Whether you’re a frequent flyer or more of a once-a-year type of traveler, one thing is certain: your skin takes a huge hit when you travel. To help you keep your skin looking its best, I’ve put together 14 in-flight travel beauty tips to help you while on your trip!

Skin Care and Travel by Plane

First of all, did you know that traveling by plane, can lead to unwanted skin conditions?

• Skin dryness due to lack of humidity in the plane
• Post-flight puffiness due to all the sitting (and possibly snacking)
• Sunburn
• Increased oil production

It’s worth noting that not everyone’s skin will react the same when it comes to travel by flight. Skin types need to be taken into consideration among other variables like pre-flight skin care, stress levels, etc.

As I prepare to take a much-needed trip to Cancun next month, I’ve become obsessed with finding out ways to keep my skin in tip-top shape during and after the flight lands. After all, who doesn’t want to look great in those vacation photos? I mean, let’s be honest, I don’t want to have to Facetune my images when I can just as easily obtain great results.

Plus, I want to enjoy my vacation, not spend a bunch of time editing pictures on my phone. Not that I do because let’s be real, I’m literally the worst at taking pictures while I travel.

Anyway, I’ve managed to pull together a list of the best skin care travel beauty tips I could find, specifically when travelling by plane.

To help you feel your most confident on your next trip, I’m providing you with everything from pre-flight beauty hacks to in-flight beauty must-haves and even a few beauty tips on what to do once you land.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing more annoying than dealing with a breakout while traveling, you are nowhere near your bathroom full of skin care solutions so preventing beauty mishaps while on a trip is a must!

Pre Flight

One thing I’ve recently found out is the importance of pre-flight skin prep.

The day before your flight should be spent not only doing last-minute packing and planning, but also last-minute skin prepping and moisturizing. These basic yet essential beauty tips can help you land at your destination with the best skin possible:

1. Use a cream or gel cleanser

Beginning the night before your flight, you should use a cream or gel cleanser. The reason you want a gel/creamy cleanser versus a foam/clay lather is to clean off dirt and other unwanted debris without stripping the skin of its natural moisture since the recycled plane air will dry your skin out.

2. Drink lots of water

To help prevent skin dryness, it is essential to hydrate from the inside out. You can do all the beauty steps in the world, but drinking a good mineral water pre-flight will have your skin thanking you later. As flight attendants revealed to Marie Claire, it is suggested that you drink one liter of water for every four hours spent in the air. This will help keep your body and skin hydrated as the cabin air dries out.

3. Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine

The ultimate goal is to keep your skin looking good throughout your flight and vacation. We all know that drinking water results in clearer, more hydrated skin. In order to avoid excessive skin dryness, it is recommended that you do not drink alcoholic beverages or caffeine before a flight, as they are known to dehydrate the body, which is something you’ll want to avoid.

4. Use Serum and a rich moisturizer

Preparing for a long haul flight can be stressful, so why stress your skin out with the dryness of cabin air? Before take-off, be sure to apply a serum, before applying your favorite moisturizer. The serum helps lock in extra moisture that will be needed during your flight.

5. Apply SPF

Unless you are taking a red-eye to your destination, it is suggested that you apply SPF 30 or more while in the air. Harmful UV rays from the sun glaring through the window along with the plane’s LED lights can cause damaging skin effects that will last longer than your vacation. Don’t risk it.

In Flight

Because of the factors mentioned above, an in-flight skin care routine is essential to keep skin looking radiant and plush once you land.

6. Keep the makeup to a minimum

Lucky for me I have no shame in stepping out with a bare face. However, if you are someone who needs some coverage, a light tinted moisturizer along with either a lip stain or tinted lip balm would be best. Ideally, you want to take this time to let your face rest. By going bare, you are minimizing the possibility of having clogged pores and oily skin upon landing.

7. Apply a mask

To further avoid your skin feeling like the Sahara desert, an in flight face mask is always a good idea! With so many different options, your hardest decision will be to either use a sheet mask, a leave-on hydrating gel mask or a hydro gel mask. Whichever you choose, remember to select a mask that will benefit you in flight and once you land. In my experience, purifying face masks tend to strip the skin, so I’d recommend avoiding those kinds of masks when deciding on your in flight companion.

8. When in doubt, spray it

Say you’ve done all the steps – you moisturized, used a face mask, have little to no makeup on and yet your skin still feels icky and dry. Well, in this case, you can always spray it. Rose water and micellar water have become popular in recent years for a reason. These handy purifying sprays have the ability to freshen your face when it’s feeling dull and dry. If you visit your local drug store you can find a travel size that is sure to benefit your skin and change the way your skin feels when you travel.

9. Moisturize again

This can’t be stressed enough! Use rich creams to keep your face and body moisturized throughout your flight. When it comes to dry, skin-damaging air, you can’t get enough moisturizer. If you are on a flight for longer than four hours, I suggest freshening up your moisturizer by wiping off what’s on your face and reapplying it.

10. Sleep

We’ve all heard it – sleep is your best friend. This is absolutely true and necessary if you want to avoid those pesky under eye bags. Aside from moisturizing, sleep is the best thing you can do for your skin. While sleeping, your body’s hydration rebalances. According to this Everyday Health article, not getting enough sleep results in poor water balance, meaning it can lead to under-eye puffiness, under-eye circles and skin dryness.  

11. Bring an eye roller or de-puffer

Speaking of bags, bringing an eye or jade roller on the flight can be beneficial for post-flight puffiness. These popular rollers help decrease puffiness and inflammation on the face, helping you look like your best self once you land.

12. Use a hair mask

This is one of my all time favorite beauty tip! It can also be done before or during your flight. Because the cabin air is so dry, you’ll want to prevent the natural moisture from leaving your precious locks. To do so I came across a little hack that may not look so chic in flight but will definitely have your hair looking great upon landing. To keep your hair looking fabulous throughout your trip, simply apply your favorite hair mask to dry hair, out your hair in a bun and voila! Bonus points for adding a blackout sleeping mask to help you make the best of your flight.

Post Flight

13. Wash your face

There’s no better feeling than a hot shower after a long flight. However, before you get in the shower, you should take a moment to cleanse away any makeup residue and debris from the airport. By washing your face immediately after you arrive at your hotel, you minimize the chances of getting dull-looking skin or a dreaded breakout.

14. Exfoliate

Because of the dryness caused by cabin air, dry, flaky skin and post-flight greasiness can clog your pores. To prevent this from happening, I recommend investing in a good facial exfoliator. Exfoliating can help loosen dead skin and has the ability to eradicate any oils or bacteria trapped beneath layers far beyond what the eye can see.

As you get ready for your next flight, be sure to take these beauty tips into consideration. Since I’m not a frequent flyer, I never thought that having a skin care regimen was essential when I flew. However, thanks to the internet and informational beauty posts like this, that has now changed.

Do you have a travel skin care regimen? Or better yet, what are some of your fav products to have in your carry-on? As always I want to know