Since I moved to New York City in June last year, I’ve flown 4 roundtrips to California, and everytime without fail, the dry airplane environment sucks all moisture from my skin. With a busy interview season coming up for dermatology applicants, I imagine a lot of you will be spending hours on a plane. Here are some tips to help your skin stay radiant, even if you’re stuck behind a crying baby for six hours.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. There’s something about the air in an airplane that is so drying and dry skin leads to flaking, redness, and wrinkles. The easiest way to stay hydrated is to guzzle down some good old H2O. You don’t need to drink 2 liters a day like this woman (and let’s face it, it’s super annoying to have to keep getting up to use the tiny airplane bathroom), but think about how many cups of water you drink a day at home and try to emulate that number on the plane. I try to make it a rule for myself that everytime the flight attendant offers me a drink I take one cup of water. That seems to strike a good balance between being dehydrated and trotting off to the bathroom too often.
- Spritz away. I like using a spray mist from time to time to keep my skin feeling refreshed. I received this Innisfree green tea mist as a sample from Korea and I still carry it with me on all my trips. I love the light green tea scent, which I feel helps to revitalize the dead air around my airplane seat as well.
- Keep up your PM routine. Don’t neglect your usual nighttime regimen just because you’re miles above ground! I try to bring small bottles (awesome set of travel size bottles and sprays [amazon text=here&asin=B004HCECVA]) of my [amazon text=eye cream&asin=B0074H5PS4] and [amazon text=night cream&asin=B005NFESVY] on long flights. If you need inspiration for what your nighttime regimen should look like, check out my post here to find out what you might be missing.
- Mask it up. Airplanes are actually the perfect time to do a heavier face mask. You’re trapped in a seat practically motionless for hours; it wouldn’t hurt to slap on a mask for 15 minutes and make the most of that time. My favorites are the Innisfree It’s Real squeeze mask (review here) and the Nature Republic Help Me ceramide mask (review here).
- Keep it simple. Most people probably do this already but I swear I still see heavily made up women on the plane around me all the time. If you’re going to be on a long flight, try going fresh faced with just moisturizer. Take advantage of this time and let your skin breathe and rejuvenate. You can always put on makeup after you get off the plane. If you go on the plane with a full face of makeup after a work day, make sure to remove your makeup fully for your flight! Read about my essential makeup removal tips here.
What are some of your favorite products you always bring on flights?
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