A step-by-step guide to an inflight skincare routine

[bigletter]One of the big cons of traveling by air is that our skin takes a massive hit. I recently learned that the inside of a plane is drier than the Sahara Desert, as the humidity level inside the aircraft is 10-15% while in the Sahara it’s about 25-30%. Imagine that! The low humidity, recycled air and dry cabins dehydrate the dermis while stimulating oiliness. Add the tons of bacteria that waltz through the air and get the perfect combination for dryness, chapped lips, flakiness and many times pimples.[/bigletter]

There are ways to help the skin stay thriving throughout a flight, such as drinking water, eating healthy snacks, especially fruit, and bringing aboard some lip balm, but if you are like me and travel often, you might not only take on these good habits, but you might develop a skincare routine for the plane so that you don’t walk off the flight feeling dried out.

I already have my regular every-day skincare routine, however, on the day that I know I am going to travel I exfoliate in the morning, that way the products I apply on the plane will be extra effective, as I’ll have no dead skin cells blocking vitamin and mineral absorption as well as hydration.

Since we can only bring travel-sized versions of some of my preferred products on board, all my bottles are about 0.5 fluid ounces (~15 ml). Before you start your makeup routine, go to the bathroom and wash your hands. You probably collected so many germs on the way to your seat, that it’s imperative that you do it with clean hands, and no, hand sanitizer is not an alternative to actual soap and water.

1. Cleanse

A toner helps you refresh as well as clean your face from impurities. I have also learned that it helps shrink the appearance of pores. I spray a few pumps of ESPA Hydrating Floral Spa fresh Toner on my face and let it dry or use a small (reusable) towelette to wipe off impurities before I continue on to the next step,

I have the smaller version of this toner, meaning the travel size one. If you aren’t able to find the smaller size, you can always buy the large bottle and fill in a mini travel bottle with the product so you have it at hand. That’s also a more cost effective way. Smaller versions of products are always more expensive.

2. Hydrate

The Hydrate 5 minute sheet [Face] mask from Patchology is drenched with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5. It’s great for for quenching thirsty skin. It’s meant to do the job for 5 minutes, however I have nowhere to be but on the plane for the next few hours, so I let it linger for 15-20 minutes while I watch a movie or read a book. Once you remove the mask, the skin remains a bit wet, so allow for it to completely dry as the skin continues soaking in the product.

The Patchology pack comes with four masks, so you have enough for various flights. They also sell really great lip hydration and under eye hydration patches. I’m a big fan of all of their products.

3. Moisturize

Once I have removed the face mask, I allow the ingredients to be absorbed and for my skin to dry a bit, before I add an extra layer of moisture and hydration with Monte Vibiano City Cream Anti-Aging Moisturizer (I use this one up to two-to-three times on the flight). I dab a little bit to my fingertips and tap it onto my face until it’s fully covered. This step is is just a piggy back on the Patchology face mask one, and it just provides an extra git of hydration, which is especially helpful if you plan on putting on makeup once you get off the plane. I do it all the time.

4. Hydrate some more

I finish off the routine with one more step which is spraying on the Hydrating Facial Mist. I’m not going to get all bougie or act like I know whether this ‘seals-the-products’ in, as I don’t actually think it does, but it does make me feel so refreshed. Both the moisturizer and the facial mist I use a few times during the flight just to maintain the moisture.

I can’t find the link to this specific brand on their website, however you can find more products that I highly recommend here

5. Lip treatment

I keep my lips moisturized with Lucas Pawpaw Ointment , which is like a vaseline-textured ointment created for healing and smoothing. It helps me keep my lips hydrated and avoid damage or flaking due to the dryness of the environment. I always have one inside my ‘personal item’ bag, so that I have it at hand for the flight, as I continuously apply it to my lips. A little goes a long way with this, so it lasts quite a lot. It’s also great for people who live in cold weather, because it protects the skin.