today i’m headed to south africa for my 2nd annual Lux Wellness Safari retreat (!!!) and felt like sharing my routine ahead of a long flight like this one. i’ve been on some pretty long flights before, but the flight from LAX-ATL is 4.5 hours, and then i board a 15.5 hour flight ATL-JNB. it’s certainly not a trip for the faint of heart, but the journey is so worth the destination. that said, i want to arrive fresh, feeling good, & smelling and looking mostly-pretty, and that doesn’t happen by accident!

here is my 48 hour routine to prep for a healthy, restful, long travel day + long flight:

while i’m always drinking plenty of very mineraly mineral water, the couple days ahead of a flight i am nonstop. i use filtered water and add about 10-15 drops of Trace Mineral Drops to every glass. think of it as homemade evian on steroids. i don’t know how else to explain what this does to the water other than it makes it “stick” to you, aka even though i’m constantly drinking water i’m not peeing every ten seconds. the minerals contribute to so many bodily transactions, so not only are you supporting all your systems by adding these drops to your water, you’re super-hydrating to prepare for that dry, recycled airplane air.
the night before i fly i do a “full shower” meaning exfoliation, hair mask, double shampoo, shave, etc. and then i style my hair and immediately add dry shampoo as a finisher. this allows me to fly with freshly clean, freshly styled hair so i can arrive fairly put together. i usually leave my hair down for the flight, but if i do tie it back i use a silk scrunchie to avoid breakage and dents.
the night before and the morning of a flight, i make a strong tea (any herbal variety will do) and add about 4-8 drops of wildcrafted oregano oil, a dropperful of chlorophyll, and manuka honey. this combo is super nourishing and cleansing, and a great prep for small, shared spaces like a plane or airport. oregano oil is antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory, chlorophyll is an internal deodorizer, immune booster, and detoxifier, and manuka honey is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. never skip this step. just be sure you search for wildcrafted and organic when possible for all products.
i eat before the flight and after the flight, but reserve the long flight itself for a period of fasting, minus some organic nuts i’ll pack in my carry-on. aka, don’t eat the airplane food if you want to land feeling and smelling good. listen, sometimes i do eat the food on a plane, it’s fine if you do! however, i like to use the opportunity to give my body, and specifically my digestive system, a chance to take a break. i’m still chugging my mineral water, but the fact of the matter is a day of fasting every now and then is actually really great for the body, and i find that it helps my jet lag too, to arrive hungry and jump right in to whatever meal time it is at my destination. not to mention, its bacteria that contributes to that sour, smelly, post-plane vibe that makes you want to immediately hop in the shower so you don’t offend your friends on the other side of your travel day, and having the chlorophyll in your tea + not eating on the plane equals a sweet-smelling arrival every time.
time your sleep on the plane to beat jet lag. for example, on my ATL-JNB leg of today’s trip, i’ll arrive in south africa at 7PM. this means i’ll do my best to sleep during the first half of the flight, imitating a night of sleep, and i’ll do my best to stay up for the second half, imitating a day. i have my laptop to do some work, a book, and of course two many movies to watch! if i can pull it off, this means i’ll arrive to JNB on south africa time and will have a better shot at getting a full night of sleep after having a nice dinner after long day of travel! pro tip: as well, i will set an alarm for 7 or 8 AM the day after my arrival, get up as soon as it goes off, and avoid naps at all cost in those first two days. this has helped me beat jet lag (for the most part) most trips. lastly, i won’t gatekeep that i absolutely have flight anxiety, which is hilarious as someone who travels as often as i do, so xanax helps me catch some Zzz’s on a plane, plus a great neck pillow (worn backwards, trust me on this).