Long-haul flights are becoming more popular as people from the UK flock overseas from some winter sun in the southern hemisphere. Sitting on long-haul flights can be extremely boring but there is one thing experts are warning travellers to never ever do, even if they want to kill the boredom.
A number of TikTok influencers have started promoting doing skin care on your flight so that you can land fresh and clean – but dermatologist Bella von Nesselrode says this should absolutely be avoided.
Seat headrests are often exposed to sweat, oil, and dirt from previous passengers, contributing to bacterial build up that can clog pores and cause breakouts.
The small, often unhygienic plane bathroom and the environment around your seat can harbour bacteria, making it best to skip skincare routines like cleansing.
Flights can be dirty, and instead of doing your skincare in your seat or the bathrooms, you should actually try and avoid touching your face at all to stop the transfer of bacteria. As well as this, make sure your hands are sanitised regularly.
Bella revealed her five top tips for protecting your skin on a long haul flight to Travel Republic.
The most important thing to remember is to keep your hands clean and don’t touch your face. But it’s also important to wear little or no makeup while on your flight so that your skin can breathe.
Keeping the makeup light will stop your pores from clogging which can cause breakouts. When you get on the flight, you should wipe the headrest, tray and your phone with an antibacterial wipe as these are all sources of contamination.
Bella also recommends doing your skincare routine before you board the plane to ensure your face is clean before your long flight.