By the time this gets published, I will be 39,000 feet up in the air, hoping to dear God I don’t catch a cold for the third time in six weeks.
I’ll also be misting, so my skin won’t be flaking like a croissant from the dryness up here.
Why do we need to practice in-flight (and preflight) skincare?
At this time of year, those who can prefer flying and escaping to temperate countries. Places like South Korea, Canada and Europe tend to have drier, chilly weather. At least two weeks before your trip, prepare for this drastic change by making hydration the focal point of your routine. (Yes, even oily-skinned folks need this!)
Layering essences, oils, serums/ampoules, sheet masks and sleeping packs are old news. What’s equally important to know are the hydrating ingredients you use. This time, avoid intensely drying ingredients like alcohol.
Check your products’ ingredients list for star substances like hyaluronic acid, ceramides and glycerin that help you increase the water content of your skin. Then seal the moisture with occlusive balms.
Petroleum jelly works just fine, but I like Banila Co.’s Miss Flower and Mr. Honey Cream, with moisturizing oils and extracts that do the job.
Decant your products separately for the flight to and from your destination. When I flew to Vancouver weeks ago, my skin managed to stay matte but not dry with this trick, despite the subpar humidity in the plane.
Fight bacteria in your flight
Airplanes are a hotbed for bacteria. Your tray tables alone contain eight times the amount of bacteria per square inch than lavatory flush buttons, according to a 2015 study by TravelMath.
My sister, who’s a flight attendant for a leading Korean airline, told me that they don’t really have the time to clean each one of them after every flight.
Before flying, put on less makeup so you have less gunk build-up. If you’re in for a long haul and have the luxury of a layover, do a quick wash and remoisturize to prepare your skin again for the plane’s dirty and dry environment.
Whether you’re flying economy or first class, make sure your area is sanitary. Bring out those antiseptic wipes and alcohol sprays and wipe clean your tray tables and other items loaned out. Before starting your skin rituals and dipping into those jars, make sure you’ve washed your hands so as not to contaminate your products with plane bacteria.
When you’ve got all of these down, throw in some extra measures like a soothing face mist and a hydrogel mask. I love how Nature Republic Bee Venom Mist Essence works like a toner, calming down the redness around my nose and on my cheeks.
Though the brand’s Real Nature Manuka Honey Hydrogel Mask was tricky to place
—it slid down a few times, a real problem with this kind of mask—I can honestly say it did seal the moisture more effectively than my regular balm. —CONTRIBUTED
