In-flight beauty secrets from skincare expert Fiona Brackenbury
We’ve knownFiona Brackenbury for… well, forever. For many years, she was resident skincare guru at Decléor and has since gone on to advise a raft of brands (including Wildsmith Skin and Trinny London) on their ranges, helping to create line-ups that work fabulously for our skin, and for our busy lives.
On Fiona’s website, here, you’ll find all sorts of down-to-earth, sage advice about complexion care. But for summer 2023 – the year when so many people we know are travelling abroad again (often for the first time since you-know-what) – Fiona has put together tips for in-flight beauty that are so good, so down-to-earth and so easy to follow, we just had to share them with you here…
Travelling challenges our skin, and flying is one of the biggest culprits. It causes skin to feel dry, dehydrated and sensitive. Our skin is happiest when the humidity levels are around 40-50% but, unfortunately, the level in aircraft cabins can be less than 20% (the busier the flight the lower the humidity will be). Low humidity will cause dehydration, dryness, tightness, an increase in oil and inflammation, all contributing to discomfort and sensitivity. To put the level of humidity into perspective, the Sahara desert typically has a humidity level of 25%, so a long-haul flight is the equivalent of spending the day in the desert!
To help counteract the low humidity, boost your skin before you travel. Either the morning you fly or the night before, give the skin the TLC it needs with an exfoliation, and then refresh the skin with hydration. You can either apply a hydrating sheet mask or layers of essence to saturate the skin. The next step is to lock in that hydration with a moisturising masks which contains ceramides and lots of beautiful oils loaded with fatty acids.
If possible, travel make-up free if your flight is longer than two hours. That waym you can adapt to how your skin is coping. If that isn't an option, pack a little bottle of micellar water and some reusable makeup remover pads to cleanse the skin once you're on the plane and at the end of the flight when you do want to freshen up and apply some make-up.
SPF isn't just for when you are on the ground! A report showed that pilots flying for 56 minutes at 30,000 feet received the same amount of UVA exposure as you would get in one session on a tanning bed! The UV light will penetrate through the windows so be sure to apply a broad spectrum SPF before you travel and then reapply. The report did show that whilst the windows on the plane do reduce the UVA exposure to that of glass, it still can’t be ignored that it is penetrating through and is a hazard to your skin.
To help with hydration mid flight, use a moisturiser with ceramides. This will bring instant comfort to the skin as well as strengthen the skin barrier and limi water evaporation.
Also consider applying a sleep mask (the cream, not the fabric type for eyes). These are the perfect antidote to lack of humidity, as sleep creams and masks are designed to support the skin during the night when the skin is known to be in danger of losing water.
Lips will feel it too. The low humidity will stress out the lips so be sure to apply a lip balm regularly.
Surprisingly, you should avoid hydrating mists. Where the humidity is so low in the cabin, the atmosphere will steal the hydration and you won’t be getting much benefit. The droplets on the skin’s surface will evaporate into the atmosphere quicker than they can be absorbed into the skin so, similarly, you should avoid using a sheet mask, unless it’s the type with a felt material backing that will prevent the mask from evaporating.
Before or during your flight is not the time to experiment with new skincare. So choose wisely and pick products that are going to hydrate, moisturise, soothe and bring comfort.
Also, spots love to travel! You can thank the low humidity for blemishes deciding to pay a visit towards the end of the flight, as the body reacts to dehydration by increasing oil production. If you are prone to breakouts be sure to pack some zit stickers.
For more of Fiona’s wisdom, visit fionabrackenbury.com
