My husband and I just finalized our summer plans this past weekend and I will be embarking on 8 different flights this summer. Yowza! 😬 That’s a lot of flying! I don’t know about you, but flying can take its toll on my skin. There’s nothing worse than getting off a flight feeling and looking like you’re 10 years older from the dehydrating effects of dry air during a flight! But I’ve got a solution for you: I’ve put together my top skin care tips so that you too can have healthy glowing skin on arrival. These tips, along with my Top 5 Travel Hacks on how to feel well and zen while you travel, and you’ll be set no matter where your journey takes you.

1. Exfoliate and deeply moisturize.

My first tip starts before you even get on the plane. I make it a habit to shower and exfoliate before I fly. Be sure to exfoliate your whole body, including your face and lips, to remove any dead skin cells. By doing this not only are you improving circulation to your skin giving yourself a healthy glow, but you are also increasing lymphatic drainage (helping your immune system and reducing swelling). Exfoliating also helps to increase cellular turnover, remove blemish causing debris and unclog pores, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles; plus it helps your moisturizer penetrate deeper and be more effective at giving you gorgeous glowing skin.

Speaking of moisturizer, you’ll want to go thicker than normal when you are flying, especially if you’re travelling in the colder months. For your face, a serum with Hyaluronic Acid in it is best as it will help your skin stay hydrated by retaining its moisture. One molecule of Hyaluronic Acid can attract up to 1000 times its weight in water. Our bodies produce it naturally to help keep our skin, connective tissue and eyes well hydrated and lubricated. Applying a serum with Hyaluronic Acid first, then applying a deeply hydrating moisturizer or facial oil will work best to keep your skin looking its best.

2. Limit your make-up or go with none at all.

This may be hard for some, but if you can limit or avoid wearing any make-up when you fly, your skin will thank you. Why? Because in many cases make-up, like press powders and the like, can dry-out our skin. Make-up on your face also attracts and grabs onto dirt and other environmental toxins that help create free radicals. This in turn accelerates skin damage and aging through the breakdown of collagen. Now, am I saying never wear make-up? No way! However, I do encourage you to go make-up free as much as possible, especially when you fly to allow your skin to breathe. Also, making the switch to more natural make-up brands that exclude harmful chemicals is a great move and contribute to your overall health.

If and when I do were make-up on a flight, I try to limit it to a BB Cream only. My favourite is Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream by Pacifica*. It’s vegan and cruelty free, formulated without petroleum, parabens, SLS or phthalates. It’s also incredibly soothing and moisturizing with aloe extract, coconut water and Hyaluronic Acid. I love it for all these reasons, as well as the fact that it has a lightweight sheer tint that adjusts to individual skin shades and makes my skin look dewy and illuminated. In short, it’s da bomb!

3. Inflight eye mask and lip balm – my secret weapons!

On longer flights I always use an eye mask. Yup, it may garner a few side glances from the person sitting next to me, but I’m telling you not only does it make the skin under my eyes look amazing, it’s also an incredibly soothing self-care practice and makes me feel zen. 🧘🏼‍♀️ I love Juice Beauty STEM CELLULAR Instant Eye Lift Algae Masks*. They are fun to use, slip easily into your purse or carry-on, and are totally TSA compliant. Best of all, you don’t need to wash your face afterward. In fact, after I’ve left them on my under eyes for 10 minutes, I rub the rest on my face! Trust me, you will be tempted to do the same…

I also never travel without my favourite lip balm, Lip Drink by Jane Iredale*. It’s cruelty free, mineral based and organic. It’s also highly moisturizing as it’s full of natural waxes and oils (like avocado) and antioxidants. It even has an SPF of 15 and smells divine with a lemon scent from lemon peel essential oil. I love it so much that I wear it daily and even have it on my bedside table to apply before bed. Dry, chap lips be gone!

4. Treat yourself with a relaxing mist.

When I travel I have a mini travel kit that I always take with me ( more about My Ultimate In-Flight Mini Wellness Kit coming soon ) and included in it is a relaxing mist. There are so many out there to choose from but I love the Tranquility Relaxing Mist by Saje Wellness*. The ingredients are simple: Water + essential oils or extracts of orange, vanilla, lavender, ylang ylang and marjoram. It smells amazing and humidifies my skin inflight when the air is super dry and also promotes relaxation. Be sure to ask your pal beside you before you start spraying though, just to be on the courteous side. Hey, they may even want a spray too.

5. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and inflammatory foods.

I know it may be tempting to get that Starbucks coffee, glass of red wine or even grab that bag of salty chips for your flight, but trust me it’s not doing your body good while flying. Caffeine is a diuretic and though you’d think it’s helping you by ridding your body of any excess fluid, in this case it’s actually adding to the dehydrating effects of flying itself. The salty snacks, well it goes without saying that the excess salt is going to make you feel puffy and retain water – but not in a good way! These snacks are also usually laden with hydrogenated oils and processed ingredients that contribute to inflammation in the body. Same thing with sugar; so you’ll want to avoid the sugary stuff too.

Then there’s wine and other alcohol… During a flight, the barometric pressure in the cabin of a plane is lower than it is in most places on earth. You can compare it with an altitude in the mountains of between 1,800 and 2,200 metres. This decreased pressure environment diminishes the body’s ability to absorb oxygen and it can produce light-headedness called hypoxia. If you drink alcoholic beverages during a flight you may notice its effects sooner because of the lower level of oxygen in your blood. In other words, you may feel drunk in the air faster than you would on the ground after consuming the same amount of alcohol. A complicating factor is that the air in an aircraft is very dry and, coupled with the diuretic effect of drinking alcohol, you may become dehydrated much faster than you would on the ground. So though it may be tempting to kick-back with a glass of vino, it may not be the best idea.

Your best bet is to stick to water, coconut water or even herbal teas for beverages. For mid-flight noshing, turn to lighter fare such as berries, veggies, raw nuts and seeds or other clean proteins. I personally avoid all grains and heavy, rich foods while flying. Not only will this help my skin look it’s best as I feed it amazing antioxidants, it also keeps my bowels moving and fends off unwanted bloating. Most airports have a great array of choices these days, including delicious meals full of vegetables and lean proteins; or better yet, pack your own food for the plane. Of all my tips, I think this one is the MOST important and impacts not only your skin but your overall health the most.

These are my top tips for skincare in the air. I hope you like them and if you did, I’d love for you to share this blog with a friend. Also, if you have any tips of your own you’d like to share be sure to leave me a comment below.

Happy travels!

xo, M

*Note: I’m not officially endorsing nor am I affiliated with any of these products. I’m just a gal sharing things I love with my peeps 😉