Getting ready for air travel means adapting your skincare routine to be streamlined and minimal. I have a tried and tested formula now that means I future-proof my skin against the impact of air travel ensuring I arrive dewy and blemish-free and ready to starter my holiday!!
The issue with air travel is two-fold - firstly, the cabin air is dehydrating. Then factor in jetlag.
First thing I do is to cleanse my face - I tend to do this before I board as I find it near-impossible to do this easily in the plane loo. For ease I will go to the airport with very little on my skin. Maybe some Gossamer Tint, a slick of Flawless Lip Tint and some tubing or clear mascara.
Easy On-the-go Cleanse
I’ll use micellar water to cleanse my skin in this instance - a fully fledged cleanse is just too hard. The beauty of a micellar cleanser is that you can swipe it on a cotton pad - I use recyclable cotton pads - this then acts like a magnet to lift grime, oil, make-up and SPF. It might take a few passes but the good thing is these are gentle enough to use around the eyes. Tubing mascara comes off with warm water so that’s also pretty effortless. I tend to rinse any residue of the micellar water away with water - so I just rinse the cotton pad and do a few water passes. Et voila, a clean face.
Hydration and Blemish-control
Now it depends on what my skin is up to in terms of what happens next. If I’m going through a bumpy phase, I’ll use FNG and take the plane time as treatment time to start to work on reducing those blemishes. If it’s a night flight, I’ll use a retinoid as I’d usually do. This is extra-important if you tend to break out after a flight.
Then it’s time to hydrate. I am obsessive about this during a flight. I mean obsessive. I use Flawless Moisturiser and reapply it as often as every hour sometimes, depending on how dry my skin is feeling. If I’m sleeping, I’ll wake up and tap my skin to check how it’s doing. If it’s not moist to the touch, more moisturiser goes on. This is honestly the most important thing when it comes to successful flying. The air in the cabin is notoriously drying and will steal your skin’s moisture so you want to try water it with occlusives like shea and squalane. I might even use Flawless Revival Mask as a more intensive hydrator if it's a particularly long journey. Lips also dry out easily so I’ll use Flawless Lip reapplied after every drink or when I eat - it’s a serious lip treatment that ensures my delicate lip barrier stays supple and supported.
Calm Mind, Calm Skin
Perhaps the newest thing that makes a big difference for me when I fly is incorporating my meditation into my self-care routine. It really helps with the stress - but physical and mental - that can occur with flying. I think that really helps with limiting the cortisol response, which can lead to increased skin dehydration and breakouts. I highly recommend the London School of Meditation as a resource for learning Vedic Meditation - this is the only form of meditation that’s really stuck with me over the years and I’d highly recommend it.
When it comes time to disembark, you might be surprised to find your skin is *actually* dewier than when you left. Then all you need is a dab of concealer (or big sunglasses - dark circles be gone!), a little brow gel and a glaze of tinted lip balm.
Time to book that flight!!!
