Everybody knows that flying long distances, traveling through different time zones and being up in the air at around 10.000 m (32.800 ft) can be tiring and exhausting sometimes. The skin gets dry, the feet get swollen and the plane food makes you feel unwell. But there are some easy ways to make your flight – long or short – very comfortable and uncomplicated and the best: you get out of the plane refreshed and glowing.

You don’t believe me? Then read my tips and tricks and try them out on your next journey! I tested everything and it really does work and I’m sure it will work for you as well. So let’s start with my 10 beauty hacks for long-haul flights that work wonders!

 

 

1. Use a silky neck pillow on long-haul flights

When you have a neck pillow on your flights that is not made of silk, your face gets scrunched up and dries out your skin. A silky pillow makes the difference. Because it has a low absorption rate, it keeps your skin fresh and clean. So whenever you decide to buy a new one, try to get a silky one. It’s a bit more expensive, but it is the key to wake up comfortable and relaxed.

 

2. Don’t forget the hand sanitizer

Although we don’t see the bacteria around us, airports, airplanes, and places with a lot of people anyway are a high risk to get an infection from. So if you don’t already have it at home, buy a small hand sanitizer that makes your hands always disinfected and protects you from illness on your flights.

 

3. Get refreshed with a little water

Sometimes the plane air can be quite stifling. To stay and be hydrated and to maintain the moisture balance of your skin, you can spray a little bit of a refreshing facial mist. I usually take the Caudalie Grape Water or the Avène thermal water spray – and both feel very smooth and refresh within seconds. So when you step out of the airplane you will benefit from glowing and radiant skin.

 

4. Find the perfect moisturizer

Long-haul flights dehydrate the skin, so it’s important to moisturize your face before it gets too dry. But what you need is a good moisturizer. And with a good moisturizer, I mean a cream that is not too oily and not too weak so you have to apply it every hour. It took a while, but I found the perfect moisturizer for me: The Caudalie Cashmere Cream nourishes my skin, makes it glow and smoothes my wrinkles – the entire flight and without leaving my skin oily or greasy! Also, don’t forget your lips. Be prepared and keep your favorite lip balm always with you.

 

5. Be careful with free samples

You probably know the many free samples in magazines or in shopping malls. But don’t take them with you on a flight if you haven’t tried them out before! I made the mistake to apply a free sample on my face in between my flights and my skin dried out even more. Buy little containers or use the bottle of your lotion if it’s under 100 ml and just use the creams that you’re familiar with.

 

6. Stay hydrated on long-haul flights

To be honest, I don’t always drink much when I travel. One reason is I don’t like always running to the restrooms – especially on planes. The other reason is the airport regulation with bottles. But I try to drink at least half a liter every two hours of a flight. Best would be to drink the same amount every hour. So if you don’t mind to get up sometimes, drink as much as you can! And going to the restrooms is a good reason to let the blood flow again which is also great to avoid swollen feet.

 

7. Avoid plane food

Airplane meals, chips or pretzels are salty and contain high amounts of sodium. That doesn’t just take water from the body, but also makes you feel bloated. If you have enough time, eat something healthy in the terminal before you take off. If you don’t want to buy anything before or if you don’t have much time, try to get vegetarian meals on the plane and bring some fruits on board. This will help maintain hydration. Also replace coffee by green tea, because coffee can detract water from the body, too.

 

8. No more oily hair

Especially on long-haul flights, you don’t have the chance to wash your hair. So if you tend to oily hair, the perfect way to avoid that is dry shampoo. Just spray it on when you feel like you need to, and after a short while, your hair will feel clean and freshly washed again. 

 

9. Get enough sleep on long-haul flights

I know sometimes it’s hard to sleep on a plane – especially when the plane offers a large entertainment section. But the best way to get out of the plane fresh and awake is a night of beauty sleep. On long-haul flights, you mostly get a blanket and a pillow for your back to make yourself comfortable. If you need a sleeping mask, bring it on the plane, too, so that no lights can distract you. If you can, try to adjust to the new time zone so your body gets used to it faster.

 

10. Stay minimal with make-up

If you fly long distances and sit in the stuffy plane cabin, make-up can clog the pores. So do your skin a favor and let it breathe when traveling. If you can’t give up on make-up, apply only as much as needed. Also use non-waterproof mascara, because waterproof mascara can dry out your lashes.

 

Some points are not new at all, but when it comes to flying we tend to forget a lot of things. So this might be a little reminder and I hope it helps you getting out of the plane more refreshed. If you need some help with packing, find here my post about the ultimate packing list or get in my hotspot guide some inspiration for your next journey. Happy travels!

 

 

I just wanted to let you know that this page contains affiliate links. If you decide to buy something using one of these links, I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry that’s at no extra cost to you, but it does help to fund my travels and keep the website running. Thank you!