Plane Pretty: How To Look Great While Flying
Plane cabins are dryer than the Sahara Desert! Photo: Getty Images
Airplanes present special beauty conundrums found no place else on earth: Averaging 20% humidity, cabin air is dryer than the Sahara Desert, and acts like a moisture-sucking vacuum cleaner on the skin, leaching precious skin-plumping moisture faster than you can say "wrinkle."
There's also the fact that we're only allowed to bring 3 oz bottles of most skincare products aboard planes, and many of us and too fickle -- and too lazy -- to deal with transferring our pricey skin creams to clunky travel bottles.
So on board a plane our skincare options are just that -- plain.
We turned to Ulta Beauty Expert Stella Nichols for easy tips to keep our skin healthy while traveling. With a little tender love and care (and some amazing products, of course!) we can keep ourselves looking glowing, healthy and refreshed, no matter how many miles we log in a year.
Use A Primer: To avoid the caked-on look that happens when makeup meets moisture-less cabin, prepping the skin with a hydrating primer prior to slicking on foundation. It's one of the most effective ways to enhance the durability and overall quality of your foundation, says Nichols. She recommends Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, $36, to smooth fine lines and pores, allowing your foundation to glide on beautifully and better withstand harsh elements.
A spritz of hydrating mist can be the difference between dry skin and gorgeous skin. Photo: Getty Images
Good Hydrations: It may seem like a daunting task, but its important to add moisture to the skin when you are 30,000 feet above ground. As your last step, Nichols recommends lightly spraying the face with a hydrating mist (try H20 Oasis Mist, $16.50) after you have completed your makeup application. They'll soak skin with vitamins and minerals, while setting your makeup with a dewy finish.
Reapply, Often: Flying leaves skin thirsting for moisture. Keeping the hydrating mist with you at all times makes reapplying often a simple task. "Keep it in your purse and spray anytime throughout the day when you feel you need replenish tired, weathered skin," she says.



airplane skin, 2-04-2011, 3:54AM
I travel a lot between the USA and South Africa (very long flights), and on my most recent trip I bought the Shielo Hydrate Refreshing Mist at duty free to see if it helps with the beating my skin takes from the dry airplane air. It was great, and every time I used it I felt refreshed. It is also so easy to apply, I just did it right there in my seat and didn't even have to get up. Since I got back, I've kept on using it, because my skin feels super soft, and I'm now looking into buying the rest of the Shielo skin series.
Reply »