Back in 2015, I dared myself to be spontaneous and booked a trip to Thailand two days before takeoff. I was beyond thrilled, and beyond nervous there might be some visa or health requirement I’d need with more notice. However, I managed to make it happen! Over my ~15 hours+ of travel time from San Francisco to Taiwan, to Bangkok, I was not prepared. My tiny pimple pre-takeoff in the USA had blossomed into a humongous third eye on my forehead by the time I was tucked away in Koh Samui, close to a day later. Travel skincare is an important routine to pick up if you want your complexion to glow all trip long. Your skin may have an adjustment period, but with these tips on prepping your skin for air travel, you should feel better with each takeoff moving forward. Below I will outline the five skincare necessities I cannot board an airplane without.
I blame the recycled air and lack of hydration as the two key culprits in this skin catastrophe. While I gleefully rode into town and began unzipping and shuffling my luggage around in my hostel, I received death stares from my roommates, who probably identified me as the loud three-eyed newcomer.
After this and a few other pimples that have seemingly flourished mid-air, I decided it was time to really get to the core of this and change (er, create) a skincare routine specifically for flying time. These are the products or resources I absolutely recommend travelling with:
- Lip balm: Burts Bees or EOS are two simple yet nourishing drugstore brands that are great to carry around with you. Try to find a balm with shea butter, coconut oil , or other moisturizing elements.
- Water: It can be a catch-22 if you need frequent trips to the restroom, but drinking enough water while flying high is important for clear skin and a balanced system.
- Oil-blotting sheets: any will do, but Clean&Clear oil absorbing sheets seem to have the most hold for absorbing the most oil, and their sheets turn from a matte blue to clear based on how much oil is garnered. It really shows how much the sheets are blotting!
- Hydration lotion: Whatever suits your oil type should work. I really like this seaweed oil-control gel cream because it feels refreshing on the plane ride and is ideal for my combination skin type.
- Toning spray or sheets: Evian spray is a quick way to instantly let water soak into your pores and not feel parched. You can also opt for Thayers Witch Hazel with Rose Petals facial spray, or my personal favorite, in sheet version so you don’t have to worry about liquids spilling.
Note: I’m not a dermatologist or skin expert in any way, and these are opinions based on my experiences. Everyone has a different routine and skin type. Happy flying!
