Do essential oils help motion sickness?
Verdict: Untested
Nobody has properly tested essential oils for motion sickness. In the nearest research — aromatherapy for post-operative nausea — inhaled oils did not clearly beat placebo, and the evidence was rated low quality.
What it's claimed to do
Peppermint, ginger and lavender oils on a tissue, a wristband or an inhaler stick, marketed heavily for travel nausea and recommended constantly in travel forums.
- YesTested for motion sickness and it held up.
- ProbablyReal trial support, but modest or from a single study.
- MixedTrials disagree — some found an effect, better-designed ones did not.
- Untestedthis remedyNo one has tested this for motion sickness. It may still be sensible.
- NoTested for motion sickness and it did not beat a placebo.
Levels describe the state of the published research on motion sickness specifically — not on nausea in general, and not how well something worked for any individual. “Untested” means no trial has looked; it is not the same as a remedy having been tested and failed.
What the research actually says
The gap here is specific and worth naming: essential oils have been studied for nausea after surgery and during chemotherapy, but not meaningfully for motion sickness, which has a different mechanism. Borrowing evidence across that boundary is exactly the move that makes remedy articles unreliable, so we will not make it. In the adjacent literature, a Cochrane review of aromatherapy for post-operative nausea and vomiting found that aromatherapy was not effective in reducing nausea severity compared with placebo, with the quality of evidence rated low. Some later reviews focused specifically on inhaled peppermint in chemotherapy patients report more favorable results, but they also note substantial clinical heterogeneity and methodological weaknesses. Even taken at face value, that body of work concerns nausea of chemical and surgical origin. There is one tangential result from motion sickness research: the VR chewing-gum trial used peppermint gum and found it worked no better than ginger gum, with pleasant taste rather than any particular botanical predicting the benefit. That points towards enjoyment doing the work, not the plant.
The studies, in full
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD007598 (2018 update)
Participants: Systematic review of aromatherapy for post-operative nausea and vomiting
Aromatherapy was not found to be effective in reducing nausea severity compared with placebo, with the quality of evidence rated low. This is post-operative nausea, not motion sickness.
Read the source →Experimental Brain Research 240(2):651-663 · PMID 34997261
Participants: 77 adults
Peppermint gum did not outperform ginger gum in visually induced motion sickness; pleasant taste rather than the specific botanical was associated with less sickness.
Read the source →Safety & what to watch for
- Never swallow essential oils. They are concentrated and ingestion can cause serious harm; peppermint oil in particular has caused poisoning in children.
- Do not apply undiluted oil to skin, and keep it well away from eyes.
- Menthol and camphor products should not be applied to or near the face of babies and young children — this can cause breathing problems in infants.
- Peppermint oil can worsen reflux in some people, which is not what you want on a journey.
- Strong scents are themselves a recognized nausea trigger. An oil you find overpowering may make the journey worse rather than better.
- If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, asthmatic, or using them for a child, ask a pharmacist or doctor before starting.
If you want to try it
- If you want to try one, put a drop on a tissue and hold it at a comfortable distance rather than applying anything to skin.
- Test it at home before relying on it. Discovering you find a scent overwhelming is much better done on a sofa than on a ferry.
- Be aware you may be buying a pleasant experience rather than a treatment — which is a legitimate purchase, but worth knowing.
- Do not choose it over the free measures with better evidence on a journey that matters to you.
Something with better evidence: Does looking at the horizon help motion sickness — verdict yes, and it costs nothing to try.
Looking for something drug-free?
Try Dizzout Free
We make a free, drug-free app that plays calibrated sound through headphones you already own. We hold it to the same standard as everything on this page: it is not a medication, it will not suit everyone, and if a forward view and slow breathing are enough for you, use those first.
Frequently asked questions
Does peppermint oil help travel sickness?+
There is no good trial in motion sickness. In post-operative nausea, the Cochrane review found aromatherapy did not clearly beat placebo on low-quality evidence. The one motion sickness study to involve peppermint used gum, and peppermint did not outperform ginger.
Is it safe to put essential oil on a child for car sickness?+
Be careful. Menthol and camphor preparations should not be used on or near the faces of infants and young children because of the risk of breathing problems, and oils should never be swallowed. Ask a pharmacist before using them on a child.
Why do so many people say essential oils work?+
Personal experience is real, and expectation, distraction and a pleasant scent can all genuinely change how nauseated someone feels. That is different from the oil acting on the mechanism of motion sickness, which is what has not been demonstrated.
Check another remedy
Sources
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When it isn't motion sickness. Severe or lasting dizziness, a spinning sensation at rest, hearing loss, ringing in one ear, double vision, a bad headache, chest pain, fainting, or vomiting you cannot stop are not motion sickness. Seek medical care rather than a travel remedy.
Dizzout is not a medical provider and nothing here is medical advice. These pages summarize published research so you can weigh it — they cannot account for your health, your medicines or your pregnancy. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement or medication, especially if you take other drugs, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are buying for a child. Evidence summaries reflect the published literature as of July 2026 and describe findings in groups of people, which cannot predict your individual response. Product and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.