We live for long weekends. Camping trips with your SO’s friends, poolside at the Bellagio with your squad or even a good old fashioned booze fest in Dublin. (Hey, it happens!) Of course it’s all fun and games until someone starts moaning about their sunburn or has a sugar-induced *cough, Fireball, cough* acne breakout or feels nausea or dehydrated or both. Sure, it may be inevitable, but what if you could be the one who makes it preventable. Here’s what you need to know and pack.
Vein pain
Travelling long distances to get to your 72-hours of hard-core fun can often come with butt and leg pain or even deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs, as a result of not moving. To avoid this, pack a pair of compression socks, yup just like grannie’s, and your smartphone with the alarm set to ring every 90 minutes so that you can “move around the cabin to get the blood flowing in your legs,” says Dr. Sonpal, an internist and gastroenterologist in New York City. “If you are driving, take a break at a rest stop and walk around.”
Dehydration
Whether it’s a result of flying or that third marguerita, your skin’s moisture loss is a red flag that your entire body could use a glass or two of water. Aim to drink three glasses first thing in the morning, two more with breakfast, lunch and dinner and if you’re drinking alcohol, in between each cocktail add another glass. Staying hydrated will also help keep your energy levels up, your makeup on and looking fresh and save you from a nasty hangover. And rubbing on a little extra moisturizer never hurt.
Try: Elizabeth Grant Green Power C Day Cream with Vitamin C, $40, available online at www.elizabethgrant.com
Nauseous
Feeling sick to your stomach isn’t solely due to overdrinking or overeating, you can also experience motion sickness on virtually any mode of transportation. To combat this, Dr. Sonpal suggests packing Dramamine Non-Drowsy Naturals, Dramamine’s first non-drowsy formulation in your carry on bag. “It contains the clinically tested ginger dosage required for preventing and treating motion sickness,” says Dr. Sonpal. “Other sources of ginger, including candies, gums, or ginger ale” can also ease mild symptoms.
Sunscreen
Spray it, rub it, wear it and repeat every two or three hours, especially if you’re swimming. There’s nothing worse than being the same colour as your lobster dinner, unless of course you couldn’t even make it to dinner because you were too busy laying in a bath of cold water. Formulations boasting a minimum of a 30SPF and UVA and UVB protection work best to keep the sun’s harsh rays from burning your skin.
Try: The Ordinary Mineral UV Filters SPF 30 with Antioxidants, $10, available online at www.well.ca
Flu bugs
Planes and trains are a breeding ground for illness courtesy of their recycled air and the over-shared seats, blankets, bathrooms… “Most travelers would be appalled if they really knew how germy their tray tables are,” says Dr. Sonpal, and suggests packing sanitizing wipes in your carry on bag. “Wipe your tray table, seat belt clip and hand rests of your seats. When you exit a restroom on a plane or train and touch the door handles, be sure to use hand sanitizer even if you already washed your hands.”
Messy makeup
There are many reasons why your mascara’s running. It could be the heat, the pool, the hot-sauce sweats, the all-night dancing, the supportive crying for your friend whose boyfriend just dumped her—the list is long and lengthy. So instead of heading the Tammy Faye Bakker route, just pick up some waterproof mascara and be done with it. In fact, grab some waterproof eyeliner and lipstick while you’re at it.
Try: Cover Girl Lashblast Full Lash Bloom Waterproof Mascara, $8.50, available at Walmart and drugstores
Gas
There. We said it. Bloating and passing gas are super common when you travel. You’re eating different foods, consuming more alcohol and the altitude on the plane never helps. “After lift off, the pressure around you decreases so the gas in your belly isn’t constrained as much and it expands,” explains Dr. Sonpal. Avoiding foods such as cruciferous vegetables, dairy and high sodium snacks like pretzels and skipping the in-flight tomato juice and sticking with non-carbonated water can all help.
