Traveling can wreck havoc on your immune system, body, and skin. Airports and planes are full of germs from travelers all around the world.

Having been a frequent flyer/traveler through baseball season with my husband. I have learned a few tricks of the trade to make sure that my traveling experience is pleasant, to where it won’t mess with my health. The key to this is to come prepared!

Weather you are traveling to the next state, across country, or across the world, you will want to make sure your plane bag is fully stocked with traveling essentials.

Here are my traveling essentials:

ginger tea bags

a throw blanket

neck pillow

Emergen-C vitamin c packets

Boscia’s “girl on the fly” travel skin care packet

warm compression socks

silk sleep mask

facial toner mist

travel tooth brush and toothpaste

anti bacterial wipes

iPad

iPhone- with charger

headphones

raw almonds

Green Vibrance single serving of greens and probiotics

Chapstick

water

Why are these on my list? Let me explain…

Ginger tea bags– Ginger tea has many benefits: helps calm your tummy, promotes weight loss, relieves tired and sore muscles, helps manage glucose levels, aids in the absorption of nutrients, helps with nausea, acts as an anti-inflammatory, improves circulation, and reduces water retention.

While you are sitting in an airport, or on a plane, ginger tea helps your body battle various ailments of your environment. It will sooth your stomach and muscles from motion sickness and that uncomfortable plane seat. It helps with headaches and nausea as a result of elevated pressure while flying. It helps with circulation after sitting for so long. It keeps your digestive system running, even if your body is dormant for most of your trip. It helps you maintain a healthy appetite, so you aren’t making emotional decisions about what you are eating during your trip. I usually bring my tea bags, and request a hot cup of water, which you can find anywhere!

Throw Blanket: I never use the plane blanket or pillows unless it comes packaged!! You have no idea who has touched them or where they have been. Don’t chance it. Planes are always freezing to me. Part of me doesn’t mind so much because I know that the colder it is, the harder it is for germs to live. I usually point the air vent toward my face, to blast any germs away that might be floating around. However, I get cold very easily, hence the blanket!! It can also serve as a backrest or pillow if needed.

Neck pillow: I bring a neck pillow if it is going to be a long flight I am going to want to sleep on. Not using the non-wrapped pillows, I employ my neck pillow! I have had a few in the past, however my personal favorite are the ones with a drawstring to hold closed in the front. Basically, this kind can hold the weight of your head! I have also had one from Brookestone that had a vibrating massager in it that was quite nice.

Emergen-C packets: These are a no brainer in my opinion. To help boost your immune system, take these easy to use single serving packets along with you. I usually take one for every six hours I’m traveling. Not only are you getting vitamins, you are also getting antioxidants and electrolytes that help with your body and brain fatigue.

Boscia’s “Girl on the Fly” Skincare Packet– Traveling can really mess with your complexion, leaving it dry, dehydrated, and unhappy all around. That is why it is important not to neglect it just because you are traveling. I was so happy that Boscia made this credit-card-sized skin care travel pack! Boscia is a preservative-free botanical based skin care line that can be found at your local Sephora store or online. The packet comes with a make-up removal, cleanser, hydrating moisturizer, and a clear hydrating sleep mask that battles the elements of the dry harmful plane air while you sleep! It comes with four packets of each, giving you plenty to use time and time again. You will arrive at your final destination looking fresh and dewy!

Chapstick– Keep that pucker smooth, hydrated, and happy!

Warm Compression Socks– circulation is key when flying for long periods of time. Sitting for long time spans can lead to life threatening bold clots and varicose veins. Compression socks help the keep your blood circulating in a healthy way. I also like to make sure I stretch as much as possible and try to move around during my flights. I also try not to cross my legs! I know it may sound odd, but keeping my legs uncrossed helps with blood flow.

Silk Sleep Mask– We’ve all been there. We get seated next to the annoying guy who likes to shine the above lights to read, watch tv, or that likes to have the window open when we are trying to get some shut eye on our flight. The truth is, all that light is doing more harm than you think. It is making your much needed sleep through changing time zones, almost useless without a sleep mask. When you are exposed to to much light during the time you are trying to sleep, your body cannot produce the right amount of melatonin, making the time that you are resting your eyes not as beneficial. It has also been found that a sleep mask can increase the time we spend in REM sleep!  Another bonus is that the silk mask can also help with wrinkle prevention. Silk is not as rough on your skin as cotton or terri-cloth fabrics. It also doesn’t absorb your moisturizing eye cream! It is a protective barrier between your most sensitive skin area while sleeping! Double whammy!

Facial Toner Mist– I like Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir, or Heritage Store’s Rosewater! Facial toner helps to hydrate your skin, gives you a little wake me up, or even a calming aroma therapy moment. It tightens your pores and gives you a boost of radiance. These refreshing, lightly fragrant mists are great for traveling. Especially if you are stuck in an unpleasantly smelly cabin. I also use them as body misters on my longer flights to help me feel fresh and new! I also like to spray it over my make up. 

Travel Toothbrush and Paste: This is a personal thing. No one wants to sit next to someone with foul breath! It is something that also helps register that it is time to wake up or go to sleep for the brain. On long flights, I like to wash my face and brush my teeth before I decide to sleep. It gets my mind in that sleeping state just like if I were home. It is also nice to brush my teeth after a long sleep, when you wake up with that stale taste in your mouth! Gross!

Anti Bacterial Wipes: Planes are breading grounds for germs. Make sure to whip down your tray table, arm rests, and anything else you might touch. Especially the bathroom sink area!! This will limit your contact with those nasty health hazardous germs.

iPad, iPhone, charger, headphones: These are all self explanatory!

Green Vibrance Single Serving Packets: While traveling, it can be hard to find healthy things to eat. It can be especially hard to find those healthy greens and veggies our bodies need to run optimally. Green vibrance is one of the best green supplement powders out there. I have it every day in my morning smoothie. It is loaded with probiotics, digestive enzymes, nutrient dense grease juices and greens, and contains four and a half servings of fruits and vegetables. These single serving packets make it easy to travel with to ensure you are getting all your nutrients throughout your hectic day.

Raw Almonds: Raw almonds are a great, easy snack to bring along in your carry on. They are loaded with protein, magnesium, fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamin E, helping to fight your hunger with a healthy snack. I bring them along because it is sometimes hard to find raw almonds as opposed to roasted, and they are always so over priced at the airports.

Water: If you do nothing else, you should most definitely be drinking bottled water throughout your travels. Hydration is mandatory! You body gets extremely dehydrated the longer you are up in the air. Eight ounces for every hour you are in the air is a good rule of thumb. Dehydration can lead to dry mouth, dry skin, dizziness, confusion, sluggishness, fainting, head ache, irritated eyes, etc. Drinking more water can also help with circulation and water retention! If you want to land feeling good, drink that H2O!

Other Tips:

Wear loose fitting clothing, and layer! In order to stay comfortable, you want to layer so you can adjust the changing temperatures. Also, don’t carry on anything you don’t really need. You are going to have to lug everything around, which can cause harm to your back and shoulders. Wear sneakers. Try to move, stretch, and walk as much as you can in the airport and on your flight! Stay away from fatty greasy foods, and look for lighter-healthier-real-food options.

Happy Travels!

Let me know your travel essentials and what you think of my suggestions in the comment section below!