By now everyone knows how dehydrating flying can be, so it’s important to keep your skin as hydrated as possible in order not to look like death when stepping off of the plane. However, when traveling on flights over 8 hours, especially on overnight flights, it’s important to take more extreme measures in order to keep your skin clean and hydrated.
If you are anything like me, you know the flight is dehydrating, but you don’t feel it. Instead, you feel oilier than usual, and by the time you’ve hit the bathroom for the first time you have a face full of acne and enlarged pores that seemed to have popped up almost instantly. This happens to me on almost every flight, so with long haul travel I take my clean skincare routine to the next level in order to make sure that I haven’t completely broken out by the time I reach my vacation destination!
Clean Skincare for Long Haul Travel
{Shot before my 11 hour flight to Paris in the United Polaris Lounge}
Before I leave my home I always always always do a clay mask to pull all of the impurities out of my skin and close my pores. They always seems to get so clogged on the flight, so I pull out all of the gunk before I even step foot on that plane. My favorite clay mask that I have spoken about before, is the Kiehls Rare Earth Clay Mask– I have it in a full size for home and a travel size for when I get to my destination, because doing this mask before and after my flight is essential for keeping my pores closed up!
Once a few hours into my flight or whenever I feel it is time for me to go to ‘bed’, I wash my face with my absolute favorite non-toxic cleanser, the Ocean cleanser by OSea. Again, I have this is a full size for home and a travel size that I fill up frequently, as this one doubles as an exfoliant which means more effectiveness in less bottles.
Once back at my seat I will apply one of Juice Beauty’s Algae instant eye lift masks, and leave on for 20 minutes, covering with a silk Slip eye mask so that I don’t get too many weird stares. I know that I shouldn’t care if people think I’m vain on the plane, but I still like the privacy that the Slip masks provide! I love the Juice Beauty masks because they are made with pressed, condensed Algae, which is amazing for your skin but also insanely cool- it’s completely biodegradable and a much better alternative to cotton!
The next step is an overnight hydrating mask, and I like to use Origins Drink Up Hydrating Mask with avocado as it’s extremely hydrating (seriously I dare you to tell me otherwise) , and it’s meant to leave on overnight, which is perfect for flying. They also come in a variety of sizes for on the go travel or to keep at home.
At this point I’ve probably had a glass of wine or two, so I counteract a little of that with a Prebiotix supplement from Juice Beauty. I work these into my diet every 2 days or so, but make sure to bring these little single serving packets with me on the go, as the vitamins and probiotics in the powder mix up easily with water and support my microbiome (read: skin) as well as my gut. These are so vital for travel, it’s clutch to have a few with you during your trip!
Let’s be honest, if you don’t get some snooze in on a 12 hour flight, it doesn’t matter what your beauty routine is. So if the flight is long enough I will usually take a sleep aid, and I love HUM Nutrition’s Beauty Zzzz. It’s a combination of melatonin and B6, and I love that it just softly nudges me off to sleep, instead of knocking me out like traditional sleep aids.
Assuming I get a few hours sleep, before I land I either wash my face again or use one of Ursa Major’s Essential Face Wipes to wipe off the hydrating mask. They are pretty large so I can easily share it with Mr. R as well, and it’s a nice way to freshen up on the go if you want to deplane quickly.
My last step is to rehydrate again with my any of my favorite moisturizers or oils, and truthfully I rotate between whichever is the tiniest version I have at the moment so I don’t have to carry too much with me. If I feel a bit of acne coming on, I dab it right away with Origins Super Spot Blemish Remover, which helps to stave off any new blemishes from popping up, ensuring my skin stays clear!
If I have time as soon as I check into my hotel, I try to do another Kiehls Clay Mask in order to empty out the pores again, but depending on how long the flight is and how recently I did the last one, I may hold off for another day!
Seems like a lot of steps, but I actually like having these little routines on long haul travel to help keep me busy. Plus I KNOW it works, so I’m not going to chance it and skip a step!
