The Craziest Things That Are Supposed to Cure Jet Lag

No matter how many times you blink your eyes or shake your head, it's hard to perk up once your plane touches down. A spritz of this natural mist helps, with invigorating eucalyptus, mint, lemon, lavender, niaouli (similar to tea tree oil), and rosemary oils. The product is also available in roll-on form, which uses grapeseed oil as a base, and is easy to slip over sinuses and pulse points. Bonus: Both versions are anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-viral.

Dehydration intensifies jet lag. These single-serving (and TSA-friendly) powder packets are full of amino acids (leucine, beta-alanine, tyrosine, isoleucine) and B vitamins to keep you better hydrated, which is a step towards keeping jet leg at bay. The berry flavor is sweetened with stevia, and, unlike many of the hydration mixes we've tried, it doesn’t leave your mouth feeling like it’s covered in chalky residue.

Crossing several time zones in a short amount of time knocks your circadian rhythm all out of whack. One way to help it adjust is with light therapy. Lumie Zest is a travel-friendly light machine that replicates a gradually brightening sunrise over the course of 30 minutes (travelers in a pinch could rely on the brightest setting for an abbreviated treatment). The measured light exposure -- delivered via blue LED lights -- cues your body to cool it with its melatonin production, and kick up its cortisol output. This boosts energy and alertness, helping you adapt to new (or latest) time zones.

Made from a roster of homeopathic heavy-hitters, these natural chewables have a devoted following of travelers who swear they cut down on post-flight recovery time. 


The tablets are meant to ward off several aspects of jet lag: leopard’s bane (also known as arnica montana), chamomile, and daisy fight sleeplessness and sleep disruption, while ipecac and lycopodium (also known as clubmoss) are believed to keep travel-sickness in check.

Smutty tabloids -- Check. Earbuds -- Check. Sniff boxes -- Check? Okay, sniff boxes aren’t usually the first things that come to mind when packing your carry-on, but this Jet Lag Kit from Matakana Botanicals is comprised of not just one, but two sniff boxes. Matakana Botanicals hails from New Zealand, so we’re inclined to trust the company's jet-lag tricks; after all, Kiwis know a thing a two about long-haul travel, eh? Each box has a non-toxic copolymer base that's soaked in essential oils (lavender, neroli, and chamomile in the Sleep box, and bergamot, lemon and cinnamon in the Focus one). If you want to try them out, but aren’t committed to placing an online order, that's alright -- just book a flight with Emirates Airlines, which provides the sniff boxes to its passengers. NBD.

A mixture of honey, St. Mary's thistle, cocculus indicus, and other homeopathic ingredients, this mouth spray relieves some of jet lag's nastiest symptons (motion sickness, anxiety, upset stomach, and sluggishness). No word on if the oral remedy doubles as a breath spray.


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