How To Beat Jet Lag

So you already know my main gig is being a makeup artist. That's been my career for years and years.
My second gig is blogging. I write around my insane makeup schedule. 
What you may not know is that I have a third business, which is taking small groups of women aged 35+ on private tours of Italy. They are called the Glam Italia Tours. Because frankly, they really are quite glam!

In June I have two Glam Italia tours, back to back. I'm so happy because Italy is my favorite place in the world to be.

With the combined total of both these tours I have no one who has ever flown internationally before. 
I'm thinking there are no doubt many of you reading this blogpost who have either never flown internationally, (or maybe never flown on a really long international flight before) or who are embarking on a big trip such as a trip to Europe, this summer.

The devil in long-haul travel is the dreaded jet lag.
Jet lag can steal the first few days of your trip if you're not lucky.
It can leave you in a brain fog, swollen, tired and irritated, and have you waking at 2 am and leave you barely able to put one foot in front of the other by 8pm.

Flying from Australia or New Zealand back to the USA gets me every time. The adjustment is always hard, partly because I get a heavy duty dose of homesick to pair with it, and partly because I break most of my rules to beat jet lag.

For my Glam Tour ladies and for anyone else doing some major travel this year, here is How To Beat Jet Lag

Before You Leave Home

So much of the key to beating jet lag happens prior to leaving home.

1. Get Extra Sleep

For as many nights as you possibly can, go to bed earlier than usual. An extra hour or more of sleep per night for a few nights can make a major difference. One of the worst things you can do is board an international flight sleep deprived.

Even if you do sleep on planes it's not deeply relaxing, restorative sleep. Unless you're up in first class.

For those of you who take a sleeping pill, know that that isn't proper sleep either. (and, oh lord! be careful taking Ambien - hello naked person running amok on the plane!)

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2. Get Extra Exercise

I love to do extra yoga in the days leading up to a long flight, and especially that morning if I can. I have friends who like to run (I hate to run) who add in an extra mile or two in the days leading up to their trip. Something you will never, ever catch me doing.

Whatever your exercise of choice is, go for it. Cardio and stretching/yoga/pilates types of workouts are generally the best. Bulky, heavy lifting not so much.

3. Super-Hydrate

For every hour you are up there you are going to lose an additional
8oz of water. You need to drink tons of water during your flight, but also drink extra in the days leading up to it.

4. Avoid Alcohol

Don't party-hearty before you leave. The effects of alcohol stay with you for a few days, so having a bunch of drinks in the days immediately prior to flying can add to the dehydration - feeling like hell syndrome that goes with jet lag.

5. Watch What You Eat.

Whether it's in the terminal before your flight or whether its at home, avoid high sodium, salty foods, processed foods and cruciferous vegetables  ( like broccoli). They will bloat you and make you gassy. 

image via Fresh Tart

During The Flight

1. Set Your Watch

Set your watch to your new time zone when your plane takes off.
You have to do your best to trick your brain into believing it's 2am not 4pm. If it's sleep time in the place you will be landing, try to sleep. If it's waking up time there, stay awake. Do whatever it takes to make your mind believe it's already on the new time.

2. Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol will super-dehydrate you and make you feel like hell when you land.
In saying that, I always have a glass of wine with my meal and a glass of champagne prior to take off when I'm flying first class. 
If you are going to have a drink with dinner, keep it to one drink and have an extra glass of water after, to try and offset it.

3. Wear Compression Socks

Absolutely the un-sexiest things ever, compression socks keep the blood flow moving and stop your feet and ankles from swelling. They also help reduce the chances of you getting DVT. I wouldn't fly without them.
Compression Socks At Nordstrom

If your seat doesn't have an ottoman or a foot rest put a bag under the seat in front of you and elevate your feet even just a few inches.

Read more about preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis on long flights

4. Sleep

If you can, sleep during the flight. 
Ear plugs, an eye mask, neck pillows can all help.
If you can't sleep on planes try using noise cancelling headphones to eliminate the buzz, and listen to yoga nidra. They say an hour of yoga nidra is equal to 4 hours of high quality sleep. I download yoga nidra programs onto my iPad, and if the airline doesn't have it on offer on their entertainment system I just plug into my own.
The one I use has some Aussie bloke chatting away on it. It's brilliant.

Bose noise cancelling headphones

Read About Why You Have Trouble Sleeping On A Plane

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When You Land

1. Get On Local Time
No matter how tired you are, get onto local time.
If it's lunch time, go eat lunch. If it's evening, go for a stroll and then go to bed. If it's early morning, have breakfast - even if you're not hungry.

2. Walk. And Walk, And Walk.

One of the best things you can do after you've checked in to your hotel or wherever you are staying, is go for a long walk. 
It gets your circulation moving again, helps your body after its been cooped up in a small chair for hours on end, and it clears your mind.
I swear by it.

3. Don't Nap.

No matter how tired you are, keep moving and don't nap. You have to get on to local time, and that nap is going to mess you up and put you back to your previous time zone.

4. Hydrate

Drink as much water as you can to help offset what you just lost in-flight. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel!

5. Stretch

A few sun salutations go a long way after a long flight. If you're not a yogi, still take the time to do some stretches. Your body needs it and you will feel so much better for it!

10 Carry On Essentials For International Flights

I spend a lot of time on planes. I'm always flying somewhere.
I like to travel light, but when it comes to long haul international flights I have a list of essentials that absolutely must come in my carry on with me.

In light of the fact that I'm about to lead the first ever 
Corinna B's World Glam Italia Tour, and that these items have made it onto the list I'm giving the ladies on my tour, I thought you might like to check them out as well.

1. My Pashmina.
Actually, I have a few. But this giant pashmina is the one I travel with. I recommend buying real pashmina instead of a big scarf. Pashmina is super light and thin, so it packs down well, but it is also incredibly warm. 
Airlines give you blankets, but they are nasty. My son's airline blanket last year was full of moth eaten holes - it was awful! So I circumvent any potential problems or violent skin disorders by bringing my own.
My pashmina is big enough to use as a blanket, but also can be a chic accessory or great option instead of a bulky jacket.

2. Compression Hose/Socks
Before you die laughing, know that 20 years ago I was given a pair of these by a major model prior to embarking on a trans world flight. It was one of the best gifts ever.
The theory is that on long flights when you are stuck sitting there for hours, blood, lymph and other fluids pool in your calves, ankles and feet. It can be painful, the swelling is definitely ugly, and getting into your shoes can be really tricky. 
Compression socks/hose keep the fluids moving. Deep vein thrombosis is a definite risk with long flights, and compression hose are recommended by doctors to lessen that risk.
You can actually get full hose that come up to the waist, but that looks like too much drama for me, so I just use the sock version, and swear by them. 

3. Bose headphones.

Mine aren't the noise cancelling ones, but they are still brilliant, both for their Bose audio quality, and for their ability to knock out an enormous amount of cabin noise.

4. Travel Sized Lysol Spray
I've just added this one in for all airline travel, both domestic and international, after sitting for 5 hours on a plane with someone's hair grease all over the window.
And a flight attendant told me that women routinely pull down the tray  table and change babies diapers on them, and they are seldom cleaned in between flights.
Gag me.
Now at least I can lysol down anything that looks iffy.

5. Facial Cleansing Wipes
These are essential beauty wise. I don't fly long trips with makeup on  (you're going to look hideous on landing if you start the trip with makeup on) but I still like to be able to cleanse my skin, especially towards the end of the flight.

6. Nude Pro Genius Treatment Oil

This is one of my all time favorite skin care products. Ever.
When you fly you lose an extra 8oz of water for every hour you are up there, which wrecks havoc on your skin. You are also stuck for hours in dirty, recycled air.
Just as I don't want to arrive to my new destination with cankles and swollen feet, I also don't want to arrive with dried out, lifeless, grey skin. I want my skin to glow. 
So I use Nude Pro Genius Treatment Oil several times during the flight. It is full of good stuff including Omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9, and instantly hydrates your skin as well as providing nutrients and keeping it smooth and glowing.
I wrote about this wonder oil last year. You can check out all the amazing things it does here.

7. My Stephanie Johnson Miami Cosmetic Bag

I always travel with Stephanie Johnson makeup and toiletry bags - they are the best bags I've ever found. They not only look super chic and are endlessly functional, but they are well built too, which means all your goodies arrive at your destination in one piece, and not leaking all through your carry on bag or suitcase.
I'm in love with the Miami collection for travel because they are see through, so they sail through the TSA X-ray machines without you having to take out all your liquid and cream based beauty items or put them into ziplock bags. I love how efficient they are, as well as the fact that I can see everything inside.

8. Oribe Cote D'Azur Hair Refresher, Travel Size



Nothing on earth smells like Oribe hair products! They are divine.

This one is an essential carry on item because after a long international flight your hair not only looks trashed, but with 8 hours+ of recycled air, it smells awful too.
A quick spritz of Oribe Cote D'Azur Hair Refresher not only cuts static in your hair and makes your hairdo recoverable (so you don't get off the plane looking awful) but it makes it smell glorious. So if the most handsome man in the world comes in for a hello kiss and a cuddle, he won't have to pull his head away when he catches a whiff of your hair...



9. Emergenc-C
I always have packets of Emergenc-C onboard with me. I buy a couple of bottles of water before I board my flight, and make sure I drink at least 2 packets of Emergenc-C at some point during the flight. I am convinced it helps me to circumvent jet lag.
It's all part of my theory that when your flight lands you are feeling refreshed and lovely and looking great, so that you don't miss one minute of your trip.

10. A Journal.

I buy these leather bound journals every year in Florence. I keep track of my world and all the magnificent people I encounter in them, as well as buying them as gifts.
This year I might do a Corinna B's World giveaway of a leather bound journal from Florence. Would you want to enter to win one?