Some of us revel in the excitement of jetting off on an international getaway, while others look forward to the vacation but dread the ‘getting there’ part.
While navigating airports and sorting your essentials – or even rounding up your travel companions – are the priority when travelling, plenty of us want to arrive looking great too.
You might be feeling frazzled, but there are some small steps you can take while flying that will ensure your skin remains in good condition.
We’ve all seen those people that engage in a numerous-step in-flight skincare routine as soon as they board, and that can be brilliant if you’re committed to it.
However, if you can only manage to remember one or two beauty-boosting products in between juggling your meal-tray and selecting the next episode of the show you’re binging, it will still help in the long run. Don’t forget a comfortable outfit, without these items you should never wear on a flight.
Cleanser or cleansing wipes
Many skin experts are advocates for ditching makeup completely while flying. Whether this means not applying any before you leave home, or removing your makeup onboard, it’s a good idea to allow skin to breathe during the hours you’re in the air.
Using an easy cleanser once you’re settled in your seat will remove any cosmetics as well as buildup and bacteria on your skin.
Wipes are the easiest and quickest route to do this, and mean you won’t worry about products spilling. While they won’t give you the deep clean you’d get at a sink with your usual cleanser, they are still effective. Swisspers even makes dry, cleanser-infused pads you can activate with a bit of water.
If you don’t like the single-use nature, pack a small travel bottle of micellar water and muslin pads in a clear zip lock bag. Packed with tiny particles called ‘micelles’, swiped over skin they attract makeup and impurities like a magnet, lifting them up and away and leaving skin looking and feeling clean.
L-R: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Makeup Removing Micelle Solution; Swisspers Cleanser Infused Pads; GOOP GOOPGENES Lift + Depuff Eye Masks; Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask; Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
Hydrating mask
The key to gorgeous skin on arrival is to hydrate, hydrate hydrate. An aircraft cabin is an extremely drying environment, so returning what you can both topically and by drinking plenty of water as well, will make all the difference. Avoiding too much caffeine or alcohol is also a good idea.
“I used to have an elaborate in-flight routine, but now I get on, drink lots of water and fall asleep,” says model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, founder of Rose Inc. skincare. “Plane food makes me feel sluggish and puffy, so I use that fasting time to sleep instead.”
You don’t have to bring all the products you’d usually use, like serums and moisturisers. Instead, look for a good multi-tasker, like a hydrating mask that sinks in well and has barrier-nourising ingredients like ceramides.
“If it’s a long flight, I’ll wash my face before sleeping and put on Sisley Express Flower Gel,” Emily Ratajkowski told The New York Times. “It’s a mask that you don’t have to wash off. It’s perfect for the plane.”
If you want to go the extra mile, about 45 minutes before you land, cleanse again and apply a sheet mask or hydrating under-eye patches and leave on for 10-15 minutes for an extra plumping hit of moisture. Remove, then massage in any excess serum and skin will look glowing and fresh as you step off the plane.
“Dry skin makes crow’s-feet more pronounced, and I get puffy, too,” shares Gwyneth Paltrow of jetting abroad, saying she relies on her brand’s GOOPGENES Lift + Depuff Eye Masks in-flight. “If you’re at altitude, it can be more intense. But 10 minutes with these potent masks changes the way my eyes look.”
Don’t like the greasy feeling of lotions and creams? Try regularly spritzing skin with a hydrating mist while flying instead.
L-R: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask; Slip Silk Eye Mask; Sol De Janeiro Delicia Drench Body Butter; Lanolips 12-Hour Overnight Lip Mask; Bondi Sands Fragrance Free Tinted Sunscreen Fluid; Tangle Teezer Brush; Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Tinted Dew Drops
Lip balm
Lips are particularly susceptible to irritation and dryness because of their delicate nature. They don’t have the benefit of producing any natural oils like the rest of the face does, so they feel the impact of dehydration first. Apply a good nourishing lip balm or lip mask before you board, and re-apply several times in the air.
Look for a product that has both hydrating, water-binding ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin, as well as occlusive ones like shea butter, that form a barrier over lips to protect from that dry air.
Body lotion
Hands, legs and feet can also feel chapped and dry too. Choose a small travel-size lotion that has natural plant oils in it that will deliver a beautiful sheen to skin.
Multi-task by using the residue left on hands to run over the ends of your hair, smoothing split ends and fly-aways and adding beneficial oils.
Choose one with a beautiful scent as it can double as your perfume too. Just be mindful of fellow passengers with allergies, and only apply soon before you disembark.
Tinted skin enhancer
You can always reapply your makeup in your seat before you land, but an even easier option is to apply a touch of a tinted skincare product that can be spread evenly without needing meticulaous application.
We love a tinted SPF that will give skin necessary protection once you leave the airport, but there are other great tinted products laden with beneficial ingredients that leaving skin looking glowing and natural in seconds.
We know this list is meant to be minimal, but if you have space for one more, a dense-but-compact hair brush like a Tangle Teezer will help smooth and tame your strands quickly and effortlessly in your seat without needing a large mirror to style.
