Air travelling can cause drying of skin and make it age faster. Hence, when you are on flights, you need to take extra care of your skin.
"Like most things in the modern world, flying too has its effects on mature skin… the best thing to do is to load your skin with as much hydration pre-flight as possible," Divya Mehta, co-founder of Epique, says. She suggests the following tips on how to care for the skin when travelling by air on work or hoilday.
Must haves in the flight
The UV moisturiser and serum probably don’t make the cut to fly in the front with you and are most likely packed into the check in luggage. In-flight conditions are extremely drying and your skin needs to be constantly hydrated. So make sure you include these in your handbag. Most brands now carry travel size options that are easily available. Remember to always pack a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB moisturiser, skin oil, good quality facial wipes, your favorite serum, eye cream and a lip balm.
Hydrate and nourish your skin with a serum
Since airplane cabins have low humidity, low pressure and are dry, the recycled air robs moisture from your epidermis (the top layer of the skin). This makes your skin look shallow, dry and tired. To help your skin, the best thing to do is to load your skin with as much hydration pre-flight as possible. Prep your skin with a serum to hydrate and nourish it before applying your UV moisturiser. This will help lock in moisture and get your skin flight ready.
UV protection is a must
The most important product in today’s urban conditions is a minimum SPF 30, broad spectrum UVA and UVB moisturiser. This becomes even more of a necessity as you fly at 30,000 feet above sea level. The intensity of UV rays on an airplane is twice that as found on the ground. In fact, for every additional 3,000 feet increase in altitude, there is a 15 per cent increase in the amount of UV radiation. Airplane windows filter only the UVB rays but only minimally filter the more harmful UVA rays. So don’t forget to apply that UV moisturiser liberally on the face, neck as well as the sides of the neck. Another option is to apply mineral powder with SPF protection. However, a moisturiser is more effective for mature skin.
Request for an aisle seat
UV radiation is the number one cause of premature ageing, wrinkles and pigmentation. So try and opt for an aisle seat whenever possible. By sitting away from the window and avoiding the direct harsh rays of the sun, you avoid the sun’s harmful effects on mature skin. If you do find yourself on the window seat, try and keep the shade down as much as possible.
Avoid skin fatigue by carrying and using noise cancellation head phones
This may not seem like a tip that aids skin protection, but noise cancellation headphones are great travel companion. The constant hum in the plane is between 95-115 decibels. Normal safety levels are at about 85 decibels. This constant background noise accelerates the onset of fatigue. Fatigue is not good for the health of mature skin. Noise cancellation head phones can reduce the hum of the plane by up to 40 decibels, making the overall flying experience much more pleasurable.
"As skin matures, a little goes a long way and can help fight off and delay wrinkles and ageing," Mehta says.
So, while the must-haves items are added to your luggage, the expert suggests five minutes to care for your skin before you rush off.