Avoiding “ Sahara Skin” on a long haul flight- an insiders guide
Is there anything more revolting than how you and your skin feel after an international flight read fright???!!! Eeerrr, that would be NOOOOO! If you are interested in how to emerge from an aluminium tube looking more goddess than godless, read on! As an ex international airline glamour puss I can aid and assist!
Yes we all know that cabin air is dry as a bone and saps the very life out of us, but did you ever stop to think about what exact routine you can employ to not only look better post flying, but also feel better? Read on my Blossums and you too can disembark like a superstar after air travel!
A two pronged approach is needed here!
THE INSIDE
Everyone knows the effects of dehydration on the skin ‘cause they are plain to see, but what about the interior of our bodies? Sad fact is that the brutal atmosphere on board an airplane plus the time change etc play havoc with our body’s systems and there are some simple tricks you can keep up your stylish sleeve to mitigate matters, as follows:
Step #1:
Take an aisle seat if possible, as far up towards the front of plane as you can (less turbulence hence better rest), yes you may get bumped by a filthy child or harangued hostie in an aisle seat, BUT you are free to move about, and that means improved circulation and less swelling of the feet and legs! Get up every 30 mins, take that trek to the galley to refill your thermos (see below) and do some simple stretches, remain standing and moving for as long as you can.
Step #2:
Travel with a thermos that you can fill with hot water and lemon, very soothing (planes are cold and hot liquids warm your cockles). Hot drinks stay in the body’s tissues more readily than cold, hence MORE HYDRATION! The vitamin C is good for your skin and fights any on board lurgy! Dont rely on a constant top up supply of one cup of hot water from the crew, the hosties are far too busy - that’s why you need the thermos i.e. plenty of supply and you don’t have to bother them much! If you are super organised take your own tea bags like camomile, peppermint or sleepy tea. First step of staying hydrated solved.
Step #3:
What happens when you sit for a long time and water is being removed from your system? Everything slows down in your body, including your guts! That’s why you must eat as little as possible to avoid constipation and bloating, especially salty food as it dehydrates you further, and for Godesses sake don’t drink too much alcohol! A wine or two to take the edge off is ample, remember not only is alcohol immensely drying on board but each drink is like two on the ground and you might find your good self being turned away in port if those pinots have caught up with you - which admittedly is a MUCH bigger problem than dry skin! So keep it down to a dull roar ok! Eat water filled foods like salads, soup, lean protein, and keep up that hot water with lemon. Should you be travelling rough in economy, it might be worth taking some healthy snacks rather than the crap they serve on board, frankly I have never eaten economy food, it’s worse than fasting for 12 hours - which won’t kill you! The salt content alone in this “food” will leave your face puffy and your mood shot! Just leave it out, the stars do! Good on board snacks include nuts, fresh fruit, sashimi without soy (too much salt) and salad with raw vegetables.
THE OUTSIDE
It IS possible to treat the skin so as to look halfway decent upon disembarkation. What a lot of people don’t realise is that water based moisturisers are NOT ENOuGH to stop dry skin onboard! Why? Remembering that that the moisture level on a wide bodied jet is approximately 20 per cent and often less, any water based or humectant moisturiser won’t cope alone, what is needed is layering of your products in this order:
Step #1:
Remove all makeup thoroughly.
Step #2:
Spray with a mist, preferably one that contains some oil, I like Tatcha brand and immediately spread a thick layer of gel or hyrolaunic acid serum or moisturiser over all exposed areas, I like local Sunnie Coast brand Wendy Christina ( image)
Step #3:
Once only slightly absorbed, follow up with a lighter layer of oil based (occlusive) moisturiser, a face oil is ideal I like A’kin rosehip with vitamin C or Pixie Rose oil or even paw paw ointment. This extra layer will seal in the water based layer disallowing it to evaporate and make your skin dryer (that’s why those mists alone make matters worse). In any case paw paw ointment is a great on board tool, it is healing, occlusive and will hold what little moisture remains IN. My Dad is an ex Boeing captain and he always told me to smear a little Vaseline inside my nostrils to stop the mucus membranes drying out; paw paw does the same thing and more. This will avoid that awful “sore nose syndrome” on board and will protect against viruses - I have made that up, it’s not a real syndrome but yuck nonetheless!
Step #4:
If you have the balls for it! Dare Ya! Don a sheet mask over the top of the lot and keep it on until it is crisp like a chip, it won’t take long! The aim is to keep your skin as moist as possible for as long as possible. Don’t forget lip care at this stage, don’t use a cheap balm as again it may only have humectants which will try to draw moisture to the skin from the air, well guess what, there isn’t any so the humectant will then draw whatever is left in your skin out, that’s how they work! I love by Terry lip balm, the texture is incomparable and there are tinted versions for both lips and cheeks which will make you look a bit alive when disembarking! Keep repeating these steps every 2-3 hours and you can thank me later, so fresh will your countenance be! It sounds like work but really what else have you got to do at 30000 feet?!
After my flight I repeat this skin care routine again in my room, it never ceases to astound me how all these layers just disappear in spite of my oily skin! The good news is when I get up from a nap in the hotel, due to all the intense care I look as if I have not just done a 14 hr trek across the Pacific - this method works! Also the benefit of the paw paw as a moisturiser is that it heals any rawness or irritation caused by the onboard atmosphere, it’s truly a miracle worker and a good Aussie product to boot!
Couple of last tips.
Before you get off the plane take a gram of vitamin C as an insurance policy against infection, and when you get to your hotel take magnesium for nerve relaxation and sleep. Once you rise from your beauty sleep post flight, take an executive B to perk you up; this really helps you get going in your new destination!
Even if you almost never suffer from acne, always take a small tube of zit cream whilst flying, the combination of dirty airplane air, time change, dehydration and hormonal fluctuation due fatigue (looking at YOU cortisol!) can cause eruptions. The trick is to keep the internal and external moisture up, just treat the spot itself.
How do you combat dryness on board, shout out should you have any fantastic tips for us!
Les xx