Airplane: why does the skin react badly when traveling and how to prevent it from happening?

Surely you have already noticed: every time you take the plane to go to a destination more or less close to where you livethe skin tends to experience travel very badly. And in this game, 1 hour, 3 hours, 5 hours or 12 hours of flying doesn’t make much difference to the skin.

Why doesn’t the skin like traveling by plane?

Because the air on the plane is dry

The skin needs a certain level of hydration to regain its balance. The problem is that on the plane the air becomes very dry. Consequently: the epidermis gradually dehydrates. “Typically, the skin is comfortable when the humidity is between 40 and 70%”, explains Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, clinical instructor in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to t rhythm. In the cabin of the plane, how high is this figure? According to the same expert, most of them “They are about 20%. That’s less than half of what we’re used to. “.

Since the air is not very humid, moisturizing products (serums, creams and masks), have more difficulty in clinging to the epidermis, it is for this reason that the healing provided at this time is slightly less effective than normal. But it is not because they are less so that it should not be done … Far from it!

Because inactivity on the plane creates water retention

On the plane, we don’t always think about hydrating ourselves adequately by drinking water. Instead, we tend to choose refreshing and sweet drinks that will be able to excite our taste buds like sodas. The reason for this choice? On the plane, even the mucous membranes dry up suddenly, our taste sensations are different and we seek everything that has taste. Add to that the fact that you hardly get up from your seat to walk a bit to get the blood flowing, along with the very salty snacks offered in the cabin and there, the body has everything it needs to hold water. If not necessarily very serious, this phenomenon can lead to swollen eyes and a swollen face.

Because flying is stressful

We don’t know about you, but for our part, we are never quite reassured when it comes to flying. And it is the same whether the journey takes 1.2 or 10 hours. Today we know, stress causes increased cortisol productiona hormone produced by the adrenal glands also called a stress hormone. By creating an inflammatory effect, it will sensitize the skin, reveal redness and imperfections …

How to limit the damage?

Before, during and after your trip, there are ways to limit the damage when you have to fly. Which ones? Read instead.

Before the trip

The day before your plane trip, remember to drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol as far as possible. Alcohol tends to absorb moisture from the body and thus create a dehydration phenomenon that it does not need before having completed several hours of flight.

Secondly, it is important cleanse the epidermis, performing a double cleansing (one step in the oil, the other in the gel or milk) to make sure you get perfectly clean skin. do not forget to exfoliated leave on a blank canvas e frees the pores, so that all the active ingredients of the cure can be properly absorbed. Next, apply a moisturizing tonerPurpose balance pH levels and maintain hydration.

Finish, Stay hydrated using a good serum and hyaluronic acid moisturizer. If you are a fan and your skin is not combination or oily, you can as well apply some petroleum jelly on the skin to maintain the hydration of the skin tissues.

During the trip

During the trip, avoid washing your face with tap waterthis gesture could have the effect of leaves a mineral layer on the surface of the epidermis and make you much more prone to dehydration. Instead, you can apply the toner again to freshen your face and also on the eye area apply soaked patches to rehydrate this fragile area of ​​the face.

After waiting 15-20 minutes, remove them and then apply your deep penetrating serum. Don’t forget your moisturizer and lip balm. Drink a lot during the flight is also recommended as getting up regularly to regulate blood flow.

After the trip

Once arrived, 10 minutes of brisk walking is recommended to allow blood to circulate properly. As for skin care, think about it clean your face (doing a double cleaning as always) e apply a regenerating / soothing mask in order to calms inflammation of the skin. A few drops of serum on moist skin and a little moisturizer will complete your journey and keep you going all day or all night, depending on the time you arrive.

Now that the wellbeing of your skin is assured, you can enjoy your holiday! Have a good time!

An image credit: @Jason Toevs via Pexels.