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Do you ever get off the plane feeling like you haven’t showered in three days and you have a mouth full of sawdust? It’s happened to all of us. Something about the dry, recycled air and close quarters of an airplane makes you feel like your journey of a few hours was more like a week. If you’re flying internationally, it can seem even longer.

Don’t you envy those people who get off the plane looking bright-eyed and ready to face the world? How do they do it? Learn how and then other passengers can be envious of you.

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Hydrate. Nothing can run you down faster than dehydration. Pick up a large bottle of water before you board the plane and keep it handy. The air inside the cabin has a habit of drawing out any kind of moisture, so the more you drink, they better you’ll feel. It’ll also keep you healthy while it replenishes whatever liquids your body has lost during the flight.

Keep some lip balm handy. This is another form of hydration. If your lips are dry, no amount of water is going to help. Lip balm can help you feel a little less dusty and a little more human.

How to Keep From Drying Out on a Plane

Eat something healthy. Now that in-flight meals are no longer the norm, it’s important to nibble on something nutritious to keep your energy up. If your flight doesn’t offer anything suitable, or you’re looking to save some money, bring along a snack pack you’ve made or bought before boarding to munch on. Some great foods to bring along are carrots, apple slices, bananas, granola bars and nuts.

Brush your teeth. This can go a long way to making you feel like your usual self. If you don’t have your toothbrush handy, slip a few packs of dental wipes or Colgate Wisps into a convenient pocket of your carry-on. You can discreetly freshen up your mouth while watching a movie or reading a magazine. If that seems weird, you can always excuse yourself to the restroom. A stick of minty gum does the trick in a pinch, too.

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Invest in an eye mask. If your flight will be more than an hour or two, getting a bit of shut-eye can be really relaxing and give you the extra oomph to greet the world when you arrive. Think of how great you feel at home after a power nap. With an eye mask, you can block out all light and distraction, to help you really sleep. If noise is also a sleep deterrent for you, bring along some good earplugs or noise-cancelling earphones, so you can ignore everyone’s conversations and any crying babies.

Now that you know how to look relaxed, you can feel it, too. Fly with a carry-on only and skip the stress that the baggage carrousel can be and get right off the plane and onto your vacation. People will wonder how you do it. It’s okay. You can share these secrets with them.

About the Author

Shereen Rayle is author of the blog Shereen Travels Cheap and a book of the same name that will be published in late 2011. For years she has been planning her own vacations using the Internet to extend her limited budget as far as possible and shares the tips and tricks she has learned, along with useful sites like FareCompare.com, to help others get the most out of their travel dollars. And to further inspire budget travelers everywhere, she finds terrific travel bargains and posts them each day on her Facebook page.