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The ultimate in-flight skincare routine to follow, according to a glow-obsessed beauty editor

‘Maskne,’ dryness, dehydration and dullness—your skin has a lot to contend with before you reach your holiday destination

If the waitlist for appointments for getting a Schengen visa is anything to go by, it is clear that everyone is travelling to Europe (or somewhere far away enough) in the coming months. After two summers of being sequestered at home during the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, travel is back, and in full focus.

However, there’s just one drawback. There have been far too many times I’ve boarded a flight—all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and clear-skinned—and deplaned with a cystic zit brewing on my chin or a red scaly patch on my cheek or eye bags that are pretty much unbelievable. But I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be this way. If you prep enough, and take the right steps to make sure you’re leaving your skin and body with a good base to work with, you can end up with a little less damage.

I’ve written and told people earlier about how to follow a maximalist skincare routine mid-air, but since the last time I took a long-haul flight, a lot has changed. I’ve swapped sheet masks for protective face masks, and I’m more particular about cleansing and wiping down everything. At this point, you want to be touching your face as little as possible, and you have to contend with ‘maskne’ if you want to protect yourself from the dreaded virus, so it is key to factor these in.

Have a scrub, exfoliator and dry brush? Pre-flying is the time to bring out all the big guns. Image: Getty

Have a scrub, exfoliator and dry brush? Pre-flying is the time to bring out all the big guns. Image: Getty

If you prep enough, and take the right steps to make sure you’re leaving your skin and body with a good base to work with, you can end up with a little less damage. Image: Pexels

If you prep enough, and take the right steps to make sure you’re leaving your skin and body with a good base to work with, you can end up with a little less damage. Image: Pexels

Before boarding a flight

To begin with, the air on an airplane could not be worse for your skin. Firstly, it is dry and recirculated within the cabin, causing potential inflammation on the skin. It is also a lot less humid than what you’re otherwise used to, which may actually leave your skin feeling greasier than usual, because it overcompensates by producing more oil owing to the dryness. The lower air pressure and higher altitude reduces the amount of oxygen that your blood carries, and this lower oxygen flow also causes the skin to appear lacklustre. It’ll also feel parched, dull and puffy—basically everything you don’t want to feel when you’re flying for a vacation.

When you’re at home, you can keep things as sterile as possible, so do the lion’s share of your prep here. I start my skincare routine before I even leave the house. Have a scrub, exfoliator and dry brush? This is the time to bring out all the big guns. I like dry-brushing with a firm-bristled one to massage my body in an upward motion. It brightens the skin and makes your moisturiser more effective, sloughing off dead skin in the process. This is crucial as it improves lymphatic drainage and increases circulation, both of which get really sluggish when you’re slumped in a chair 3,000 feet in the air.

Then I take a shower to end all showers. I use a body scrub like the Pulp Dance Flour superfood scrub, followed by the Love Beauty and Planet Argan Oil & Lavender Soothing Body Lotion when my skin is still damp, so it really absorbs it all. A little massage when I’m applying the lotion helps to loosen any knots and gets you ready for a long journey ahead. Plus, a calming scent like lavender all over your body can’t hurt when you might have to deal with a crying baby or a long check-in queue. A body oil keeps all that moisture in, so slather on one like the Rahua Body Oil to prevent any transepidermal moisture loss when you’re flying.

When it comes to skincare, I like to double cleanse before I start. Use an oil cleanser (like the DHC Deep Cleansing OIl) to break down any oil or sunscreen you may have on the surface, and then a foaming gel cleanser like the Caudalie Vinopure Cleansing Gel to get all the residue off. Then I use a mist—Avene Eau Thermale Mist—to soothe and add a boost of hydration to the skin, and then apply an antioxidant serum to get rid of free radicals. I am partial to the Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Acid, which contains 15 per cent L-ascorbic acid, Vitamin E and ferulic acid, proven to reduce oxidative damage from the sun and ozone pollution by up to 41 per cent.

Breakouts are par for the course on an airplane, especially when you’re constantly wearing a mask. I like to top up with a salicylic acid serum too, which helps to break down any bonds between dead skin cells so they don’t start forming cystic zits under the skin. Next, I do a super light moisturiser with ceramides—the d’you In My Defence is a good pick—as it helps to fortify the skin barrier without you looking like a glazed doughnut while you hang out at the lounge.

Switch a sheet mask for a bouncy sleep mask with humectants and calming ingredients to ensure that you’re sealing in all the moisture. Image: Pexels

Switch a sheet mask for a bouncy sleep mask with humectants and calming ingredients to ensure that you’re sealing in all the moisture. Image: Pexels

During the flight

First, wipe everything down. Bring an alcohol-based spray to clean your armrest, TV screen, remote, tray table and seat belt. Then get down to your skincare routine. Wash your hands with soap and water, and fish out a new protective face mask so you can switch to a cleaner one.

Your eyes likely get puffy while flying because of all the wine and salty foods you might be consuming, plus the water retention you might get from sitting still for eight hours at a stretch. Pop on an eye mask like the 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift & Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches—the caffeine will improve circulation and wake up even the most tired of eyes.

Pre-pandemic, I used a sheet mask on the plane, because I had the time to, and it was the trend du jour. But in the last few years, research has shown that these products often over-promise and under-deliver; they dry out your skin than hydrating it, and they can be super messy to apply and remove. Switch that for a bouncy sleep mask with humectants and calming ingredients to ensure that you’re sealing in all the moisture. The Laneige's Cica Sleeping Mask has centella asiatica to reduce inflammation, and is chock-full of hyaluronic acid to provide heapfuls of moisture. Tap and press on an oil next—like the Kora Organics Noni Glow Oil. It serves as a great barrier between your mask and skin, preventing chafing, scratches or irritation. Lip balm is key—your lips can’t regulate moisture like your skin does, so you have to add it on top. Look to a humectant-filled one that’ll coddle your lips rather than dry them out with minty or volumising extracts. On germy planes, I wash my hands often, which might dry them out. To restore the moisture, I love the Bioderma Hand and Nail Cream.

After the flight

Once you’ve reached your hotel, you can take another one of those showers to end all showers to wash the smell and grime of the long journey off you. When it comes time to tackling your face, double cleanse again, since you’ve just layered on a lot over the last couple of hours. If you still feel a zit making an appearance, blast it with a spot-treatment immediately—the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo will hit any bacteria lingering on the skin.

You’ll want to depuff any way you can. If you have a microcurrent or massaging device like the NuFace, now is the time to bring it out. If not, a jade roller or even cold spoons can do the trick. Massage your skin outwards and upwards to reduce any tension and improve drainage. Then bring out your highlighter, skin tint and cream blush and start having fun—there’s truly nothing like a holiday glow.

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