How to Stay Hydrated While Traveling
photo by: Albert Frigone, Limited Edition bottle: Klean Kanteen x Plastic Paradise
Did you know that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), humidity in airplane cabins are usually less than 20 percent. For comparison, the EPA recommends that houses be kept between 30 and 50 percent humidity.
When getting ready for long haul flights, I have gotten sick and dehydrated more times than I can count! You would think I would learn that lesson the first time, but I unfortunately am not that person. I have even taken the SAME route and SAME flight number on the SAME day a year later, only to get dehydrated again. I ended up in the emergency clinic at the bottom of Tokyo Narita airport, with the SAME doctor!
This is the SAME doctor that treated me in Tokyo Narita Airport twice! I got sick on the SAME routing on the SAME day, the year before as well! SMH
I’m a procrastinator, so I’m usually up super late packing the night before and never get enough sleep. Combine no sleep with re-circulated dry air, time changes, and sitting upright for long hours, and it’s a recipe for disaster. But it’s a new decade and with that comes new habits. Here are some of the lessons I have learned, the hard way!
6 ways to stay hydrated while traveling:
1) Skip the Coffee
Before a long plane ride, it’s better to not have caffeine beforehand. This may seem rudimentary, but it actually has been helpful for me to skip the cup of joe. That means no coffee, tea, energy drink, or anything else that may keep you wired and also dehydrate you. Depending on what direction you are flying, you can have caffeine upon arrival. Especially going east, your body might need it to wake up. It can also help with adjusting to your new time zone.
Caffeine upon arrival is a great way to combat jetlag!
2) Switch to the Destination’s Time Zone while in Route
I try to plan my time on the plane according to the destination I’m flying to. Have you tried this? If I’m flying west, I will try to sleep early on in the flight, so I can be more rested. For instance, if you’re flying to Asia, most of the flights cross the Pacific Ocean and the International Date Line, so you arrive in the morning 2 days later. When you go west, you just need to stay up upon arrival. That’s where your caffeine comes in!
Personally, going east is much harder for me, as I have to get myself up when my body naturally wants to sleep. I always have a hard time adjusting to flying east so allocating time to re-adjust is a must.
3) Create a Pre-flight Ritual for your Skin
To keep my skin hydrated, I like taking Korean face mask sheets and under-eye patches with me. It’s great to use these before take-off to seal in some hydration before the hours of dry air while in flight take a toll on your skin.
If you don't want to scare your fellow passengers or you’re self-conscious of using mask sheets in public, there are other options. One of my new favorite hydrating products is Summer Fridays Jet Lag face mask. It works wonders, you don't have to wash it off (just wipe!), and my skin feels so much better after a flight!
Another essential product is lip balm. I like Laneige lip sleeping mask, but any type works great. And don’t forget about your hands! My favorite hand cream is L’Occcitane. They have a great travel size version!
L’Occitane hand cream is one of my favorites, is a great way to keep your skin hydrated while traveling!
4) Drink Alcohol in Moderation
If you got upgraded and they have some fancy wines on your flight, you might feel like you need to get the most out of the free alcohol selection. You might even think it will help you fall asleep faster. I’ve been guilty of this many times, but drinking too much wine has led to my imminent demise way too often when I land. If you are going to have wine or alcohol in flight, just do it in moderation. It will dehydrate you more than you think!
5) Bring Your Own Water Bottle and Drink More Than You Think You Should!
The key to staying hydrated while traveling is to drink more than you think you should! Humidity levels on a plane are usually between 20 to 30%, while ideal levels for a human are around 45 to 55%. That’s a pretty big difference! So you need to drink a lot more than you think to make up for the lack of water in the air.
Trust me, it’s better to need to get up and go to the bathroom a few more times than it is to get a dehydration headache. And if your symptoms go any further, let me tell you that vomiting is the worst, because you’ve truly expelled all the liquid in your body (gross!!).
So help yourself: bring your own reusable water bottle and fill it up after you go through security. You’ll have water to sip on throughout the flight and you’ll save all those little plastic cups airlines use. Don’t be shy in asking for refills, most flight attendants are willing to oblige. Something to note: have you heard about the water quality on airplanes?
6) Stock up with Extra Electrolytes
Add this to your carry-on essentials: electrolyte powder sticks! They’re perfect for traveling, you just add them to your water and BOOM, instant electrolytes. You’ll save yourself from having to buy a single-use plastic bottle of Gatorade that will take up extra space in your carry-on--they are lifesavers!
I have personally taken Liquid IV powder sticks. If you want to skip the sugar, there are Banana Bags, that my friend and Travel Channel host Kinga Philipps loves! There are many others on the market, but adding anything will enhance your water.
LiquidIV saved me on a long haul trip to Palau recently
These are just a few simple steps that will up your hydration game while traveling! Please let me if you have other ways to stay hydrated in the comments below. I’d love to try them out!