Are In-flight skincare routines a scam? We asked the derms (2025)

Call me old-fashioned but I like to do three things on flights: guzzle red wine, purge my inbox and have a series of small internal meltdowns as we jumble through turbulent air. It's not much of a routine but it's mine. The one thing you'll never catch me doing? An extensive skincare regime.

Even when I lived in Sydney and made the casual twenty-four-hour journey back to Blighty, I would save face washing and skin caring for whichever airport bathroom my layover passed through. Trying to do it all in my cramped economy seat felt fruitless, leading to items dropping on the floor and elbows shoved into my seatmate's legs as I scrambled for Ziploc bags filled with travel-sized products. It's just not my vibe.

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I seem to be in the minority though. On social media, videos of influencers applying mists, serums, under-eye and face masks, creams, toners and more abound. There’s Amelia Liana, the creator with 449k followers who I’ve happily followed for over a year. Each time she flies – usually in First or Business class, it should be added – she'll vlog the occasion, often sharing the skincare and make-up routines she likes to do in the air. One clip saw her walking up the aisle wearing an LED mask.

What happens to your skin when you fly

'Typically, aeroplanes have very low humidity levels, often below 20%. This is significantly lower than the average indoor humidity of 30-60%,' Dr Maham Kham, a consultant dermatologist at The Cadogan Clinic in London explains to me. 'This can lead to dehydration, the reason your skin might feel dry and tight. Couple it with the recycled air circulated in the cabin and your skin will lose moisture more quickly than usual.'

So, you’re not imagining it. The raisin-like quality your skin takes on while flying is due to the moisture-lacking environment we’re squeezed in while travelling. However, other things are happening to the skin too. Invisible things that cause long-lasting skin damage. 'UV radiation at high altitudes is more intense and aeroplane windows don’t completely block the UV rays,' Dr Khan warns. 'Applying a broad spectrum SPF 50 or higher can protect your skin.' This is the case whether you’re sat next to the window or not, by the way.

My go-to options include the Ultra Violette Clean Screen SPF30, £32, Murad’s new Multi-Vitamin Clear Coat Broad Spectrum SPF50, £42 and the Allies of Skin The One SPF50 Invisible Sunscreen Gel, £43.

The reality of slathering on skincare mid-flight

One thing I forgot to mention. I also like to wipe down my seat, tray table and armrests with an anti-bacterial wipe when I fly. It seems OTT, I know. But, when you think about how many people’s hands and feet (yep) have touched the areas you do, it’s easy to get the hygiene ick. Throw in the open-mouthed sneezes and insistent coughing and you have, in my humble opinion, a petri dish travelling at 500mph. Potentially transferring any of that into my products and then onto my face makes my skin crawl. But is my phobia justified? The experts say not really.

'I don’t think we need to worry about bacteria and germs coming into contact with our skin, this happens all the time anyway and shouldn’t be an in-flight concern,' aesthetic doctor Dr Sophie Shotter tells me. But, and this is something Dr Khan underlined, ensuring your hands are clean before touching your face or dipping fingers into jars is crucial.

So, if your hands are clean, does that make in-flight skincare something the pros recommend? The answer is nuanced.

'Extensive plane skincare routines are excessive,' says Shotter. 'If the flight is over an hour, prepare your skin for flying and add in some post-flight skincare but keep it simple while on board. For long-haul flights (over four hours), I make sure to cleanse and remove my make-up and then use a hydrating serum, a lipid-based moisturiser, an eye cream and a lip mask. If it’s a daytime flight I’ll also apply SPF. Anything more complex would be overkill.' Instead, Shotter says drinking hydration salts and plenty of water helps support her skin while travelling.

How to help your skin: a dermatologist-approved plane skincare routine

Pens at the ready, this is what you need to know about caring for your skin before, during and after flying.

'Drink plenty of water starting the day before your flight and avoid alcohol and caffeine,' says Dr Khan. Not only will it get you in the habit of chugging the clear stuff but it might help offset the dehydration to come.
The night before, apply a rich moisturiser. The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturiser, £19, has a cult following, as does the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Masque, £26, which can be used as an overnight cream, as well.
Then, when you’re on the plane, Dr Khan says a hydrating mist, a light non-greasy moisturiser and SPF for daytime flights will cover most bases. Sub in an eye cream if you feel that area needs extra attention, along with a moisture-trapping lip balm. Something like the Byoma Balancing Face Mist, £12, and Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Daily Moisture Lotion, £15 (member price), will serve you well. Whether you choose to wear a sheet mask is up to you but keep it simple – avoid the ones that require extensive application or require you to rub or massage the product in afterwards.
When you land, use a gentle cleanser to remove any impurities gathered on the skin during the flight and apply a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid followed by a rich moisturiser, advises Dr Khan. The Medik8 Micellar Mousse, £25, or the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, £12.50 are both excellent.