Whether traveling for business or vacation, we all have to deal with jet lag. It can even happen if you haven't changed time zones due to dehydration. We learn tips from the experts on how to minimize the effects of jet lag.

The Basics

Jet lag occurs from air travel because your body’s natural cycles (aka circadian rhythms) become disrupted as you move into a different time zone. Your natural clock is out of whack!

• Symptoms of jet lag include:

  • Headache

  • Digestive problems

  • Fatigue and sleep issues

  • Disorientation, grogginess, irritability

  • Mild depression and/or anxiety.

Jet lag also affects your appearance. Not only due to sleep issues (looking tired with puffy, red eyes, etc.), but also because your skin takes a beating during the flight.

Beauty Tips

Many of these tips require you to bring products on board in your carry-on bag. Make sure to check with airline restrictions before flying.

• Always moisturize: before your flight use an intense moisturizer. During your flight, use something a bit lighter. After your flight, before bed, use an intense moisturizer one more time.

• Avoid foundation and lipsticks, which will end up drying your skin out on a flight. A good trick is to apply a tinted moisturizer before landing, which will give you a refreshed look.

• Try a mineral water mist during transit. Rosewater is popular. Follow up with a light application of moisturizer.

• If you have oily skin, it may go into overdrive trying to combat the dry air during your flight. Use blotting paper to soak up extra oil, but avoid anything that will cause your skin to dry out even more (e.g. toners, heavy cloths)

• Remember your lip balm. Avoid lipsticks (especially longlasting ones) but moisturize your lips with aloe and vitamin E products. Also avoid medicated lip balms that have mint, camphor, or other strong-smelling medicinal ingredients, all of which can actually dry or irritate your lips in air travel situations.

• Puffy eyes love cold presses. Ask the flight attendant for some ice and use a washcloth or scarf to treat your eyes. Eye drops also help keep eyes moisturized. Eye make-up tends to smudge on flights, so go easy on it, especially if you plan to do a cold press.

• Don’t touch your face. As with all public surfaces, airplanes are filled with bacteria. Wash your hands often and bring anti-bacterial wipes for a quick clean, and also a good hand cream.

• Buy travel sizes in all of your regular skin care and beauty products, or buy small containers to transfer some product into. You want to keep your routine and products the same so as to avoid breakouts. Also, plan ahead, because it can be expensive to buy your products abroad.

Body Tips

You can also help minimize the effects of jet lag with some of the following tricks:

Before your trip 

• A week or two before your trip, try to shift your normal routine by an hour each day to match your destination time zone. For example, if you’re travelling from Los Angeles to New York (which is 3 hours earlier), try to wake up earlier and go to bed earlier, and vice versa if you’re travelling the other way. 

• Remember to adjust your intake of caffeine too. (E.g. avoid late afternoon coffees!)

During your trip

• Try to take a brisk walk before you get to the airport. Stretching (e.g. yoga) is also a great way to prepare your body to be sitting for extended periods. 

• Check any baggage heavier than 10% of your weight. When putting items in the overhead bin, be sure stand directly in front of it so you are not stretching or straining, and do not twist your head or neck.

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which cause dehydration.

• Eat before you get on the plane. Eat airplane food as a last resort. Bring your own snacks (e.g. carb-rich items like granola bars, fruits, crackers, etc.) 

• Drink lots of water, juice, or sports drinks during the flight.

• Stretch your legs often to prevent strain and cramps. Get up and walk to the bathroom every hour or so, even if you don’t have to go. Don’t forget your arms — raise them over your head and stretch to keep blood flowing to your extremities.

• Do shoulder rolls, head rotations, and neck bends too.

• If you must sleep, find a comfortable position and be sure to support your head so that you don’t end up with a sore neck.

• Avoid allowing the air vent to blow on you for extended periods of time. It can create tension in your neck and shoulders.

At your destination

• Drink as much water as possible to rejuvenate your dehydrated skin and body.

• Try to keep your bedtime at a normal hour for your current time zone. Avoid going to bed earlier than 10 pm, and do your best not to sleep in. 

• When you wake up, expose yourself to as much morning light as possible, which will help resent your internal clock.