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Unless you’re flying to Dubai first class like the Sex and the City gals circa 2010, your typical travel experience likely includes cramping into a middle seat next to a coughing seat-mate or a crying child while de-humidified air dries you out like a raisin, and extreme temperatures make it impossible to get comfortable enough to relax.
Under these circumstances, it can be challenging to get off the plane without resembling someone who’s just returned from a (shower-free) bender in Vegas. It’s not a good look no matter what your destination may be. And while the quickest way to counteract this is to treat your flight like a full-on, in-flight spa (think: sheet masks and moisturizing gloves), space constraints and self-consciousness may prevent you from going all out.
Luckily, it’s not necessary to preview your self-care routine for every passenger on the plane. Instead, with help from Elena Severin, Director of Retail at the Detox Market, you can be subtle about beautifying; below, find the products that can help you achieve a glow on-the-go, no matter how little sleep, moisture, or chill-time you’ve managed to get en route.
Keep reading to shop airplane-perfect beauty products.
Face wipes
Since you may end up trapped in place because of a snoozing person in the aisle seat, jojoba- and argan-oil enriched face wipes are critical for cleansing your face, while keeping it dewy. These hydrating versions won’t irritate or further dehydrate your skin, either.
Shop Face Wipes

Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes $24

Acure Organics Coconut + Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes $6

Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths $16
Moisturizing masks
Sheet masks may be easy to use, but they’re not necessarily low key enough for everybody to enjoy in flight. These creamy moisturizing masks offer a less flashy alternative for keeping thirsty skin from shriveling as cabin humidity plummets. “I apply the Kahina Moisture Mask on my face, hands, and neck before the plane leaves the gate,” says Severin. “It leaves my skin glowing and hydrated upon arrival.”
Shop Masks

Kahina Giving Beauty Moisture Mask $88

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Mask $14

Ursa Major Bright and Easy 3-Minute Flash Mask $44
Refreshing mists and essences
Something about plane air can make you feel like you need to shower, stat. Since you can’t actually rinse off before landing, however, these refreshing, repairing, and brightening liquids can provide a quick-and-easy alternative.
Shop Mists and Essences

LATHER Cucumber & Ginseng Facial Mist $17
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Odacite Aloe + Immortelle Hydra-Repair Treatment Mist $39

Juice Beauty Green Apple Brightening Essence $35
Reparative multi-tasking balms
Lotions and oils can both be messy, which makes them less than ideal for in-flight hydration. Balms are less so, and they offer more intensive hydration for uber-parched skin, too.
Shop Balms

The Beauty Chef Beauty Fix Balm $30

Ouli's Ointment $20

The Gentle Label Organic Healing Balm $20
Inner-glow enablers
It’s just as important to be aware of what you put into your body while flying as it is to be aware of what you put onto your skin. These ingestible products will fortify your immune system and help hydration levels from the inside out. “This altitude oil will make too-tight plane cabins seem not so stuffy,” says Severin. “I place two drops under my nose and one on my chest before departure.”
Shop Health-Boosting Beauty

de Mamiel Altitude Oil $44

Urban Moonshine Immune Tonic Spray $19

Beauty Chef Hydration Inner Beauty Boost $50
Glow makeup
A full face of makeup can make tired complexions appear more worn-out by settling into fine lines. Opt instead for a natural glow via minimalist products such as BB or CC creams mixed with highlighters and finished with a rosy balm or light blush.
Shop Makeup

Ilia Beauty Sheer Vivid Tinted Moisturizer $42

RMS Magic Luminizer $38

Captain Blankenship Lip & Cheek Balm $8
Want more flight-friendly beauty recs? Find out which 3 products Cindy Crawford never flies without. Plus, these 7 essential oils will transform even the most stressful of flight environments into a zen den.
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