Men! This is for you too. There is no discrimination here, equal opportunity for everyone.
There's nothing like....36-hour flights in dry cabin air to make skin feel refreshed. Let's add a dab of heavy foundation to smooth over the pores while transiting over multiple time zones, and what we have is the perfect recipe for unblemished, dewey skin. Not! Enjoy our transition from travel née beauty blog.
No one's suggesting to carry an entire skincare routine, but it is possible to heal what damage has been done in the throes of travel. Sheet masks and an exfoliating sponge, like a konjac puff, are two fairly unisex skincare items that should probably be thrown to that bag in addition to whatever else is a regular staple.
The Everygirl has this interesting tidbit:
Travel day should be a bare-faced affair. The artificial atmosphere inside an airplane has 0% humidity, and skin cells will attempt to attach to water molecules in your makeup — these irritating ingredients are not moisturizing agents. When oily skin becomes dehydrated, oil production goes into overdrive. When dry skin gets even drier, there’s more dead skin available to clog pores. Combination skin doesn’t even know where to begin.
True. Except for the part that an airplane has 0% humidity. It is much closer to 20% or 30%.
That or look like the 45-year-old man you are.
Sheet masks are the holy grail.
Calm that irritated skin. (Marion Vy)
It's the thing that kinda makes you look like a weirdo, but is completely normal to do with a significant either. Think of it as a bonding activity, or a really integral step for all those Instagram photos.
For the most part, sheet masks may not be the effective treatment against acne, but they're *magical* for calming down irritated skin, minimizing pores and giving a much needed boost. At the very least, masks will at least help moisturize skin after it floats around in cabin air goo for hours at a time.
Best yet, they pack flat. They're also easy to apply because all they require is that you temporarily channel Casper while it is on for 15 to 20 minutes. This time is easily passed while watching YouTube or passing out from the jetlag.
The best-known sheet masks out there is the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask, and I was never into the face mask thing until Google Earth sent me one in a goodie bag (weird). To-be brides have been known to load up on them in advance. Consider it a backup emergency travel purchase, one you miight need after a 468-hour flight.
One SK-II mask does cost $17, but they are good enough for two uses if the remaining serum is stored appropriately. That said, there are much, much cheaper sheet masks out there that do the trick in a pinch to energize the skin.
Konjac puffs are great for exfoliating.
Sheet masks are required, konjac puffs are optional... if you hate 20-year-old looking skin. Okay, my skin doesn't look that great, I've been working for far too long.
This Japanese konjac puff is basically a face sponge for cleansing. It acts as a cleanser and exfoliator, simultaneously, because no one has dead skin they need to get rid of. Three words: Asian beauty routine.
The konjac puff is originally made from a root vegetable of the same name. Supposedly, different colored konjac puffs have different properties, and these can be used to exfoliate and buff out tired skin sans cleanser.
There's side bonuses: many people report having to use less cleanser. The biodegradable sponges are affordable, anywhere from $1 to $10 and generally last a month.
The heart thing is a konjac puff. They come in gender neutral shapes. (Agronauti Cosmetics / Flickr)
How great are they? Allure reports this:
Konjac sponges were invented by Japanese farmers and originally used to wash babies' skin because the sponge is so gentle and natural.
