Here’s how you can get off a plane and still look positively glowing

Flying is traumatizing, especially for your skin; these 18 products will help you save face.

alt
Photo: Stocksy/Susana Ramirez

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

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

alt

Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes $24

advertisement
alt

Acure Organics Coconut + Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes $6

alt

Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths $16

advertisement

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

alt

Kahina Giving Beauty Moisture Mask $88

alt

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Mask $14

advertisement
alt

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.

advertisement

Shop Mists and Essences

alt

LATHER Cucumber & Ginseng Facial Mist $17

alt

Odacite Aloe + Immortelle Hydra-Repair Treatment Mist $39

advertisement
alt

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

alt

The Beauty Chef Beauty Fix Balm $30

advertisement
alt

Ouli's Ointment $20

alt

The Gentle Label Organic Healing Balm $20

advertisement

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

alt

de Mamiel Altitude Oil $44

advertisement
alt

Urban Moonshine Immune Tonic Spray $19

alt

Beauty Chef Hydration Inner Beauty Boost $50

advertisement

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

alt

Ilia Beauty Sheer Vivid Tinted Moisturizer $42

alt

RMS Magic Luminizer $38

advertisement
alt

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.

Sign up for the Well+Good SHOP Newsletter

Get exclusive deals on wellness, beauty, fitness, and food products that have been hand-picked by our editors.