I’m A Travel Editor & These Are The 12 Beauty Products I Never Fly Without

I don’t consider myself an overpacker by any means, but when it comes to my airplane travel skincare, I am someone that will stuff my resealable plastic bag to the very brim. I have family living on the other side of the world and often jump on long flights to see them, so I’ve come to realise the importance of taking good care of my skin while it’s dealing with high altitudes and dry cabin air. Whenever I have been too lazy to make an effort, I always end up paying the price, in the form of stubborn breakouts and flaky, dry skin in the days after my flight.

With much trial-and-error over the years, I now have my whole in-flight beauty routine down pat. I’d like to think that it’s pretty low-maintenance. Many of them are on the affordable end of the scale, too. Ahead, I’ve shared the travel-sized products that always make it into my toiletry bag. Thank me on your next holiday when you acquire supple skin and a natural glow before you even disembark the aircraft.

I save my most hardcore skincare for long-haul flights when I have to travel for 12 hours or more. They are definitely the priciest items in this list, but trust me: The immediate effects they deliver are worth every single penny. If I am on an overnight flight, I apply a generous coat of Aesop Sublime Replenishing Night Masque before I fall asleep. It’s packed with vitamins B, C, E, and F but feels like a lightweight night cream. The formula is nourishing without feeling greasy, and it has a great calming effect on my skin, which gets dry and itchy on a long plane journey. I also like that I don’t have to wash it off when I wake up. I also like to bring the Lucent Facial Concentrate along if I have space in my toiletry bag. It’s a herbaceous vitamin C serum that can be used as a moisturiser if you’re travelling to a hotter climate, or layered under other skincare if you need an extra hydration boost.

I sometimes look puffy when I don’t get enough rest, so if I’m having trouble falling asleep on the plane, I kill time by doing a little bit of gua sha — it helps with depuffing and alleviating headaches and muscle tension. Adding a face oil is essential to avoid stretching your skin during gua sha, and my go-to is Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Superfusion Face Oil. The blend of avocado, rapeseed and primrose oils is rich in antioxidants and doesn’t get absorbed into the skin immediately (which buys you more time to complete all your gua sha movements). The collagen also does a great job of boosting my skin’s moisture barrier.

Even though I love applying plenty of products while travelling, you will never find me doing my beauty routine in the airplane loo. First of all, the idea of tending to my skin inside what is basically a mid-air portaloo is gross to me. I also like to be considerate of my fellow travellers and not hog the toilet if I can help it.

My brilliant solution? I stay firmly in my seat, and before and after my skincare, I wipe down my fingers with Optipro Isopropyl Alcohol Sachets. Cleaning my hands with isopropyl alcohol was a habit I picked up during the pandemic, and I like the certainty of killing all the germs before I touch my face. I also use Sterimar Saline Nasal Spray to regularly flush out any dirt or germs I might have inhaled using saline solution.

Being on the road can mean long hours without showering, so I use the Rael Flushable Feminine pH Wipes on my armpits and sensitive areas to feel more refreshed. The wipes are flushable but don’t fall apart easily, making them a no-brainer for travel.

My beauty faves for shorter flights are a lot more budget friendly. As I’ve mentioned, I don’t like the idea of spending time in a plane bathroom unless I absolutely need to, so I wipe down my face with Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water instead of using a cleanser. It’s a very gentle makeup remover and cleanser, and it’s useful for taking off any sunscreen residue before I board a plane. Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray is the toner I love for quick spritzes of moisture on the go. It contains hypochlorous acid, which helps reduce redness and protects your skin barrier from bacteria. I buy refills all the time due to how much I use it.

For chapped lips, the lip balm I return to time and time again is Dr. Hauschka Lip Care Stick. I’ve been using it for 10 years and there is simply no better alternative: It seals over any cracks on my lips and leaves a silky sheen that stays on for hours on end.

For the rest of my body, I like to keep it practical and multi-functional: I like lathering Caudalie’s Hand & Nail Cream since it works on both the hands and nails and absorbs really quickly. As for my hair, K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil pretty much occupies a permanent spot in my toiletry bag. The small bottle is the perfect size; it’s not greasy and it does an incredible job of reducing my frizzy hair and split ends.

There is also one thing I always do during takeoff and landing if my flight takes place during the daytime: reapplying my SPF 30 sunscreen. Yes, you still need to protect yourself from the sun when you’re cruising in the skies. According to a study published by the Aerospace Medical Association, the amount of UVA radiation in a plane can rival that of a tanning bed session. I gravitate towards sunblock products that have a serum-like texture and my skin never feels sticky with Everyday Humans Resting Beach Face SPF 30 Sunscreen Serum. It’s a fabulously lightweight product that doesn’t leave any residue, and comes packed with hydrating agents such as green tea and hyaluronic acid.