With summertime coming to an end, frequent and first-time flyers are making the most of the travel season. For many, traveling by plane is often the least time-consuming option, but like any popular mode of travel, it comes with its own sacrifices. Your already delicate skin is suddenly at the mercy of recycled air, which can deprive it of hydration and nourishment for hours. Yes, accepting a plastic cup or two of water can help combat the environmental aggressors present in the cabin, but taking extra steps to not only bring hydration to your skin but lock it in for the long run can make a major difference in your appearance as your step off of that plane.
We reached out to celebrity facialist Cynthia Maria Crawford and celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross, two of the industry's most reputable and recognizable skin experts, for their travel skincare recommendations. If this sounds interesting to you, prepare to buckle up and enjoy the rest of your smooth and informative journey to healthy, hydrated skin.
Cynthia Maria Crawford's Tips + Must-Have Products
The first skincare expert I had the pleasure of connecting with to learn more about the best skincare practices for traveling was celebrity facialist Cynthia Maria Crawford. Her work can be found on the most recognizable faces of Hollywood, including the likes of Olivia Wilde, Barry Keoghan, Jenna Ortega, and Ana de Armas. "Try not to switch up your skincare routine too much while traveling—keep your skin hydrated and protected from the sun (even on the airplane)," says Crawford. "Stay hydrated! Drinks lots of water and electrolytes before and drying a trip. Make sure to use products that balance and hydrate your skin. A great cleanser, serum, toner, moisturizer, and SPF is all you need! Keep it simple!"
Discover Crawford's top skincare recommendations below, including a brightening vitamin C eye cream, a refreshing collagen-infused toner, and ultra-hydrating SPF.
"The best! I love this eye cream that is packed with vitamin c to keep your eyes looking hydrated and your skin looking rested, plump and refreshed!" — Crawford
"It's super hydrating and refreshing for an airplane ride or to have in your bag while traveling to keep your skin refreshed and balanced through out the day." — Crawford
"[You] always need an SPF. I love Saint Jane's Luxury Sun Ritual, which also acts as a pore minimizer and a primer to hydrate the skin. This product has beneficial skincare ingredients in addition to sun protection." — Crawford
"It is the most hydrating product I've come across and actually can act as a hydrating mask you can use overnight or on a plane." — Crawford
Joshua Ross' Tips + Must-Have Products
I also had the opportunity to connect with celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross of SkinLab in Manhattan Beach, CA, for his advice on putting together the ideal skincare routine for long-haul flights. "My two skincare staples I recommend for clients traveling are always hydration and sun protection," Ross begins. "Changes in climate can wreak havoc on your skin, often leading to dryness, and chances are you will be outside more than you are in your normal day-to-day life." He highlights hyaluronic acid as the biggest player in maintaining your skin's hydration while traveling, recommending two hyaluronic acid-based products that can be layered with others that are deeply moisturizing and fast absorbing. Discover his favorite products below.
"For a hyaluronic acid serum, I absolutely love Alphascience HA Booster Serum. It has a very lightweight texture that works really well to deeply hydrate the skin and absorbs very easily. You can keep applying throughout the entire flight, and it comes in travel size too, which is great!" — Ross
"[The Alphascience HA Booster Serum] is something you can layer on your skin throughout the flight along with hydrating patches like Wrinkles Schminkles Self-Dissolving Microneedle Patches, which also have hyaluronic acid as well as collagen and caffeine so you can deplane without tired eyes. For sunscreen, I find that has the best protection that lasts the longest is Skin Better Advanced Mineral Protection." — Ross
More Travel-Friendly Skincare Favorites
1. Caudalíe Grape Water Moisturizing Face Mist
Combat dry, moisture-deprived skin with this antioxidant-rich grape water face mist while in the air. Minerals, potassium, and moisturizing polysaccharides work together with probiotic powers to support and soothe the skin barrier for a noticeably brightened and refreshed visage.
2. RéVive Vitalité Energizing Hydration Mist
When I'm on the go, I swear by hydration mists that are as energizing as they are refreshing. RéVive's cult-favorite hydration mist contains powerful antioxidants, essential minerals, and the brand's signature energy-boosting ingredient Bio-Renewal Protein to leave the skin with a healthy-looking glow.
3. Tata Harper Bio-Barrier Anti-Aging Eye Crème
Make the most of lengthy travel times by tackling dark circles. Tata Harper's Bi-Barrier Anti-Aging Eye Creme works wonders for supporting the skin barrier and targeting signs of aging and fatigue. A powerful yet gentle blend of java fruit, marine metabolites, and stereoisomer plant molecules restores brightness to the under-eye area while promoting firming, de-puffing, and diminishing eye bags.
4. Caudalíe Vinoperfect Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream
For all my fellow twenty-somethings out there who've yet to add an eye cream to their skincare routine, here's the sign you've been waiting for. Caudalíe's bestselling eye cream delivers big results with minimal effort using a formula that features vinifera, niacinamide, and caffeine to visibly awaken and brighten the eye area and reduce the appearance of dark circles.
5. Violette_FR Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask
In my opinion, eye masks are the most underrated carry-on-friendly beauty staple. While often disregarded purely for fear of other travelers passing judgment, these limited-addition reusable eye patches will give your skin the hydration it needs by holding the eye serums and creams of your choice close to the skin without slipping or sliding.
6. Shiseido Benfiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask
Looking for another eye mask option with major skincare properties infused in the product? This set of powerful smoothing eye masks use pure retinol to reduce visible wrinkles while promoting moisture and firmness. They're individually wrapped and crafted with cutting-edge Japanese micro-infusion technology, allowing for easy and effective application.
7. MDSolarSciences Solar Stick SPF40
Whether you're in the window seat to catch a birds eye view of your destination or along the aisle for some extra leg room, using a sunscreen is crucial to keeping your skin protected. Here's a sunscreen stick offering all-encompassing protection for sunburns and UV rays with a portable twist-up applicator that easily fits in your bag. It's also water resistant, absorbs quickly, and applies sheer.
8. Jane Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF 33
Ideal for oily skin, this water-resistant daily facial sunscreen is chock-full of skin-loving ingredients and antioxidants (like hyaluronic acid) for long-wearing, broad-spectrum protection. Because it's so lightweight, this product is an ideal primer or base for your go-to foundation, gliding smoothly over your complexion.
9. Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
If you've seen this serum all over the social media platforms you frequent, it's for a good reason. Peach & Lily's Glass Skin Refining Serum nourishes and promotes supple skin with refined texture to deliver that glass skin look in a silky, weightless formula. Its key ingredients include niacinamide, hyaluronic acid complex, peptide complex, and peach extract for firm and radiant skin.
10. Murad Rapid Spot Correcting Serum
Dark spots and under eye circles stand no chance against this intensive Murad serum. It rapidly reduces the appearance of dark spots while also supporting the natural surface turnover for bright, even-looking skin. Ideal for all skin types, the spot correcting serum uses a unique formula powered in part by glycolic acid.
11. EltaMD UV Lip Balm BroadSpectrum SPF 36
You can't forget the lips! EltaMD's long-wearing lip balm hydrates, soothes, and protects the lips for immediate moisture. It uses a formula with zinc oxide, glycerin, and more to combat skin-aging free radicals associated with UV and IR. Ideal for all skin types and lifestyles, this lip balm is noncomedogenic and fragrance and paraben free.
12. PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster
Did you know hyaluronic acid can help support the health of your lips? This ultra-hydrating lip product by PCA Skin tackles visible signs of aging while promoting long-lasting hydration. It's formulated with collagen-synthesizing ingredients to deliver instant moisture while using Filling Spheres to plump the appearance of the lips.
13. Dr.Jart+ Dermamask Water Jet Vital Hydra SolutionTM Face Mask
My love affair with Dr.Jart+ products started with this ridiculously hydrating cellulose sheet face mask. It hydrates and replenishes the skin's moisture levels, addressing dryness and redness using a fine cellulose fiber with active ingredients such as oligo-hyaluronic acid and algae extract.
14. Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
Summer Friday's best-selling Jet Lag Mask uses an enhanced, fragrance-free formula that nourishes and hydrates the skin using a combination of niacinamide, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants. Use it to visibly brighten and promote even-looking tone and texture when in a time crunch.
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