An (Essential) Oily Boat, Part 2: The Medicine Cabinet

Provisioning for health care on a cruising boat can be tricky as you have to consider the needs of every crew member, the ailments you're likely to encounter in various locales, the scarcity of pharmacies, and of course, storage space! While dōTERRA has a wide range of products, I tend to stick with topical applications and a few drops/tablets and that's it. At this point, we don't carry supplements or even veggie caps, but I can imagine that may change over the years. Just keeping it simple for now!  Now, the goods...

Lots of power in a small package!

The Breathe Respiratory Blend was my "gateway" essential oil and is one of the most frequently used in our family as we have an asthmatic and allergy sufferers. Even the Captain can't argue with how amazing this oil is! We mix the oil blend in a roller ball with fractionated coconut oil for a ready-to-use stuffy-nose fixer. I'm also a huge fan of the Breathe Respiratory Drops--they clear me right up! We also keep a bottle of TriEase soft gels on hand for issues with seasonal/environmental irritants. If we run out, we just do a shot of water with lemon, peppermint, and lavender oil! And there's nothing quite as soothing as hot water with lemon oil to soothe an irritated throat.

Who's got tummy problems? No one here, of course, but just in case we have a few DigestZen Digestive Blend products on hand to help us out, including a roller ball and DigestTabs. Along those lines and SUPER helpful while we're boating is Ginger oil! Ginger is a natural powerhouse against seasickness and while you can take it internally, topically, or aromatically, my favorite way to tackle seasickness is their Ginger Digestive Drops. These babies are so yummy and you can shove them in your pocket to get you through an entire watch at the helm. I made sure we had space for three bags before we left the U.S.!

Other dōTERRA products that we reach for regularly:
- Deep Blue Soothing Blend. When you're walking on a bucking bronco all the time and hauling on lines, you're bound to tweak a muscle here and there. Deep Blue to the rescue! We mostly use the rub, though I do have the oil as well for those extra sore spots.

- Correct-X. Use it in place of Neosporin.
- Frankincense, Lavender, Tea Tree oils. These three oils can be used together or on their own for a variety of ailments! We use them for our skin (eczema) and scalp irritation, to keep nails and skin healthy, and to fight infections.
- Balance Grounding Blend. Takes the edge off of anxiety!
- PastTense Tension Blend. This really helps with my tension headaches and migraines. So much help in a tiny, convenient package!
- TerraShield Outdoor Blend. This all-natural bug repellant keeps the no-see-ums at bay! I keep a spray bottle of it in the backpack that we take to shore.

To keep our storage simple, I have two small oil boxes onboard—one in the kitchen with the oils that I mostly use for cooking/can be ingested and the other is kept in our forward head with the more “medicinal” oils or any that can’t be ingested. This system helps me keep my collection in check and also helps the rest of the family know which oils are ok to take internally without asking me.

And obviously, there is the prevention track. We try to stay fit and healthy through our food, activities, and being super careful as we move around and work on the boat.