Whether you're travelling for business or you're planning a long weekend ahead of the first hot days, be aware that air travel compromises your skin's well-being by stressing it and causing it to dehydrate.
When you decide to travel by plane it is important not to neglect the health of your skin because the air in the cabin is one of the major stressors for the skin. For this reason, if on landing you don't want to appear tired and a bit sloppy, the beauty routine must be present in your checklist of things to keep in mind for the holidays.
Taking care of your skin starting with hydration
The pressurized cabins of the aircraft are characterized by a very low humidity and a high level of carbon dioxide, which compromises the natural oxygenation of the skin. In other words, the lack of air exchange and air conditioners cause the skin to dehydrate due to the stress induced and weaken the hydrolipidic film of the skin, leading to a dispersion of water molecules. Dehydrated skin is subject to desquamation, irritation, redness and is more prone to the appearance of blemishes such as spots and blackheads, as well as premature skin aging. For this reason, the optimal strategy of action to keep the skin healthy is to prevent the effects that air travel can cause starting from the daily skincare, but not only.
Skincare at high altitudes
First of all, when you're packing, make sure you bring all the products you'll need on the way to the cabin with you, including: a moisturizing facial cream, facial serum, eye contour products, cocoa butter and hand cream. This is because the face, hands and lips are the most delicate areas exposed to stressful agents and it is essential to take care of them with quality products, better if they are rich in active ingredients such as rosemary and lavender - able to soothe and purify the skin gently - or as rose oil with super moisturizing power and that at the same time regulates the production of sebum caused by dehydration.
What to do before you travel
The optimal skincare to adopt before traveling is instead based on creams rich in ceramides such as shea butter. Finally, the ideal active ingredient for skin care during air travel is high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, capable of retaining water molecules in the intracellular spaces of the surface layers of the skin, preventing the dispersion of liquids. With these measures, the skin is sufficiently nourished to cope with the air of the pressurized cabin, ready to receive the surplus of hydration directly on the plane.
Skin hydrated from the inside and other beauty tips
Drinking a lot of water is the golden rule, most valid on these occasions. It is recommended to drink a glass of water for every hour of travel during the flight and to drink at least 50 ml a few hours before boarding, so as to give the skin the right amount of moisture even at a nutritional level. For the same reason, the days before departure should be marked by health: off to seasonal fruits and vegetables, especially if rich in water and antioxidants, excellent to counteract the effects of free radicals and help the skin to regenerate from within.
Rest is essential for the beauty and health of the skin because during sleep the skin repairs itself and tends to absorb more of the products we apply for skincare. Therefore, if you intend to reach faraway destinations, to prevent jet-leg, it is advisable to prepare for at least a week before your flight by going to sleep a few hours earlier than usual, if you travel eastwards, and a few hours later if you travel westwards. When travelling, it may help to set the clock to the time zone of your destination country, so that you can calibrate your naps to the time you will be landing. To make it easier for you to rest, we recommend that you carry an eye mask with you, so that you are not constantly exposed to the artificial lights of the aircraft. And even more importantly, light screens on smartphones and tablets should be avoided, which over-stimulate the brain and inhibit sleep.
Last but not least, if you have the chance, it is better to travel with make-up removers, both to allow you to apply the cream and serum during the flight, and because the oxygenation of the skin of the face will be already put to the test without needing to be further hindered by make-up! If you really can't do without make-up, then take make-up remover wipes or a cleansing, soothing facial gel with you so that you can remove makeup during the flight before applying the moisturizers.