Imagine that you have 15 hours to see Istanbul, thanks to a bizarre layover on a last-minute ticket to Milan from New York City (logistics, be damned -- you saw that flight deal and just went with it). Or, being the intrepid adventurer that you are, you decided to work a whirlwind Reykjavik weekend into your London travel plans. All sounds great and grand and damn-near amazing, except for one little pesky thing: jet lag. Here's where we here at Oyster.com come in to help: While there's no surefire way to nix jet lag completely when cavorting across time zones, there are some weird remedies out there that claim to curb it considerably. We took a look at some of the craziest supposed jet-lag fighters on the market.
Saje Natural Wellness Arrive Revived Jet Lag & Travel Mist
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.
HDX Hydration Mix
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.
Lumie Zest
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.
No-Jet-Lag Homeopathic Jet Lag Remedy
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.
Matakana Botanicals Sleep & Focus Jet Lag Kit
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.
Liddell Jet Lag Homeopathic Spray
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.
Related Links:
- The 15 Most Annoying Types of Plane Passengers, Ranked
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- What’s Really Happening When Your Flight Experiences Turbulence (and How to Deal with It)
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