Prepping your Skin for Travel
Whether you’re going on a vacation or a long business trip, getting there looking rough and spotty is not your desire. Everyone wants to step off the plane looking smashing, but this won’t happen without some prior care.
The humidity level in planes is usually around 20%, according to the WHO, and this coupled with the stale air causes skin dryness and tightness. Even for a person with regular skincare, the way you’d look stepping off the plane after a long flight might shock you.
However, by prepping your skin for the effects of travel, you will be seemingly immune to the effects of low humidity. Stepping off the plane, your skin will be hydrated and refreshed.
Read on to discover five secret tips that will help you prep your skin for travel.
- Hydration
Ensuring your skin stays hydrated is a no-brainer, but most people seemingly overlook this open secret. Dehydrated skin is usually uncomfortable, and it is doubly uncomfortable during travel.
Ensure your intake of fluids is high the day before your trip, and don’t refuse a glass of water on the flight. It will help keep your skin clear.
- Exfoliate before the Flight
The benefits of exfoliation are well documented. They also extend to helping you prepare for your trip. It is best if you exfoliate the night before your flight.
The name of the game here is gentility. You want to use a gentle exfoliator here, not the physical and often abrasive ones. If you over-exfoliate, you run the risk of stripping away your skin of its natural oils.
This is a terrible situation on its own, but compounded with the very low levels of humidity in the plane cabin, it is nothing short of a skincare disaster.
After exfoliating, remember to replenish your skin’s moisture. You can do this with a hydrating mask and with serums.
- Use a Serum
Okay. You’ve exfoliated, and your skin is glowing with its natural beauty. Your next thoughts should be how to replenish your skin’s moisture and ensure your skin gets the pampering it needs.
To prepare your skin against the stresses of air travel, serums are your best bet. They give your skin the nutritive care it needs, helping it remain firm in the face of low humidity levels.
Get a serum full of antioxidants and one with an aloe vera base. The concentration of the ingredients would ensure a more effective absorption by your skin.
- Go with Sunscreen
Sunscreen on a plane? Yes. The sun’s UV rays don’t get any less dangerous just because you’re going to the airport. You still need to apply sunscreen, though lightly.
Get a broad-spectrum sunscreen and apply it lightly before you travel. Take the bottle with you, as you’d need to reapply it upon getting off the plane, particularly if you’re landing in the daytime.
- No Make-up!
Yes, so strict. Make-up is fabulous, but with the low humidity levels in the plane cabin, it is advisable to steer clear of makeup for your travel.
You might think having makeup on when you travel would make you look fabulous when you land. Nothing could be further from the truth. The effect of the low humidity and the makeup plastered on your skin would make your skin very dry and flaky.
Not the look you want to strike when coming off the plane.
- Use a Sheet Mask
A lot of information goes around about using sheet masks on the plane, but this is not something you should do.
Rather, use sheet masks at home the day before your flight, then use a facial oil to seal in the hydration before you go for your flight.
- Don’t Neglect Your Lips
Your lips also need some attention when you’re prepping for travels. They aren’t immune to the effects of the low humidity on the plane, so you have to protect them.
If not, your lips can crack, dry out or even suffer chapping. It will be uncomfortable, to say the least.
Instead of this happening, you can protect your lips by using a high-quality lip balm that also doubles as a moisturizer.
Scorpion Rick Bottomline
It is important to know how your skin would react to the stress of traveling. To forestall any problems, make sure you prep your skin properly using any of the tips we’ve listed above.
Also, pack skincare products that will help you adapt to the climate of your destination. Your healthy-looking skin will thank you.
