Why Roamwell Does Not Include Phenylephrine in Our Travel Kits

As a healthcare-informed company, Roamwell was built on a simple principle: travel wellness products should be curated based on evidence, safety, and real-world usefulness — not on tradition or outdated assumptions.

That commitment guides every ingredient we include in our compact travel wellness kits, and every ingredient we intentionally leave out.

One ingredient we’re often asked about is phenylephrine, a common decongestant found in many over-the-counter cold and allergy products. You may recognize it from medications marketed for nasal congestion relief.

At Roamwell, we made a deliberate, clinically informed decision not to include phenylephrine in our pouches. Here’s why.

For many years, oral phenylephrine has been used as a decongestant. However, multiple evaluations in recent years have suggested that oral phenylephrine may have little to no effectiveness for relieving nasal congestion.

Subsequently, in 2023, the FDA Advisory Committee unanimously concluded (16-0) that oral phenylephrine is ineffective at standard OTC doses.

Because we design our kits based on clinical relevance, our healthcare background leads us to prioritize ingredients with more consistent and well-supported performance for the symptoms travelers commonly face.

Space matters - especially when you're traveling. So every ingredient in a Roamwell kit must earn its place. Learn more here.