The beauty essentials we need to travel with. What’s yours?

by Nejla Matam-Finn

I personally love flying as it often means vacation. And, even if it is for work, there is still a sense of adventure to it.

What I don’t enjoy while flying, however, is having to find the right balance between being comfortable and complying with all the security regulations. I mean I still want to look presentable on arrival. The part I hate the most is the puffiness and the swelling that can come from long haul flights.

The solution to this is years of trial and error, reading everything there is out there about the best beauty tips as well as packing tips and of course asking questions to other frequent flyers.

For this article, I of course went first to the team but I also spoken to some of our frequent flyers collectors who have this down to a science.

HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE

In a nut shell, everyone seem to agree that the key is to stay hydrated and to hydrate your skin. We all know that the pressure of the cabin is very drying for your skin as well as your body, so what should you pack in your beauty kit? And ,which routine should you follow in order not to look like a puffy dehydrated prune on arrival. Apart from your beauty kit, try to stay away from plane food and don’t forget that your best ally is drinking lots of water during your journey.

FEW PRODUCTS YOU SHOULD NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

1) A Hydrating Mist
The cabin being so drying you can actually feel it (at least I do) in the first hour on the plane - from my hands to my face. So, a mist is a great way of keeping your skin hydrated but also the space around you. When my daughter was a baby, I actually misted the air to make sure that her nostrils will stay moist during the flight so that she'll continue sleeping instead of waking up because of discomfort. Now that she is bigger I actually enjoy taking on board a more complex mist.

Two of my favourites are the Eau de Beauté by Caudalie and the Dyptique Infused Facial Water. Both come in 30 ml, makes it perfect for the journey as well as being carried around at destination

For more on misting sprays read the article here.

2) A Hydrating mask or a Deep Hydrating cream

Continuing on the steps of hydration, a mask can be a great way of doing it without having to reapply a cream over and over again. I read and heard about wearing a sheet mask during the flight but personally I am not really comfortable with it, and I have actually never seen anyone doing it. I stick to a transparent hydrating mask, so no one looks at me funny.

For Hydrating Mask I love the Sisley Express Flower Gel as well as the Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask, I either manage to get samples of both or decant them in a smaller container

For Hydrating Cream I am big fan of La Solution 10 de Chanel, the pros of this cream is that you can keep layering it as you see fit.

3) Hand Cream

Hands like your face are the place where you feel the most dryness when flying, so keep one small tube and keep re-applying, a little tip here is to use it on your feet before wearing your socks.

As for advice on which one to choose, I have to admit I still have not found the perfect one, I have been using the Weleda one but it is still not a match-made in heaven for me. So, if you have a favourite one, please let me know.

4) Lip Balm

We are still in hydrating mode, so your lips will need it to. I love balms that have double usage, like deep nourish for your cuticle or help on a cut hence my two favourites are Homeoplasmine (sadly can only be purchased in French pharmacies) and the Lucas’ Papaw Ointment both can double up as lip gloss.

5) The little extras

I carry eye drops with me as I have naturally dry eyes, so it helps with any discomfort I can have during the ride, a sleeping mask in order not to be disturbed by anything but also to protect my fragile eyes. Tissue paper as I hate having to ask the stewardess for it and finally some wipes. Dettol ones for obvious reasons, some hand cleaning ones bathroom on the plane only when necessary and last but not least toothbrush and toothpaste.

6) Icing on the cake
Because flying means time for yourself and probably the last place where you can be cut off from the rest of the world for few hours, I like to add a few things. Depending on my mood on my latest trip it was the Tata Harper Replenishing Nutrient Complex roll on. I did try it way before flying and just loved the effect on my skin acts like a serum while the roll on acts like a de-puffer.

Finally to keep everything organised I keep all of my travel beauty essentials in a transparent pouch from Muji I find it much more practical then the ziplock and somehow more eco-friendly as I keep reusing it over and over. Talking about Muji this is probably the best place to shop when traveling they have a collection called Muji on the go and have very practical accessories as well as the best neck pillow and beauty wipes, I can’t recommend it enough. For obvious reason do not test new product on the plane, I always carry my usual products in order to avoid horror stories, hence when shopping beauty I always try to get a sample of my favourites ones.