Skincare Routine: How to Combat Dryness when Flying

We all know that flying can do really awful things to your skin, especially 14 hours flights from the US to Sydney, which it seems I’m that frequenting lately.

I find that I either break out from all the oils produced or my face is so dry that it feels like the Sahara Desert. After flying a few times, especially overnight flights, I found a skincare routine that works wonders for me when flying and will probably do the same for you too. 

I’ve flown between from Sydney Australia to the U.S. 13 times in the past 3 years.

That’s 24 hours one way! Needless to say, I’ve got a lot of traveling under my belt and because of that, I’ve been able to test out different products and routines when flying to find out what works best. As with anything, you need to find out what works best with you. That being said, all the products mentioned below should help any skin tone feel a little less uncomfortable when flying.

The Necessities

Rose Spray

Using a facial hydration spray really adds moisture back into your skin and quickly. I know the Evian Facial Spray is extremely popular, but I already incorporate the Mario Badescu Facial Spray in my skincare routine so it’s something I already have and know I absolutely love. I’ll spray this on my face about 4-5 times during the flight. It’s super easy, quick and your skin will be bound to feel a lot better.

I have a post right on Our Wandering Mind how to extremely easily make your very own DIY Rose Water Spray.

This spray works just like the Mario Badescu Facial Spray but is a lot more cost-effective. If you want to make your very own DIY Rose Water Spray, click here.

Under-Eye Masks

If you’re still not on that stage where you’re 100% comfortable with putting on a sheet mask while flying, then under-eye patches are the way to go since they can easily be covered with an eye mask or sunglasses. Eye masks are a simple way to give your skin some extra TLC, especially in the areas that really need it. Eye patches can be found almost anywhere these days, I’m personally loving these affordable ones from Target but you can find other options at Sephora or even on Amazon.

“Get Ready for Bed”

As we all know, airplane bathrooms are extremely tiny.  To avoid the airport bathroom as much as possible, what I like to do, even if it’s not ‘bedtime’ is to

go to the bathroom before boarding my flight and do my nighttime routine.

This includes my skincare routine with every product I use, brushing my teeth, putting my hair up, and all of that. This way, my skin is still getting its usual routine and hopefully, the consistency of what my skin is normally used to at home will reduce any breakouts that may be caused due to flying. 

And trust me, you’ll feel a lot more relaxed going into a long flight after giving your skin some pampering! 

Moisturize

Your skin is bound to get dry when flying, it’s inevitable. Even with my oily skin, my skin gets extremely dry. Keeping a multi-use moisturizer in your carry-on is a perfect solution to combat the dryness.

On an everyday basis, I use the Simple Kind to Skin Facial Moisturizer, which I absolutely love. However, since I’m constricted with the number of liquids I can bring in my carry on, opting for a moisturizer that I can use on my face and body is preferred. The Cetaphil Moisturizing Creamor First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer works really well for me and that way if my face or my hands get dry, I can use the lotion on both areas without a problem.

Hydrate Some More

As mentioned above, sheet mask are a great solution to give your whole face a lot of extra hydration. I tend to get my sheet masks from Target as well and they work really good!

The awesome thing about sheet masks are that it’s easy to use and involves little or no clean up as compared to traditional mud masks. I like to wear my sheet masks when the lights are off and hopefully when my neighbors are sleeping so I don’t look too crazy.

How I Pack

If I’m traveling with just a carry-on, I make sure to have all my liquids 3 oz or less and in one quart-size bag. I know some people get away without doing this, but every time I’ve flown, I’m always asked to put my liquids out of my bag and into a bin at security. A lot of times, I prefer to bring already made travel-size versions of the products I use. This way I don’t have to worry about labeling products and a lot of times the containers are nicer than the empty travel size containers you can buy.

If a product that I know I need to use doesn’t have a travel size version, I get the empty travel size bottles and fill them up. Make sure to put Saran wrap over your travel container bottles to reduce spillage. 

Flying can do a lot of damage to your skin. It’s important to give your skin some extra loving, especially for long flights! I hope these tips on how to take care of your skin when flying help you for the next time you fly.

What is your go-to skincare routine when flying? Let me know in the comments down below!