Skincare at 35,000 Feet? If your skin needs a facial mid-flight, it’s time to unpack your routine—literally.

Brittany Blancato
May 8
3 min read

Master Aesthetician & Skincare Columnist in the Skies

I couldn’t help but wonder…When did skincare become a performance?

Somewhere between terminal A and 30,000 feet, skincare routines left the comfort of our homes and boarded the self-care circus in the sky. But let’s be real—if you need a sheet mask mid-flight, maybe it’s not the altitude that’s drying you out, it’s your routine at sea level that needs a first-class upgrade.

We’ve all seen it. The influencer in 12C, sheet mask stretched across her face like she’s prepping for a red carpet, not a red-eye. She’s spritzing hyaluronic mist like it’s Chanel No. 5, layering serums in turbulence, and pulling out a jade roller like she’s in a candlelit bathroom—not an aluminum tube hurling through the sky.

And I have to say it: I don’t recommend it.

The Skincare in Public Phenomenon

Doing your full skincare routine in-flight isn’t self-care—it’s a spectacle. Let’s get one thing straight: if your skin is gasping for hydration before the flight attendants even serve snacks, it’s not because of the plane. It’s because your routine is missing something back on the ground.

Your skin shouldn’t panic at altitude. If it’s properly supported at home—with quality ingredients, daily consistency, and barrier repair in mind—you shouldn’t feel the need to whip out an entire apothecary at cruising altitude.

Germs, Glam, and Questionable Decisions

Let’s talk hygiene. Because while I love a glamorous serum moment, the idea of touching your face with unwashed airplane hands? That’s not luxury—that’s a breakout waiting to happen. Airplanes are not skincare sanctuaries. They’re recycled air, plastic trays, and strangers in close quarters. It’s not the setting for your skincare debut.

Doing a skincare routine mid-flight is as odd as applying a face mask at a dinner party or exfoliating in a taxi. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Content vs. Credibility

Many of these routines aren’t even about skincare—they’re about content. A carousel of dewy lighting, clinking bottles, and skincare theatrics that are more for the algorithm than your actual epidermis. But let’s not confuse engagement with education.

Just because it gets likes, doesn’t mean it’s right.

The Real Glow Up Is Done at Home

Want travel-proof skin? Build a consistent, high-quality routine that has your back long before wheels up. These are the products that actually work and will leave your skin hydrated, radiant, and zero percent reliant on mid-flight rituals.

The Cleansing Queens

Babor Hyaluronic Cleansing Balm – Melts away makeup, grime, and travel stress while wrapping skin in a hydrating hug.
Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm – A Hungarian spa in a jar, detoxifies pores while calming and replenishing.

Gentle Exfoliators That Whisper, Not Shout

Jan Marini Bioglycolic Cleanser – Smooths without stripping.
Emer Skin Enzymatic Polish – For that fresh, just-facial glow.
Restorsea Foaming Cleanser – Enzyme exfoliation that’s equal parts kind and effective.

Hydration & Barrier Royalty

Noon Aesthetics Halo-Ronic Serum – Deep, lasting hydration—no plane required.
Emer Skin Hyla B & Botanical Enhancing Serum – The kind of glow that speaks fluent first-class.
Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore – Barrier magic in a jar.
Emer Skin Re-Fit Face – If your skin is feeling fragile, this is its therapist.
Noon Aesthetics OMG Cream – Balances and comforts like cashmere.

Targeted Treatments That Pack a Punch

Restorsea 10X Serum – Brightens, smooths, and evens tone without drama.
Emer Skin AHA Resurfacing Pads – Think: gentle glow with an edge.
Hydrinity HYACYN ACTIVE – Okay, this one can come on the plane—but keep the mist to yourself.
Emer Skin Re-Fit Eye + Restorsea Firming Eye – Because tired eyes never lie.

Recovery Queens

Emer Skin Hydration Sheet Mask – Save it for the hotel robe, not row 16.
Noon Aesthetics Therapeutic Hydragel – Calms, heals, hydrates—ideal for post-flight skin bounce-back.

And Just Like That…

You don’t need to do your skincare routine on a plane. You just need a routine that actually works. If you’re scrambling to hydrate in the sky, you’re not traveling with your best skin—you’re chasing it.

So let’s stop turning skincare into performance art. Do it in the sanctuary of your bathroom. Love it for how it makes your skin feel, not how it makes your content perform.

Because true skincare?

It’s not for the aisle seat audience.

It’s for you.