I’ve had to do long haul flights since I was 19 just to get home to see my family. Don’t worry, this isn’t a sob story! London and I are a match made in heaven, what flights tend to do to my skin on the other hand, less so. Lucky for you, necessity is the mother of invention and I’ve developed a distinctly unscientific yet effective AF method for skincare en route to wherever.
Interested? I knew you would be! Read on to discover my secret recipe to not looking like a zombie.
It starts before the flight
Jonathan Van Ness, our lord of gorgeousness, recently confirmed my long held belief in taking the most luxurious shower of YOUR LIFE before your flight. You might be tempted to not make an effort. I get that. Unless the fates gift you with the love of your life being seated next to you, it’s not worth it. But getting on a flight feeling fresh isn’t the same as making an effort. It’s getting your shit together so things don’t start off bad and “ascend” into terrible.
My suggestions for this include:
- Goop’s Himalayan Scalp Scrub – Better than any shampoo, this turns my oily hair into the perfectly volumized cloud I always wanted. Travel or not, this is my hero product. There is nothing that makes me feel more gross than an oily scalp.
- An in shower face mask. Get into those pores, girl!
- Blast your face with cold water once you get purified to close the pores again, you don’t want them open to airplane air.
- Scrub yourself with this beauty – dry, cracked skin on any part of your body is never going to make you feel sexy getting off the plane.
- Exit the shower and do not skip moisturizing! Please, pretty please, don’t ignore me on this. The scrub will do nothing if you don’t replenish after. I love this for my face, and this Jo Malone goodness for my body.
- I’d also suggest these anti pollution drops, as you’ll be facing some big stressors.
- The finishing touch? Multiple tubes of lip balm because we both know you’ll lose at least one during the course of the trip. My all time favorite is the Glossier Balm Dotcom Trio, mostly because I can’t resist good packaging but also because it tastes delicious.
Do not put make up on your face. Just don’t do it. It’s hard enough to get your face clean mid flight without the added layer of make up. And if it’s a red eye? Waking up with mascara all over yourself is not the move.
In the air
Most of the time skin care experts are right in telling you face wipes are not to be relied on when washing your face. This is the exception. You do not want to use the nasty water coming out of the plane bathroom. There’s some nasty stuff in there – it’s only good enough to wash your hands with.
So face wipes are pretty much your main option, but they’re not all created equal. I love the Simple and Aveeno face wipes, but the Burt’s Bees brand is drying. Basically, you don’t need to go fancy here to get what you need but you do need to be selective. Don’t skip toner either! But again, be careful not to use anything with alcohol in it. This Khiel’s one is a great choice.
Now it’s time to scare the other passengers and whip out your favorite sheet mask. I love these things! Even if you don’t usually go for a moisturizing mask, you’ll need it on the plane. Stay away from acne specific stuff because it’s usually drying, and you really don’t want that here. My recommend? This one from Dr. Jart, otherwise, anything Korean!
No need to do more moisturizing once that’s done, just rub in the excess and you’re ready for your fitful night’s sleep!
Disembarking
I really like the caudalie travel sprays to give you a last minute perk up, and don’t forget to bring some mattifying sheets to soak up any excess oil. Now, and only now, would I recommend throwing on some make up if you’re in the mood for it. I personally use this slightly more intense CC cream so I don’t have to use a mirror.
