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Jumping on a plane can be stressful at the best of times, but when you throw in the woes of the festive season, your skin can really freak out. From airplane dryness to flare-ups from pesky hotel mini-soaps, it’s crucial to be aware of the challenges to your sensitive skin when traveling. So if you’re making a trip this holiday season and don’t want your skin to feel and look angry, dull, sad, and irritated, read on…
The Number One Rule: Pack Smart
The most important thing to remember when going away is routine; your skin is going to have enough challenges to deal with without dramatically switching up your skincare regimen. New products, different ingredients, alien formulations, these can all cause flare-ups to creep up on sensitive skin – even when you’re in your own environment – so trying something new when you’re away? Not your smartest move.
Stick to your fail-safe favorites when packing for any kind of trip. And if you don’t have the luggage space for full-sized containers or can’t find travel-sized options that meet the TSA 3-1-1 rule, no problem. Simply invest in some empty, refillable travel-sized bottles and decant your products into these. This’ll ensure your skin has its gentle go-tos when it needs them most.
Next Up: Your Airplane Skincare Guide
We know your getaway hasn’t yet started, but here’s the thing: skin stressors kick in from the moment you take your seat on the plane.
Here’s what to bear in mind to help you stay on top of the in-flight skin game:
1. Humidity
Humidity has an extremely important impact on the skin because dry air sucks moisture from the surface, accelerating transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and compromising the skin’s important barrier function (1). The result can be anything from dehydration and dryness to more concerning issues like eczema flare-ups and facial redness.
The humidity sweet spot for healthy skin is somewhere between 40 and 70 percent, but airplane cabins usually sit around the 10 to 20 percent mark. Winter climates come with their own humidity challenges, but when you also add in this low cabin humidity, it can spell disaster for reactive skin, breaking down its natural, protective barrier and increasing roughness, tightness, itching, and irritation. It’s also important to note that the longer you’re up in the skies, the more dehydrated your skin can potentially become. So if you’re flying further afield, double down on skin hydration.
DO THIS: Focus on hydration and moisturization by applying a good facial serum that’s rich in humectants like hyaluronic acid, urea, aloe vera, and/or glycerin. Apply this to clean, damp skin pre-flight, then seal all that moisture in with a rich day cream. A great moisturizing ingredient to look out for is jojoba, which is less likely to contribute to breakouts than other heavy occlusive ingredients. We also advise sticking with clean, makeup-free skin in-flight so you can reapply your moisturizer as often as needed.
TRY: CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum, followed by Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream
2. Altitude
High altitudes make you breathe faster, which causes the body to lose water with every exhale – potentially up to 2 litres on a long-haul flight (2). Not only that, but heady heights put your skin under unnecessary pressure-related stress, which also affects its ability to retain essential moisture. This means one thing only for your precious skin: more dehydration.
DO THIS: Drink lots of water in the days leading up to your flight and make sure you have plenty to chug during your flight. Even better, try an electrolyte sachet for extra hydration.
If you have severely dry skin, you could also consider a bit of skin ‘slugging.’ Slugging is where you apply a thin layer of occlusive cream over the top of your moisturizer to create a protective seal and stop surface evaporation in its tracks. This is great when you’re flying, and your skin is up against harsh cabin aggressors. However, it’s not recommended for acne-prone skin as it can block the pores and may cause breakouts. You have been warned.
TRY: untoxicated Moisture Boost Hydrating Cream
3. UV Radiation
You might not know this, but UV radiation increases when you’re up in the skies. This is because the atmosphere is thinner at higher altitudes, allowing powerful UV radiation to penetrate the windows of your airplane and do its worst on your skin (3).
Sunscreen, therefore, is absolutely non-negotiable if you care about protecting your skin from the slings and arrows of the sun’s damaging rays. Which, of course, you should. Always. Winter, summer, rain, or shine.
DO THIS: Protect your skin with a gentle antioxidant serum (vitamin C is a real winner) and make sure to apply plenty of broad-spectrum sunscreen with a protection rating of at least SPF 30. Broad-spectrum is important because this means it shields your skin from UVA as well as UVB radiation. And UVA rays are the ones that have a longer wavelength, which penetrate deeper into the skin and cause long-term damage.
TRY: Sun Bum Mineral 30 Sheer Sunscreen Face Lotion
Staying At A Hotel? Then Remember This…
Hotel amenities may look beautiful in your bathroom, but they can be sensitive skin’s worst enemy – especially if they have a luxurious, almost fine fragrance-like smell. The problem is that oftentimes these mysterious products have been poured into refillable bottles that are fixed to the bathroom wall, thus doing away with any kind of ingredient list for you to scrutinize.
Not knowing precisely what’s in a shower gel, shampoo, body lotion, or cleanser is asking for trouble when you have sensitive skin that has very specific needs. Who knows what harsh chemicals, fragrances, dyes, or common irritants are lurking inside? The wise move is to leave them well alone and stick with your trusted favorites.
Concerned about maxing out your liquid allowances? No problem. Look for smart, multi-use products or solid alternatives like Vanicream Cleansing Bar and Kitsch Ultra Sensitive Solid Shampoo & Body Wash Bar. Just remember to try them on your face, body, and/or hair well in advance of your trip to ensure they’re a good match for you.
Finally, Skincare
You Can Trust.
See What’s Really
in Your Products.
Imagine knowing exactly which products are safe for your skin before you buy. With SkinSAFE Premium, you get science-backed ratings and ingredient transparency—so you never have to guess again.
Finally, Skincare
You Can Trust.
See What’s Really
in Your Products.
Imagine knowing exactly which products are safe for your skin before you buy. With SkinSAFE Premium, you get science-backed ratings and ingredient transparency—so you never have to guess again.
Finally, Skincare You Can Trust.
See What’s Really in Your Products
Imagine knowing exactly which products are safe for your skin before you buy. With SkinSAFE Premium, you get science-backed ratings and ingredient transparency—so you never have to guess again.
