With the upcoming holidays, many people are anticipating travel, either to be with extended family or to take advantage of vacation time.  Here are a few products you might find handy to pack for a “healthy” trip.

Dr. Plotka Toothbrushes

I was very excited when I heard about Doctor Plotka’s MouthWatchers toothbrushes, because I’ve been looking for exactly this product for a while!

I know, I know, it’s “just” a toothbrush, so nothing to get excited about, right?  Well, sort of.  You might be familiar with the increasing popularity of silver-“infused” products.  (“Infused” is not a precise term here.)  These items contain silver, which is a natural antimicrobial, making the products essentially self-sanitizing.  (Like, for instance, Norwex’s Envirocloths.)  This is, as you can imagine, a particular benefit for a toothbrush, which is routinely bombarded by whatever germs you have in your mouth!

These particular toothbrushes are not the only ones to contain silver, but they are the only silver-containing brand I’ve seen to carry a travel toothbrush.

They also have a step up on other silver-containing toothbrushes (at least in my opinion) with the bristle design.  I don’t know if you can see this in the photo or not, but check out what the bristles look like:

Can you see how they’re not all the same size?  Regular toothbrushes (that are “flat” on the top) don’t do a very good job cleaning between the teeth or along the gumline.  They can’t.  That type of design (especially if it’s very firm) simply doesn’t allow for the bristles to get into those small crevices.  A better bristle design is like the one here, with two different sets of bristles.  These have a shorter set of bristles for cleaning the tooth surfaces, and additional, longer, finer bristles to get into the smaller spaces.

Particularly when I’m packing my toothbrush away, I like the idea that will be decreasing the number of germs present in it as I travel, rather than growing more of them along the way.

(They have a power toothbrush, too, if that’s your preference.)

Wonder Mother

I don’t know about you, but I find supplements a pain to pack.  They typically come in awkward, bulky bottles and you need to pack multiple bottles.  Depending on your mode of travel, you kind of hate to decant them into smaller bottles that lack the original labels.  Wonder Mother is a nice alternative to at least some of these products.

You can read my full review here, but to hit on the travel-related highlights, I find this quite packable.  The container is about the size of a roll of quarters, so it’s slim rather than bulky.  One tablet contains electrolytes, probiotics, and nursing-supportive herbs (including nutritive herbs like alfalfa).  If your mode of transportation does allow for decanting your supplements, you could also toss a few multivitamins or the like into the same container with these.

Invigorate Essential Oil Diffuser for the Car

If you’re looking for a way to take your essential oils along for the ride, the Invigorate diffuser for the car may be just what you need.  This miniature diffuser contains a foam wick you add the essential oil to.  Then plug it into the USB adapter and plug that into your car’s cigarette lighter and you’re ready to go.

One really obvious use for this is to help combat travel sickness.  (Although be careful not to diffuse for one person something that’s contraindicated for someone else in the car.)

I believe that when you reach your destination you can also uncouple the diffuser’s halves and plug the upper portion directly into the USB drive of a laptop in your hotel room.

VIM & VIGR Compression Socks

One major downside to long-distance travel is all the time spent sitting.  Especially if you’re on a plane or train for several hours — but even if you’re the passenger in a car on a lengthy drive — the immobility of your legs has the potential to lead to blood clots due to poor circulation.  This isn’t a really common problem, but it’s a very dangerous one.

A simple way to combat this is with compression socks which, until recently, have been, frankly, ugly.  VIM & VIGR makes compression socks that are not only functional but also fashionable, so you can help keep your legs healthy without sacrificing style.  You can read my full review of them here.

Do you have other travel must-haves you’d like to share?  Leave a comment so others can benefit, as well.