By Sara Baird
Essential oils and lotions are not always at the top of my mind when I’m packing for a camping trip but they should be because they can add to our enjoyment of our trip. My husband is more likely to remind me to bring them along, he loves to use them to relax at night, reenergize on a long travel day, or get him through a stinky dump station experience with our RV.
I find that using oils can help me shift my mindset when I’m trying to perform tasks that I’m struggling to start and can provide some relief when I’m dealing with pain or tiredness so I use them frequently around my home. Utama Spice asked me to try out some of their products so I tried to pick out a few that I knew would come in handy when camping and traveling.
The Utama Spice Products
Utama Spice is based in Ubud, Bali, they are a 100% natural skincare company. They apply traditional herbal knowledge to offer products that enhance the skin’s natural beauty and inspire people with the raw power of nature.
In addition to the products, they offer Utama Spice also write a blog where they share information about using natural products, including recipes for making some of your own products. They sent me several items to try out. I’ll share the product and my review of each below.
Begone Bug Candle and Spray
These items both feature an oil blend meant to scare bugs away. It includes a blend of citronella and clove among others. The spray is alcohol based and the candle is made of soy wax. I loved the smell of both of these products. The mosquitos and gnats were surging when these products arrived so I wore the spray almost daily on my walks.
I attended an outdoor neighborhood gathering with the spray on and found that while others were putting on their industrial bug spray and complaining about getting bit I was comfortable and hardly noticed the bugs. I wish I had remembered to bring the spray along to share it there.
I also used the spray while working in the garden this fall. I was dealing with gnats and Asian Ladybeetles that kept biting me. The Asian Ladybeetle is a pesky bug that looks like a ladybug but they are a pest that will bite. I grabbed the Begone Bug spray and didn’t experience another bite that day.
A friendly non-biting grasshopper even came to check out the bottle and pose for a quick picture. I thought both these products were excellent, smelled great, and worked well.
Perfect Balance Essential Oil Set
This set contains 5 blended oils with a focus on centering. The five different oils come in a great little box that would make it easy to bring them along while traveling. Here is an overview of what is included.
- Clearing Essential Oil Blend – This is a blend of Cubeb, Peppermint, and Ginger that can be used for respiratory relief. I caught a horrible cold while working on this review and found this oil helped my head feel more open.
- Focus Essential Oil Blend – I could not find a description of the ingredients in this oil online and the print was too small to read on the bottle, it has an earthy smell. My son said it smelled like working in the garden.
- Pure Energy Essential Oil Blend – This contains a blend of bergamot, lemongrass, sweet orange, and rosemary oils. My daughter said it smelled like lemon cake, it was sweet and citrusy. I found it to be uplifting.
- Bliss Essential Oil Blend – This oil includes a blend of rose geranium, orange, and Patchouli oils. It is an interesting combination that I found complex but enjoyable.
- Deep Calming Essential Oil Blend – This one has a strong lavender smell, in includes Lavender, Rose Geranium, Bergamot, and Orange oils. I found this oil soothing.
I love the variety that this set offers. The oils all have an earthy element and are unique blends I have not found elsewhere. I will enjoy diffusing all of these scents and the box they came in will make them handy to bring with me.
Supa Dupa Yoga Mat Spray
I usually travel with my yoga mat so I can fit in an outdoor workout or stretch session. I also use it as an easy place to sit on the ground if I don’t want to get wet or dirty. You can imagine that my mat can get pretty gross so I didn’t hesitate to try to Supa Dupa Yoga Mat Spray. This spray not only smells great but the oil blend also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties to keep your mat clean.
This spray has a light fragrance and does not leave a residue on the mat. You can use it before you begin your practice or spray it at the end of your session to sanitize your mat and leave it fresh smelling for your next session. I used it on my old mat and found the fragrance soothing. I am also taking a group yoga class and decided to purchase a new yoga mat to use indoors. It was nice to spray my new mat to help cover the new mat smell a bit. I enjoy the subtle scent during my class. The scent is present but not overpowering.
Aphrodisia Body Oil
This massage oil is a warming blend of cubeb, cinnamon, and patchouli essential oils with coconut oil. My daughter said the scent is what Christmas should smell like. It is gentle and soothing. The weather has been getting cooler here so I’ve been rubbing this on my feet at night. It makes me feel warmer. The oil is a bit difficult to get out of the bottle, you have to shake it just right. That is a good thing so that you don’t spill it but can also be a bit frustrating. I like the way this oil feels on my skin.
My Overall Recommendation
I enjoyed using all of these products. Most of the products I received with oil blends had an earthy smell that I appreciated. The Utama Spice products were shipped quickly and all appeared to be high quality. My favorites were the bug spray and the yoga mat spray. I will definitely look into ordering more of their products. You can check out everything they have to offer at the Utama Spice website: https://utamaspice.com/
Your thoughts on Utama Spice for the outdoors?
Is the Utama Spice range of products something you could see yourself enjoying while on your outdoor adventures? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. You can also check out other reviews of outdoor-related products, services, or experiences by visiting our reviews page.
