According to celebrity esthetician Cynthia Rivas, airplane cabins "are like sitting in a flying dehydrator—low humidity, stale air, zero mercy on your skin." The recycled air paired with the general stress that comes along with traveling can have noticeable and frustrating impacts on the skin. While most of us reserve skincare for when we're on solid ground and while some of us side-eye the girls sleeping in sheet masks, applying eye patches mid-air, or, in my case just a few weeks ago, slugging with lanolin on a redeye from LA to NYC, they just might be onto something. Actually, according to esthetician Joanna Vargas, they definitely are. "[The low humidity] also lends itself for the whole body to feel dehydrated. Couple those factors with some added travel stress, lack of sleep and eating less than healthy foods, and your flight can really wind up being super stressful mid-flight," she says. "I would look for some easy tricks to maintain one's skin midway through the journey so you arrive as fresh-faced as you can."
Dry, irritated, itchy and generally unhappy skin upon landing might seem inevitable, but it doesn't have to be. Some of our favorite trusted estheticians shared the products they highly recommend using in-flight. Oh, and an extra tip from Elizabeth Grace Hand: keep asking for additional cups of water.
Meet The Experts:
- Joanna Vargas is a celebrity facialist and esthetician inspired by nutrition and focused on using plant-based ingredients. She is the founder of her eponymous skincare line.
- Soo-Young Kim Abrams is an esthetician and the founder of SYK Skin. She is known for her abilities to soothe inflamed skin.
- Cynthia Rivas is a celebrity facialist, esthetician, and aesthetics trainer.
- Elizabeth Grace Hand is an esthetician and the founder of Ställe Studios. As a student at Dr. Barbara Sturm's afterschool, she gained recognition for her glow-enhancing treatments.
Joanna's In-Flight Skincare Essentials
Joanna Vargas Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask
"I would start by doing a sheet mask mid-flight. My go-to skin booster is my own Forever Glow Sheet mask. It's hydrating, loaded with peptides and makes you look refreshed instantly." - Joanna Vargas
Jordan Samuel Hydrate The Mist
Jordan Samuel Skin
"Next I would follow with a few generous spritzes of Jordan Samuel Hydrate The Mist. We use it in facials to help increase the hydration levels of the skin without the weight of a heavy product. It plays very well with the rest of your routine and won't make you break out." - Joanna Vargas
Joanna Vargas Rescue Serum
"I would finish with an oil based serum like my own Rescue Serum. This one is squalene based, so easily assimilated into the skin with a very light weight. It won't clog your pores but will help with the additional sun exposure you are going to get while in the clouds." - Joanna Vargas
REFY Lip Gloss With Hyaluronic Acid
"The REFY lip gloss contains hyaluronic acid for a good mid flight step for hydration. Plus the applicator is so lovely for lips that feel dry and sensitive." - Joanna Vargas
Aquaphor Healing Balm Stick
"The Aquaphor Healing Balm stick is my favorite secret weapon on a flight. It’s great for the tops of the hands that get so dry and cracked feeling. But it’s also great around the eyes and on the neck, where we really need the most hydration. It contains avocado oil and shea butter, so it’s rich, but that means it works instantly." - Joanna Vargas
Elizabeth's In-Flight Skincare Essentials
Elizabeth Grace Hand
LYMA Laser
LYMA
"I like to use by LYMA laser for 20 mins on top of a thick face oil. This is great on the plane because it reduces inflammation and redness caused by the dry cabin air. After 20 minutes of LYMA, it’s gentle cleansing and hydrating mask time." - Elizabeth Grace Hand
Retrouvé Balancing Face Oil
"A thick face oil that makes my skin glow after one use." - Elizabeth Grace Hand
Aunu Mānuka Cleanser
"This is packed with medi-mānuka for calming and to prevent red, chapped skin upon landing." - Elizabeth Grace Hand
Biodance Bio Collagen Mask
"I have always been the girl who terrorizes the other passengers by wearing an overnight sheet mask the entirety of the flight. Ever since I discovered the Biodance Mask there’s no other mask I bring. It hydrates and plumps like nothing else." - Elizabeth Grace Hand
Soo-Young's In-Flight Skincare Essentials
Lesse Regeneration Mist
"First, I spritz my face with the Lesse Regeneration Mist which features adaptogens, botanicals, and electrolytes to help hydrate, calm, and balance the skin." - Soo-Young Kim Abrams
Exquisite Dual Hydration Mask
"I like to wear Exquisite's Dual Hydration Mask to really juice up my skin and re-inflate it from being a raisin." - Soo-Young Kim Abrams
iS Clinical SHEALD Recovery Balm
"Once I remove the mask, I apply iS Clinical's SHEALD Recovery Balm which is a thick cream made for harsh environments (I recommend it for clients who love to ski or love the desert). I repeat the mist and balm for my hands as well during the flight!" - Soo-Young Kim Abrams
Cynthia Rivas' In-Flight Skincare Essentials
Cynthia Rivas
May Linstrom The Blue Cocoon
"It’s like wrapping your skin in a protector. Blue tansy calms irritation while rich plant oils cocoon the skin in deep hydration. It hydrates, calms, and keeps that ‘I didn’t just fly for six hours’ look!" - Cynthia Rivas
iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance+
"Vitamin C and olive leaf extract fight free radicals and bring the glow back to your skin before you even land. Think of it as a skin reset at 35,000 feet—arrive luminous, not lackluster!" - Cynthia Rivas
