Leaving, on a jet plane.
I am by no means a frequent flier. It comes in spirts. I might not fly for two years then spend the better part of a month on an airplane. Flying sucks. Flying as a tall person sucks even more. Flying during the winter/holidays sucks the most. Many are going to be flying for the holidays, myself NOT included in that list thankfully. I don’t think I could handle a wedding + holiday season + flying during the holiday season. I’ve done flying over the holidays before and I will continue to avoid if at all possible.
Airplanes are notorious for having horrible air quality. It’s recirculated air, it’s cold, it’s incredibly dry. I can’t wear my contacts when I fly. I wear daily contacts and they’re so thin my contacts dry out while sitting in my eye. It’s impossible to get them out when they do that and it’s easier to flush my eyes to dislodge the contact that to attempt to pull it out. Add the ‘Evil Queen’ length fingernails I’m currently sporting and contacts are just impossible when I fly.
Recently, I was on an American Airlines flight that had an onboard humidifier. As an epidemiologist this is genius, as a slight germophobe I’m a little grossed out because it’s non-potable water (non-drinking water), but as a passenger it actually made a huge difference in how comfortable I was during the flight. The humidity came out as a fog above the overhead bins while we were at the gate. It took me a few seconds to figure out what it was going on. If you’re a member of the ‘chem trails are filled with vaccines and it’s all a government’ conspiracy you probably won’t enjoy this new feature. I can’t find a picture online and I didn’t get one when I was on the flight. It’s a cool feature but I was more worried about getting to my seat and getting comfortable.
Since the air is so dry and most planes do NOT have an on board humidifier if you have normal or dry skin this air is going to wreck havoc on your skin. Add the stress of flying and the holiday season it can really do a number to your skin and health. Here’s my 5 tips to flying with comfortable skin this holiday season.
1. Bring an empty bottle through security.
According to TSA rules, you can bring an EMPTY water bottle through security and refill it at the many water fountains most airports have. OR you can also buy a bottle of water at the airport and continue to refill that. You will get dehydrated on the plane. The relative humidity on a plane is 17-25%, the ideal humidity is 50%. If you’re from a dry area where you can experience an RH in the single digits you know this means sip, sip, sip, water. Also, try to avoid the alcohol on board. It’s expensive and you get drunker faster when flying.
Since we’re on this note of water. Bring along a few Emergen-Cs. I make a warm tea with mine. You can ask the fly attendant for a warm cup of water and dump the packet in. Planes get cold and not only an I getting my Vit C and Zinc it also helps warm the soul at 37,000 feet.
2. Travel sized lotions and potions
This kinda goes without saying. Travel sized lotions are awesome for the face and neck. I have stuff for my hands as well. If I run out of lotions for my face I do use my hand cream. In a pinch it works, not something to make a habit of at all though. I do have dry skin so that’s probably a huge reason why my skin can handle hand cream on my face. Again I don’t recommend using hand cream as your face cream on a regular basis but for a pinch on a plane, it works.
Every company makes travel sized lotions and potions. If you’re an Ulta shopper these are located by the checkout. At walmart there’s an entire section near the beauty section of travel sized everything. Sephora also has their travel sized lotions and potions near their checkout as well. You can also get small bottles or pots that carry your lotions. They’re TSA friendly and infinitely cheaper than paying for extra packaging on the travel sized products.
3. Do the sheet mask on the plane. You might get looks but its amazingly relaxing.
I did face mask the last time I went flying and you will get weird looks. The lady sitting next to me gave me an odd look but I got a nice 20 minute nap and my skin looked refreshed. You don’t need to sheet mask on every leg of your flight. I tend to only do it on my 4 hour flights. Farmacy Beauty has a Travel Kit that’s perfect as an airplane kit that includes 2 sheet masks, lip balm, and their oil balm makeup remover. Everything your face will need on a long flight.
4. Speaking of Lip balm, it also works well inside the nose
Now here me out on this. It sounds odd. Not only will you want lip balm for your lips but keeping your nose well moisturized will actually help your comfort level on a plane. Just put some Carmex or your lip balm of choice on the inside of your nose with your finger. When you breath through your nose you lose less water than through your mouth. HOWEVER. Most people will switch to breathing through their mouths when their noses become dried out. Dry air gets very uncomfortable to breath through your 👃 because your sinus cavities can get irritated. Dab a little of that lip balm on the inside of your nose and you’ll feel 100% better. No need to be digging for gold though you don’t have to reach your 🧠.
5. Cuticle oil is good for oh so many things
Cuticle oil is the best product to fly with. It works as a deep hydrating lotions for your nails and hands. If your hair has fly-aways you can tame those with that cuticle oil too. Need a little extra deep moisturizer on your hands or face? Cuticle oil. If you have one that’s good for lips, you also have a good lip balm. Cocoa butter works really well in this instance. Coconut oil? not so much for me. It doesn’t penetrate fast enough so I get oil pretty much everywhere. AND cuticle oil is always small so they’re TSA friendly.
Have any other flying tip. Comment below. I’m curious. Everyone seems to have their own flying tips and tricks to make it a more comfortable experience.
