My In-Flight Skincare Tips
So I recently got back from Tokyo (if three weeks ago can still be considered recent…sob) and, for the first time in my life, my skin didn’t go berserk and break out from all the flying. I may have gotten terribly sick myself, but at least my face decided to let me off for once. I put this down to the fact that I’ve figured out, or am at least getting closer to figuring out, how to look after my skin during a long-haul flight. My routine might not be as bulletproof as that of seasoned travellers such as Chriselle Lim and Nicole Warne — those two give me serious in-flight skincare envy — but it works for me, and what I do now is better than what I did, or rather didn’t do, previously.
Depending on where you’re at in terms of skincare, as well as how often you travel and how far, the following advice will either prove highly useful or painfully obvious. But, as a self-styled beauty blogger with a history of gnarly skin issues, I believe it is my duty to pay it forward. As always, let me know what you think in the comments!
1. Whatever you do, don’t wear make-up during the flight.
Well no shit Sherlock, I hear you say. It may be that you’ve always known to skip the slap ahead of a long-haul flight, in which case I applaud you. But if you’re anything like me and years of terrible skin has left you hesitant to go anywhere without at least a light layer of foundation, then this realisation may only have been arrived at recently (not to mention reluctantly!) The average aircraft cabin is not a nice environment for skin, irrespective of what class of accommodation you’re travelling in, so it makes much more sense to forego make-up and focus on skincare instead. I find it helps to think of it the same way as going to sleep with your make-up on — no good can possibly come of it, and it will only make any skin issues you’re dealing with exponentially worse. However, if you really can’t bear the thought of taking off or arriving at your destination bare-faced, you can always remove any make-up at the start of the flight and re-apply before landing.
I had just enough time transferring at Heathrow to grab a travel size pack of MAC’s Gently Off Wipes + Micellar Water, which are incredibly gentle yet effective, and thus ideal for travelling. Alternatively, you could take one of the miniature bottles of the ever-reliable Bioderma Sensibio H20 (just don’t forget your cotton pads!)
2. Hydration, hydration, hydration — regardless of your skin type.
As mentioned above, aircraft cabins are pretty inhospitable environments as far as skin is concerned, and all that recirculated air can prove enormously dehydrating. I always knew this but, because I have oily skin, I foolishly assumed it made no difference to me. Oh how wrong I was. Once I discovered that any skin type can be dehydrated, and that mine most certainly is, I adjusted my skincare accordingly, and added in yet more hydration for the flights. I recommend keeping an eye out for products formulated with hyaluronic acid as these are your best bet for locking in moisture without causing irritation — Dior’s Capture Youth Plump Filler, a lightweight serum containing hyaluronic acid and iris extract, is my favourite. Chanel’s Hydra Beauty Micro Serum is another popular product, as is Drunk Elephant’s B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum. Apply a few drops/pumps of your chosen product every two to three hours, or whenever skin starts to feel tight.
3. Don’t be too embarrassed to sheet mask.
When I visited Los Angeles last January, I picked up a few sheet masks from the Sephora at Westfield Century City, fully intending to use at least one of them on the flight home. However, both of them went unopened. I was too wary of scaring my fellow passengers, who may well have thought I was a descendant of Jason Voorhees, or a Patrick Bateman wannabe, or both. This time, I had no such qualms; I ordered a pack of Joanna Vargas’ Dawn Face Masks and made sure I packed one for the outbound journey and another for the inbound. I did still manage to frighten a flight attendant, but once I explained what the purpose of the mask was he seemed to calm down pretty quickly.
There are stacks of sheet masks on the market these days, its just a matter of giving your skin what it needs at any given time. Joanna Vargas’ sheet masks are wonderful but probably too pricey to use often, whereas Neutrogena and Patchology both offer a wide range of masks at much less prohibitive prices. Furthermore, if Sephora exists in your country/territory, then go nuts — they have an intimidatingly large selection.
4. Don’t forget your eyes, lips and hands.
If you’re anything like me, your lips will have been chapped and dry all winter anyway, so applying layer after layer of lip balm is just business as usual. (My beloved La Mer The Lip Balm, featured in The Part Time Beauty Hall of Fame, was never far from my grasp at any point during this latest journey.) But don’t forget that your hands can take a beating too, so antibacterial hand gel or wipes are a must, as is a good, ideally non-sticky hand cream. Finally, as for eyes, it really depends what the issue is, but lubricating eye drops and a sample size of your preferred eye cream are a good place to start.
5. Don’t be afraid to badger the flight attendants for more water.
This last one isn’t strictly skincare-related, however it is a good rule of thumb for long-haul flights, and it certainly won’t do your skin any harm. I always used to be afraid to ask the cabin crew for anything other than what I was given — yes, for someone who has spent six years in customer service, apparently I can be quite timid — but then I remembered that the crew are there to ensure your comfort and safety and, besides, asking for a glass of water isn’t exactly on par with demanding a bottle of chilled Cristal. So don’t be afraid to flag a crew member down when you’re feeling parched. Chances are they’ll be happy to help.
This piece was originally published on Part Time Beauty in 2019.