I Spend 70+ Hours a Year on Flights—Here Are the 5 Skincare Items I Always Pack
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Amazon / Credo Beauty / InStyle
Anyone who knows me knows I love to travel. And I don’t just mean your one-or-two-vacations-a-year kind of travel—I mean the first time I boarded a plane by myself, I was eight years old, and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve taken an entire year off to travel the world by myself, and I’ve lived in Paris, Tokyo, Vienna, London, Bali, and Lisbon for two months to a year each. I certainly got it from my mama and papa, who backpacked the world together and are now living their best retired lives in Hawaii (with plans to go to Greece, Tokyo, Austria, France, and Hong Kong just this year alone!). But, as big as travel is in my family, there was one thing my parents could never help me out with: nail the perfect in-flight skincare routine.
Pimples, excess oil, and chapped lips always welcome themselves onto my face while I’m 35,000 feet in the air. What’s more, my under eyes darken dramatically. By the time I deboard, I look like a vampire who hasn’t slept for 10 nights. I’ve tried countless skincare practices to figure out how to avoid this problem, and finally, at 29 and roughly 2,000 hours of flight time later, I discovered the best travel skincare staples. In short, less is certainly more.
InStyle / Bianca Kratky
5 Editor-Approved Travel Beauty Essentials
To set the scene, I have rather normal skin that tends to get very oily skin in the air. I get hormonal acne and my face bloats with higher intakes of sugar, so I always fly with no makeup on, and right before I leave the house I make sure to wash my face with a good cleanser. Keeping the liquid travel restrictions in mind (ahem, 3.4 ounces), I pack the below skincare items into my carry-on to ensure I look as refreshed as possible by the time I get to my destination.
Teenitor Oil Absorbing Sheets
Amazon
A lifesaver for oily girls, this blotting paper from Teenitor makes all the difference in preventing breakouts. The tiny package takes up little to no space (or weight) in my purse, and can easily be pulled out while in the window seat. Whenever I notice myself getting excessively shiny, I pull out another sheet of paper and blot away.
Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
Amazon
I don’t know how they did it, but this Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask is everything. While other moisturizers that work well on land only make me break out on flights, this one does not. It’s moisturizing without feeling too wet or oily. It hydrates and brings my skin to its ideal state and has a slightly mattifying effect, lasting the entire flight. The fact that it’s scentless makes it more comfortable to apply in a crowded plane as well.
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks
Dermstore
As carefree as I try to be, I’m a little embarrassed to be putting on an entire face mask while bumping arms with my neighbor. Little under-eye masks, however, I can do. It’s also my area of concern, and these Wander Gold Eye Masks do a great job of depuffing this sensitive area. While I don’t notice them making my under-eyes brighter, they certainly keep them from getting darker while flying.
Grown Alchemist Anti-Bacterial Hand Cream
Credo
My face gets oily in flight, but my hands get as dry as ever. I always keep hand cream in my purse to avoid them shriveling up and cracking. I love this option from Grown Alchemist because it has antibacterial properties, which is always appreciated in a packed plane.
Blistex Lip Medex
Amazon
Lips also get very painfully dry while on the go, and believe me when I say there is no better chapstick than this one from Blistex (the one skincare wisdom my mom actually did hand down). I love how plump, healthy, and moisturized it makes my lips look, despite drinking far too little water on the flight (you know, to avoid too many trips to the bathroom).
Word of advice: Remember that the recycled air in the plane is incredibly drying, and everyone’s skin reacts differently to it. With all the bacteria, shared air, not to mention a discombobulating altitude, it’s important to cleanse, moisturize, and hydrate as much as possible for optimal skin conditions.
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