Up, up and away: a flight attendant's insider travel wisdom
We’ve often looked at flight attendants and thought, ‘How do they do it? Stay looking calm, polished and generally rather flawless, at 37,000 feet. More than that: we know the havoc that even a short flight in Sahara-dry air can wreak on skin. Imagine having that to deal with, day in, day out.
Indeed, as flight attendant Sophie Mousa, above – who works for honestly our fave airline, easyjet – observes: ‘As a cabin crew member, I spend more time in the sky than on the ground—and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that flying can wreak havoc on your skin, especially during the summer months.’ So when Sophie’s skincare recommendations landed in our inbox – and all of them available in security-friendly sizes – we felt we really had to share.
CLEANSER ‘The skin faces a lot of potential stressors when flying, from people touching their faces more and not being able to wash during long-haul flights, which can make the skin more oily and lead to breakouts. Whilst planes are cleaned before each leg, as with any public transportation, they can harbour bacterias (seats, trays, windows), transfering germs onto the skin. I recommend keeping Medik8 Gentle Cleanse Travel Size with you when you fly, which is a super gentle, hydrating and leaves the skin feeling clean and soft.’
SERUM 'Dryness, irritation and sensitivity are all things that you may experience whilst on holiday, but also on flights due to low humidity and recycled cabin air. The change in temperature combined with excess sun exposure has an impact on your skin, which is why packing a hydrating or soothing serum is so crucial. A great hydrating serum keeping irritation and dryness at bay is the La Roche-Posay Ultra Dermallergo Serum as it is enriched with Neurosensine, a dipeptide derivative that soothes the skin.’ (Our tip is always to travel without make-up, for easier in-flight moisture top-ups.)
BALM ‘One skincare product I'm seeing a lot for travel/on airlines and have bought myself is called WONDERBALM, which is a multi-use balm, offering a great option for reducing your travel onboard packing! It can work as a moisturiser, face mask, cleaner, makeup primer, good for hydrating dry skin on the body like your elbows, knees, feet, as well as hydrating your cuticles!’
MOISTURISER ‘Air travel can be extremely dehydrating, as the low humidity on planes can leave your skin dry and tight. Cabin humidity is typically below 20% (compared to 40–60% in most indoor environments). Add in jetlag – lack of sleep, time zone changes, and travel stress which can leave skin looking dull, puffy, or uneven. A travel mini-moisturiser I'm using is the Avène Hydrance Aqua-Gel Moisturiser for Dehydrated Skin, which has thermal spring water and can be used as a day cream, night mask, and eye cream to meet all your hydration needs.’
SPF ‘It's so important for cabin crew and passengers to wear sun protection, even on board. Pilots and frequent flyers are especially at risk. Pilots receive as much UVA exposure during an hour of flying as a 20-minute tanning bed session. A lot of people you see applying it at the end of the flight, but this is a mistake. At cruising altitude (around 30,000–40,000 feet), UV levels are much higher and up to twice as strong or more than at sea level. La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVmune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF 50+ is a staple SPF, for me. It offers a high-factor, broad-spectrum protection to the skin, and is great for sensitive skin types. Another SPF I'm loving is the Beauty of Jose Rice Sunscreen with Rice Water & Prebiotic Complex SPF50+, which is creamy, fast-absorbing SPF with added benfits of amino acids and minerals - it leaves your skin glowing.’
File away for your next travel experience, is our advice.
Wonderbalm/£29 for 50ml – buy here
Avène Hydrance Aqua-Gel Moisturiser for Dehydrated Skin/£25.25 for 50ml – buy here
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVmune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF 50+/£20 for 50ml – buy here
Beauty of Jose Rice Sunscreen with Rice Water & Prebiotic Complex SPF50+/£15.95 for 50ml – buy here
