn is to wear sunscreen. One good and natural recipe I have found is taking 4tbsp Sesame oil, 2 tbsp Jojoba oil, 2tbsp Almond oil, 2tbsp Cocoa butter, 2tsp Beeswax, 3tbsp Aloe Vera gel, 3tbsp Rose water and 25 drops of Carrot Seed Essential oil.Begin by melting the oils, butter and beeswax over a medium heat and once melted remove from heat. In a separate pan warm your Aloe Vera gel and Rose Water and stir until dissolved. Remove this also from the heat. When these 2 mixtures are warm but around the same temperature, set the Aloe mixture into a bowl of ice. Sprinkle on your oil mixture whilst rapidly whisking until you form a cream. Add your Carrot Seed oil and blend thoroughly.

If however you are prone to getting sunburnt no matter how often you put on sunscreen then you can also make the following to take care of burnt skin.

  • Rub mustard oil into affected area and leave to dry (this will take the heat out of your skin)
  • Rub cucumber slices onto your skin
  • Before taking a bath add baking powder or a few drops of Chamomile and Lavender Essential oil
  • Apply Lavender oil or Peppermint oil to burnt skin

Insect repellent

Depending on where you go on holiday you might get bit. To save yourself from becoming a mosquito or bug banquet the following oils can help protect your skin from bites:- Lavender and Geranium Oil – dilute 30 drops of either oil into a bottle of distilled water

  • Citronella Oil – add 30 drops to a bottle of distilled water and spray onto skin
  • Lemon Eucalyptus Oil – similar to the oils above add 30 drops to distilled water
  • Soybean Oil

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