First things first: getting there. If you’re travelling by plane, you can expect to experience some major skin dehydration post flight and that’s all thanks to the humidity levels. According to the World Health Organisation, the humidity level in an average home is 30% or above. On a plane? It drastically drops to around 20%. With less moisture in the air, the outer layers of our skin rapidly lose moisture causing skin to become dehydrated and feel dry, flaky and sometimes irritated.

Lion/ne’s advice: Drink plenty of water. Even if you spend most of the journey dashing to and from the toilet, it’ll be worth it! Ply skin with hydrating ingredients before you board and lock them in place with a barrier cream: this will create an occlusive layer on the skin, trapping moisture in place.

The combination of low air pressure and high altitude can affect circulation throughout the body. As oxygen struggles to travel through the blood system, it can cause skin to appear dull or as though its layered in a slight grey tint. Put it this way, it's not the holiday glow you were hoping for!

Lion/ne’s advice: Hydration will definitely help with glow and should dullness linger long after you’ve landed, make sure your routine contains brightening ingredients. Book a Holistic Skin Session to find out which ones are right for you.

If you’ve ever walked off a flight with ankles that appear to have puffed up out of nowhere, you’ll know what we mean. When on a plane, movement is seriously limited which can ramp up water retention (shame it doesn’t really help with skin hydration) causing areas of the skin to appear puffy, particularly under the eyes.

Lion/ne’s advice: Move as much as possible. Hydrate often. And try a bit of gentle facial massage (here’s help from the experts) to drain built up water and get the blood flowing again.

Firstly, the drier air can cause some people to produce even more oil than usual, which can in turn lead to clogged pores. But then there’s the issue of bacteria. Plane air is recirculated, so skin might be hit with more germs that it’s used to, not to mention the bacteria present on the seats and screens etc. Then you add Covid-secure face masks into the mix and you have a shortcut to a few travel-induced breakouts.

Lion/ne’s advice: Wash your hands regularly mid-flight and avoid touching your face as much as possible. We also love Clinisoothe, a skin purifying spray that is brilliant for preventing breakouts.

Need help building an efficient routine that'll work just as well abroad as it does at home? We can help with that. Just book a Holistic Skin Session now.