As winter comes to an end and plans for summer holidays draw closer, while you may be booking flights to far-flung destinations, there’s one thing you should ensure you don’t wear while jetting off. Ryan Porter from Fat Cow Skincare has warned against wearing makeup while flying.

He said: “For those of us who love a little makeup, it can be tempting to put together a glam look for the perfect ‘airport chic’ selfie. However, wearing makeup at 30,000 feet can do more harm than good for your complexion.” Air travel can expose your skin to a unique set of challenges. Cabin pressure and low humidity combine to create the perfect storm for dry, tired skin.

“Plus, the lack of fresh air circulation makes it even harder for your skin to breathe, often leaving you feeling parched and looking less than glowing,” he added.

Increased dryness

When the humidity levels drop inside plants, your skin’s natural moisture begins to evaporate, leaving it thirsty and more prone to irritation. If you’ve layered on makeup, especially foundation and concealer, the dryness can be trapped underneath. 

Ryan explained: “Instead of helping your skin, makeup exacerbates the issue by locking in the dehydration and causing your skin to feel tight and flaky.”

Rise of breakouts

The post-flight breakout can put a damper on your holiday – and your makeup could be making it worse.

When cabin air dries out your face, your skin compensates by producing even more oil, and if wearing make-up, this oil can be trapped underneath, leading to clogged pores and breakouts.

Dull, tired appearance

Ryan said: “Even the most carefully applied makeup can’t hide the natural dullness that comes from flying, so it’s often better not to bother.”

He also added that the change in altitude and pressure when flying can affect blood flow, leading to your skin looking pale and lifeless.

UV exposure

When flying, you have less atmosphere filtering out harmful rays, and while most aeroplane windows block out UVB rays, they don’t necessarily block out UVA – which penetrates deeper into the skin and contributes to ageing and skin cancer.

While plenty of make-up products do have SPF added to them, they typically don’t provide adequate protection against the increased UV exposure during flights.

Ryan added: “Going makeup-free allows you to properly apply and reapply a dedicated broad-spectrum sunscreen, which is much more effective at protecting your skin during flights than relying on the minimal SPF that might be in your makeup.”