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Regardless if your wanderlust is fueled by airline miles, board meetings, or just the need to get away, nothing quite compares to the healing powers of traveling. But flying itself is less than restorative. Various temperatures, stuffy air, and navigating multiple time zones can all wreak havoc on our skin and systems.
For many people, hydration remains the biggest issue when traveling — but mastering H2O is just another to-do list item that busy, successful female executives have checked off their list. (After all, many of them hop on a flight at least once a week!) From what to add to your water to how to strategically set up your diet for vitality, here are tricks from seven wonder women who have been there, drank that.
Check in any mom’s medicine cabinet and you’ll likely find a pouch ofPedialyte ($24 for 24 pouches). That’s because it’s ideal for children when they’re sick — or when an adult has had a bit too much to drink — to restore much-needed electrolytes. This uber-hydrating formula has another purpose though, if you ask professional makeup artist and founder ofABLE Cosmetics®, Dana Rae Ashburn. When she’s on the go, she packs a reusable water bottle and adds some Pedialyte to her H2O, boosting its quenching powers.
She also doesn’t forget about her pores when jet-setting. Despite being a makeup artist, she swears off cosmetics if she’s flying, as the plane’s stale air can cause makeup to clog pores. Instead, she opts for moisturizer — lots of it. “I have found applying a thick moisturizer before my trip helps my skin, and not only keeps it hydrated, but also [can help] block foreign germs,” she shares, by maintaining a healthy skin barrier.
Her go-tos areWeleda Skin Food® ($10) andVaseline® ($7 for two): “On a makeup-free day I put it on my lips, the high points of my face, and sometimes apply the excess to my undereyes and eyelids.” The result is a natural-looking highlight that also hydrates.
Megan Richardson and Gretchen Tiernan, the founders ofSandSpa™, often hit the road together as they grow their business, and thus share tips and tricks with each other regarding their daily water intake. Though drinking it straight is the purest form of hydration, one of their most effective strategies for keeping their bodies satisfied from the inside out is being mindful of their diets.
Or more to the point: how many colorful foods from Mother Nature do you eat when you travel? “We eat two servings of fruits or veggies at every meal,” Richardson shares. “Fruits and veggies are packed with water and include the nutrients that help our body absorb and use it properly,”
Founder of The Lip Expert®,Sara Happ, is on a plane every single week. And though being whisked away to tropical oases would be nice, her schedule is more about landing and going straight into meetings with retailers, media, customers and, in some cases, preparing to be on TV. For her QVC® segments, she needs her skin to remain flawless, since you can see imperfections on HD television. One of her tried-and-true tricks is to drink a six pack — of water, that is.
“My first stop before even checking in to the hotel is to stop by the drugstore and buy a six pack ofFiji® ($22 for 12) orSmartWater® ($14 for six),” she explains. “I make myself drink them before I check out.” If you want to go the extra mile when you’re away for work, she suggests asking room service to make you aBeWellByKelly™ Fab Four smoothie®. “All [of her recipes] are four simple ingredients that any hotel should have: a protein — think almond or peanut butter — non-dairy milk, greens, berries,” she says. “It keeps your body full and energized as you travel.”
Your day may not feel like it begins until you’ve had your morning cup of coffee. But if you want to stay hydrated while hopping between countries or cities, director of special events for theHollywood Pop Gallery™, Brett Galley, recommends shying away from caffeine. As for that glass of red wine to destress from the hectic traveling day? Also not a good idea.
When Galley’s on the go, she tries to avoid these two vices since they often cause more harm than good for your body, which is already adjusting to a new place (and in some cases, a new time zone). Both caffeine and alcohol are natural diuretics, meaning they actually dehydrate you over time. Instead, she suggests swapping your java for an energy-boosting smoothie or an herbal tea. For even more hydration brownie points, order soup when you dine out, since it adds even more water to your diet.
Founder of hair accessories companyPulleez® International, Diana Wright, is a regular guest of sold-out shows on QVC. Staying hydrated is part of her job description if she wants to look and perform her best. When she knows she has a lengthy travel day ahead of her, she always wakes up early enough to enjoy one essential breakfast meal before downloading her boarding pass: oatmeal! It helps with hydration since it soaks up water like a sponge. And, she notes, “It has the added benefit of keeping me full, which is very important when you are on the run!”
These days, everyone is discussing, raving, and hashtagging about supplements. But for CEO of e-commerce platformKlickly®, Cooper Harris, the trend was more of her lifestyle. She has known about the benefits of vitamins and minerals for years, and they’re definitely a way she’s helped herself stay healthy on the go. She takes constant business trips and lives in already-dry Los Angeles, and admits to not drinking enough water. So she relies on vitamins to stay quenched in a different way.
“A lot of people think about hydration the wrong way: they think in terms of have they guzzled a gallon of water recently,” she explains. “That's fine, but real hydration should include a combination of essential fatty acids and hyaluronic acid.” She takes a cocktail of supplements, including essential fatty acids and hyaluronic acid, to hydrate her skin from within.
[Editor’s note: As always, talk to your doctor before starting or stopping any new supplements.]
That’s not to say she hasn’t tricked herself into drinking water, too: Harris mixes hers withYour Super.com’s Forever Beautiful® Organic Superfood Mix ($30 for 40 servings). “It has really pure, powerful hydrating ingredients like chia seeds, acai, blueberries — no sugars, just pure superfoods powders designed to revamp your skin,” she raves. “I mix one teaspoon with lemon, stevia, and apple cider vinegar. The pure superfood powders ensure my system takes in their hydrating nutrients.”
Boss ladies are always overbooked and overloaded, or — as co-founder and CEO ofTampon Tribe®, Jennifer Eden, says — always moving. This energy doesn’t always come naturally and, sometimes, even powerful leaders need a pick-me-up. “As entrepreneurs, we're constantly juggling tasks and switching from one thing to the next,” she explains. “There is no room to feel sluggish or tired, so staying hydrated is always at the top of our priority list.”
For Eden, plain water doesn’t always cut it. Sometimes, she needs a bit more to keep everything in motion. She turns to coconut water, lemon-flavoredVitaminWater® Zero™ ($20 for 24 bottles), and apple cider vinegar as swaps. “Starting the morning off with hot water, lemon, and apple cider vinegar helps our bodies for the entire day,” she shares. “It's also a great ritual for getting your morning focus — you are treating your body well from the moment you get up.”