Five Simple Ways to Stay Gorgeous During and After a Long Flight
Who doesn’t love a vacation? There’s really nothing better than taking time off work for a little rest and relaxation, getting to soak up the sun, explore new cultures and cuisines… so isn’t it a drag that the process of actually getting it is so unglamorous?
The long airport lines, terrible airplane food, extended periods of time in a very uncomfortable seat spent next to someone using your armrest and invading your personal space in more ways than one. Not to mention the jet lag, extremely dehydrated skin, and the tickle in your throat you’re likely to experience after landing.
It’s no secret that long flights are majorly stressful for your body and lots of people just take it as the price they must pay for the awesome vacation they are treating themselves to. I used to be this way too; flying made me nervous, the dehydration messed up my digestion and, as someone who has never been able to sleep on a plane, the first couple of days of my vacay would be full of futile attempts to fight the jet lag and crankiness that (naturally) ensues.
Nowadays, however, I look at air travel much differently - a significant chunk of time where I literally have nowhere to be and nothing to do... A.K.A., the perfect opportunity for a little self-care! And I don’t know about you, but I need to feel good on the inside to feel gorgeous on the outside. That’s why I’ve put together this little list of five easy ways to feel refreshed and gorgeous during and after a long flight:
Don’t wear makeup
I don’t know about you, but it’s freakishly common for me to run into someone I know at the airport. It’s weird twilight-zone stuff. Still, I choose to rock a fresh face sans makeup no matter what time my flight is at. It doesn’t seem to matter the length of my flight- could be two hours or twelve hours- if I wear makeup on the plane, I emerge in the new city with smudged mascara, greasy skin under whatever foundation or BB cream I’ve chosen, and of course a few new pimples that obviously got the memo that I was going on vacay.
When I travel without makeup, my skin tends to do much better. The trick I use to feel beautiful without makeup is not going full comfort mode - I still wear something comfy that I feel cute and confident in. Wearing sweatpants and looking like I rolled out of bed without even brushing my hair is terrible for my self-esteem. The lighting in the airport and airplane bathrooms definitely doesn’t help.
On long flights, going sans makeup makes it easier to cleanse throughout the flight too. Simply bring a face cloth or reusable cotton makeup pad and a bottle of water to the plane washroom with you and voilà. You can even do this in your seat!
Pamper yourself
Going overseas? You have nothing to do and nowhere to be for a whole eight hours (or more!). Aside from trying to get some sleep, use this as well-deserved time for a bit of self-care. I love doing face masks on the plane (yes, I’m that person) and doing a bit of reflective journaling before I sleep or after I wake up before landing.
A long flight can often feel like a big waste of time, with the destination being the ultimate goal. Obviously, the destination is the very reason you are on this flight, to begin with, but if you can accept the moment for what it is right now, your flight will be much more pleasant! Pampering yourself is a great way to do this.
My favorite face masque to use on the airplane is a mix of Eminence’s Strawberry Rhubarb Masque and their Clear Skin Probiotic Masque. The Probiotic masque happens to look like sour cream and chives, but it contains menthol and cucumber that feels soooo refreshing after a few hours on the plane, so it’s worth it. And most people are sleeping anyway, so who cares? Just bring your water bottle and washcloth to the bathroom with you to wash the masque off. If you aren’t into rocking a face covered in pieces of fruit and veg in public, try mixing your favorite natural moisturizer with super-hydrating hyaluronic acid. My favorite brand is Viva Organics Amaze Cream and Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
Stay super hydrated
Planes are incredibly dehydrating. The Aerospace Medical Association suggests that people drink 8 oz of water for every hour they are in the air to stay hydrated (that is over and beyond the regular two liters minimum you should be consuming on a regular day). Bring the biggest water bottle (or two) you own with you in your carry-on and ask the kind Starbucks barista to fill it up for you (travel hack: Starbucks always has filtered water.) Drinking tons of water will help keep your skin from drying out on the plane, which is usually the reason I break out during or post-flight.
Ask for hot water on the plane to add to your water bottle, so that your water is a little on the warmish side. Warmer water aids digestion and can be comforting on the plane, which is usually freezing anyways (am I right?!) Oh yeah, and make sure you book an aisle seat ;)
Get some shut-eye
Ah, what I wouldn’t give to be one of those lucky people who can sleep on airplanes. But no matter how hard I try, it just doesn’t happen for me. So here are my tips to get the deepest rest possible (if you’re like me, you might not actually sleep) during a long plane ride:
Bring a face mask, blanket, and comfy pillow. I also bring an extra pair of socks because it’s usually so damn cold. I also bring my earphones and listen to delta waves on a relaxation app I have downloaded on my phone. Delta waves are cool because they are generated in the deepest meditative states and during dream-like sleep, so listening to them can allow your brain to sync up and enter the state of healing and regeneration that occurs when you are fast asleep. So although you may not actually fall asleep on the plane, you will find that listening to these delta waves helps you to feel extremely relaxed and you will probably even feel rejuvenated after the flight.
Pack snacks!
Airport food is the worst. Scratch that, airplane food is the worst, with airport food a close second. This is always the most stressful part about flying for me. Most airports sell the same packaged junk, which is usually devoid of nutrients, making it the opposite of what your body needs when going on a long trip.
Eating airplane food always makes me feel like crap - which frankly makes me look like crap. So do yourself a favor and pack your own food.
My go-to snacks to pack on long flights are:
Four Sigmatics brand mushroom coffee and elixir sachets
Wild Zora meat and veggie bars
Soaked and lightly roasted nuts and seeds from home
Nut butter packs to spread on fruits or veggies bought at the airport (I like Artisana brand raw walnut butter)
Stoneground matcha tea
Vital Farms collagen creamers for a delicious post-flight pick me up
Smart Sweets are basically stevia-sweetened “healthy” gummy candies.
I also like to bring some supplements on the plane with me. I bring Vitamin C (and pop them like candies) for immune system support, magnesium citrate for relaxation, and mild laxative effect (real talk: constipation is a side-effect of extreme circadian rhythm change, so this is the only time I choose magnesium citrate over magnesium bisglycenate, which does not have the same effect on elimination), and AOR’s OrthoSleep which contains a blend of melatonin, GABA, and other natural sleep-inducing nutrients and herbs like Valerian.
Do you have any routines you must do when going on a long flight? Got any travel tips or hacks for staying gorgeous on the plane that you’d like to share? Add them to the comment section below!
