In the spirit of full disclosure, this post may contain affiliate links. Please note that when you click links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. In fact, I oftentimes am able to negotiate a lower rate (or bonuses) not available elsewhere. I only recommend products & systems that I use and love myself, so I know you’ll be in good hands.
Have you noticed that your skin feels a bit weird during long haul flights (and by long haul flights I mean over 5 hours)? It kinda feels like there are dirt and grime floating around the cabins, and that same dirt and grime finds a way to cling to your skin and clogs your pores…and the AC just doesn’t collaborate with your skin either. Can you relate?…Even though cabin air is supposedly very clean (it’s a mixture of fresh and recirculated air. If you’re keen on busting cabin air myths, click here) your skin gets weird. Honestly. Good news is, there something you can do about that and this will minimize the effects of cabin air. That way, when you exit the airport, your skin will look fabulous as opposed to the hey-she- just- had- a-long- flight face. You wanderlust girls, you know what I’m talking about… So, here’s the perfect skin care in-flight routine to keep that glowing skin look.
1. Makeup Removing Wipes
It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing makeup or not, you still need to carry some of these. You can’t carry your Clarisonic to really scrub your face, these wipes will do the trick during a flight. I love the Tarte travel-size Fresh Eyes Maracuja Makeup Removing Wipes. These soothing wipes are formulated with super-moisturizing maracuja oil & antioxidant-packed fruit extracts to help hydrate, brighten, & fight signs of aging as they cleanse.
I know the packaging says they’re meant to be used for the eyes, but it’s totally fine if you use them for the face as well. This package is just super convenient for travel. Since they’re travel size, this means you can take them in your purse or carry-on and pack only what you need. I mean, who wants to carry a 30-day supply of wipes in her purse? Let alone pack that and take precious space from your carry on? Practical things are usually best.
2.Mist
Very important to carry a mist for your face to keep it fresh and hydrated. I go for the Caudalie Beauty Elixir (travel size please) since its formula contains grapes, balm mint, rosemary and orange blossom that refresh your complexion while tightening pores and instantly boosts radiance. This will help you maintain that healthy glow you so covet. I usually use this Beauty Elixir every 1-2 hours, unless I’m sleeping. If I decided to doze off, then I give myself a few generous spritzes before sleeping and after waking up.
3.Leave On Mask
Ok, I know what you’re thinking: “my next seat neighbor is going to laugh at me!” Don’t worry, I got you covered. Not all of us get to travel in Emirates first class cabins and have our very own bed with our very own bathroom (I will travel in Emirates first class one day, who’s with me?). This means applying a face mask and then having to wash it off is a no-no. So, it’s time you meet the wonderful world of leave-on masks.
It’s like applying a moisturizer but it’s a mask (duh! And it hydrates for hours). I prefer to use this as opposed to my regular moisturizer (if you haven’t checked my everyday beauty routine you can click here) on long flights since my skin needs more intense hydration. My favorite is the erborian Bamboo Waterlock. This leave-on aquagel moisture mask is enriched with bamboo sap and fibers to help skin feel smoother, hydrated, and plumped with water, and the best part is you don’t have to wash it off *doing happy dance* and do not have to worry about your next seat neighbor giving you weird looks, lol.
Just in case you don’t want to use a leave-on mask (I get it, we all have trust issues) then you can use a hydrating face oil. I absolutely love the Sunday Riley Juno Facial Oil, a dry oil that penetrates deeply into the skin with a hydrating botanicals formula that improves skin elasticity and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Whether you go for the leave-on mask or the hydrating face oil, just give your skin some quenching please (the folks at customs and immigration might just be nicer to you if you have a dewy and beautiful glow, lol).
Here’s a travel hack: TSA won’t let you carry the full size erborian Bamboo Waterlock and/or the Sunday Riley Juno Facial Oil and even if they did let you pass it, those items add up to your purse’s weight and that equals sore shoulders. Instead, get some 10 ml refillable droppers (you can get them from Amazon) and fill the dropper. You can label it with a permanent marker, washi type, whatever you like. This 10 ml droppers are the perfect travel size and fit enough amount of your desired ” in-flight beauty formula”.
4.Eye Gel with Cooling Rollerball
Please don’t forget about your eye area! Your eye area is usually the most affected by cabin air and AC. I use the Molton Brown London ‘Anti-Fatigue Bai Ji’ Eye Gel that comes with a cooling rollerball. Trust me, you will need that rollerball for your eyes, especially if you’re going to be flying for more than 8 hours. The cooling sensation it gives just feels marvelous and also, it awakens your eye area. This eye gel moisturizes and calms with bai ji extract (a Chinese herb. Yeah, I know, you were saying “what the heck is bai ji) and reduces the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. I apply this as often as needed and always, always 1 hour before landing.
Also, drink some water. I know nobody fancies to use the airplane’s bathroom but keeping hydrated is key to help your skin and minimizes the effects of jetlag. My advice is, get your own water instead of asking the flight attendant for water. I’m a huge fan of SMART Water and this is what I buy and take with me, but as long as you’re buying it from the duty-free area, you can choose whatever you prefer.
And here’s my in-flight routine:
- I mist regularly before dozing off.
- Before I decide to doze off, I clean my face with makeup removing wipes. Even if I’m not wearing makeup, I never skip this step. Dirt and grime find a way to stick to your skin so wipe it clean.
- I apply eye gel with a cooling rollerball and then I apply my leave-on mask. I apply some lip conditioner (I love the Caudalie Lip Conditioner) and now I can peacefully doze off.
- After waking up, I reapply more Beauty Elixir and eye gel.
- One hour before landing, I start prepping. This means I wipe my face again, apply eye gel generously around my eyes, apply my hydrating face oil and then a bit more of Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir. I let it all dry for a bit and then I’m ready to apply some concealer, mascara, blush, you know, the usual stuff. After I get my hey-I-woke-up-like-this look (lol) I spritz the Beauty Elixir one more time. Voilá!
So this is my perfect skin care in-flight routine that gives my skin a glowy look and prevents my skin from drying or feeling weird after too much cabin air and AC. If you’re traveling soon, give this routine a try on your next flight and let me know how it goes. Trust me, your skin will thank you (and me, lol). 😉
SHOP MY IN-FLIGHT PICKS:
*In the spirit of full disclosure, this post may contain an affiliate link. Please note that when you click links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. In fact, I oftentimes am able to negotiate a lower rate (or bonuses) not available elsewhere. I only recommend products & systems that I use and love myself, so I know you’ll be in good hands.
All hail those lovely makeup removing wipes! I worry that the leave on mask and eye gel may be too much oil for those of us that are acne prone. Any suggestions?
Hi Torrey! I agree! Those makeup removing wipes are a total treasure! You can definitely use the eye gel even if you have acne prone skin. You only apply the eye gel around your eye area so you don’t have to worry about breakouts (I have acne prone skin as well and very, very sensitive skin and eye area) and the Molton Brown Anti-Fatigue Bai Ji Eye Gel won’t give you any issues. Now, with the leave-on mask, the erborian Bamboo Waterlock can be used for acne prone skin since it’s a gel formula and it locks in the natural moisture of your skin. During long-haul flights, due to AC and cabin air, your skin looses a lot of moisture and hence, starts producing more sebum which can cause breakouts. This is why it’s important to hydrate your skin during long-haul flights, so that the dry air in cabins doesn’t lead to increased sebum production. If you have acne prone skin but your skin tends to be dry, you can safely use the erborian leave-on mask and the hydrating dry oil. Dry oils are high in linoleic acid and low in oleic acid (acne prone skin is usually low in linoleic acid and high in oleic acid) so it’s ok to use them for that type of skin. If your flight lasts from 6 to 9 hours, just stick with one option: the leave-on mask or the hydrating dry oil. If your flight will last over 9 hours then you can use both. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other inquiries and I would happily answer any questions 🙂 Cheers!
Great tips! I hate how dry and angry my skin gets from flying. I’ve always wanted to be brave enough to wear a face mask but haven’t worked up the courage yet!
Hi!I’m so happy to know that you liked these tips! And about the face mask, I totally get it, I couldn’t wear a mask on a flight without dying of embarrassment, lol, but with the leave-on mask, you can skip all the embarrassing parts altogether. That’s why I recommend the erborian Bamboo Waterlock which glides on like a moisturizing gel (totally invisible, I promise you won’t look weird) and the best part is, you don’t have to wash it off. That way you can keep a glowy and moisturized skin during those nasty long-haul flights. You should totally give the leave-on mask a try. It will go completely unnoticed and you’ll get glowing skin 🙂 Let me know when you decide to give it a try and how it goes 🙂 Cheers!
Great post and much needed. Thanks for sharing xxx
Thank you, Ilka! I’m so glad you liked it! Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by 🙂
These are some great ideas! I fly quite a bit so I definitely will be investing in a few of these items! And Yassss
on flying Emirates someday!
Hi, Ranae! Thanks for supporting my Emirates request! Lol. Wouldn’t it be great to travel in their first class cabin?! I’m sure we will pretty soon and will be posting loooots of pictures about it :-D. I would love to know how this in-flight beauty routine works for you on your next long-haul flight, so keep me posted! 🙂 Cheers!
Hi. Thank you so much for these tips. I have never really used anything than lip balm on the plane. I really should start doing this as I fly pretty often and long distances. xx
Hi! Let me know how it goes when you use this! I’d love to know! Cheers! 🙂
Haha I love using masks on flights! The MILK makeup wipes sound amazing and I definitely need to look into getting a mist!
You’re my kinda gal! lol. It’s relaxing to use masks on flights. It sort of takes some stress away from all the airport hassle! And yes, the MILK wipes are AMAZING! Cheers! 🙂
Yes, love this! I always feel disgusting after flying, even if it’s just a short 2-3 hour one. Thank you for the tips 🙂
So glad you liked the tips! You should definitely give this routine a try on your next flight. Let me know your comments once you do it! Cheers! 🙂
I love using a mist in-flight or really anytime! They feel so refreshing.
They do, right! They give skin a magic boost! Cheers! 🙂
Great ideas! I love the idea to get the droppers from Amazon as well so you can bring on the mask. I’ve actually never used a mister but I’m curious to try. Thanks for sharing your routine!
I´m glad you liked these tips. Mists are great, I´m a huge fan. Let me know if you liked it when you do try it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
So interesting, 🙂 I will keep all these tips in mind when I travel!
Trust me, these are great skin hacks for long-haul flights! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Ha! Those are some GREAT ideas! I never really thought about doing this on the plane! But yes, my skin always feels like ugh-bleh-what-have-you-done!
This is awesome! You also recommended a lot of my favorite products! I love those make up wipes! Makeup wipes are my favorite travel item. So easy and quick to use!
My skin always feels so dry and thirst when flying. These are some great recommendations!
Great ideas! I always feel oily so I am going to try that brands wipes. I like their deordoant too. Thanks for sharing all these product tips.
I’ve never thought about doing this for flights! Just thought it was part of the process that my skin was going to suffer! Will be trying!
Let me know how it goes! I tell ya’, it’s life changing! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I will be trying this next time I fly!!
I keep seeing the MILK skincare line. This is a sign! I must give it a try!
Lol! Definitely a sign!!!! 🙂 MILK has ah-mazing products! Thanks for stopping by!
I like your tips. I like the idea of the leave on mask and eye roller ball. Will try them on my next long flight 🙂
❥ tanvii.com
I have been looking for a nonharsh makeup remover for a while now! I purchased a couple others before that were not harsh but didn’t work very well. I’m excited to try out that MILK brand.
You will love the MILK makeup removing wipes! Let me know how it goes once you try them! Cheers! 🙂
Ah! I would feel like I am leaving a spa. I will have to invest in some of these. I love my mist and makeup wipes, but the rest of your routine sounds fantastic.
Great products! Skin dries out so quickly on long flights. I especially love the eye roller ball!
Yeah! Skin can get pretty weird on long-haul flights! But if you give these a try, you’ll notice a tremendous difference! Maybe the TSA folks will be nicer? Lol 😂 Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
LOVE THIS! I am going to have to invest in those Milk wipes! How cool are those? Thanks for the great post!
I’m so glad you enjoyed reading this post! And yes, those MILK wipes are fantastic! I totally recommend them! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
The waterlock looks amazing! I’ve never tried that before! I hate how my skin reacts to being on a plane!
xx,
Lacey
The Erborian Waterlock does a fantastic job during long-haul flights! And yeah, skin really reacts to being on a place, but give these a try and you’ll see a huge difference! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I will have to try the Milk wipes! Thanks!
Those MILK wipes are awesome! They come individually packed which, I have to admit, is VERY convenient! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Great call on the eyedropper bottles. And those metal undereye rollers really help with that “what plane?” feeling after a red-eye.
Thank you! Yes, those metal under eye rollers really help! Thanks for stopping by! Cheers! 🙂
I really need to get more of that Caudalie mist, that stuff is my JAM! I really want to try that water mask too, it sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing these tips! xo
Caudalie is one of my favorite brands! And the mist is just 🔝! The water mask does wonders too! Especially on long-haul flights where skin needs a serious pick-me up! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend 🙂
I think I need to adopt your skin routine while flying. I have such sensitive skin I could really benefit from this.
These are great tips to remember!! I absolutely love Molton Brown products, and the Eye Gel/Rollerball looks fabulous! I need to check it out before my next trip!
I’m glad you found them useful, Patricia! Yes, Molton Brown products are to die for!