We’ve all been there – an overnight plane journey involving very little sleep, boredom, dry skin and chapped lips. There’s often no avoiding spending long, continuous hours in the air, especially if you’re heading somewhere exotic and far-flung. But there are plenty of tips, tricks and travel essentials that can make the journey just that bit easier…
To help your skin:
We all want to land looking like the radiant celebrities we see photographed in the arrivals hall, and it may not be as difficult as you think. The humidity is the cabin on aeroplanes is much lower than we are used to in daily life, which means the moisture is zapped from our skin pretty quickly, but a few key products and tips can have you landing with fresh, glowing skin.
- Remove your makeup: As soon as you’ve boarded, remove your makeup. It will allow your skin to breathe and will make the application of hydrating products a lot more effective.
- Apply a moisturiser/sheet mask: Once you’re into your journey, treat your skin to a boost of moisture by applying a hydrating serum and/or moisturiser. My personal go-to’s are from the Elemis Marine range, but any moisturiser will help your skin out! Patchology also do an excellent ‘On The Fly‘ kit which contains two sheet masks, a lip mask and two eye patches.
- Drink lots of water: As mentioned above, alcohol (and caffeine) will dehydrate you even quicker on an aeroplane than they would on the ground, so steer clear of these and instead drink plenty of water to keep you and your skin hydrated.
To help you sleep:
Everyone’s ideal scenario is to board your night flight, have dinner served with a G&T and then drift off into a peaceful sleep and wake up in time for landing, right? The reality however, tends to involve a lot of uncomfortable shifting around, pins and needles and hours of boredom while every single other passenger seems to be asleep. I’ve found the following really useful in ensuring I get as much sleep on board as possible:
- Invest in a good travel pillow: I found that the Travelrest pillow (available on Amazon here) was excellent as it was adjustable, offered full support and could be used in multiple positions, meaning you can make yourself comfortable in almost any seat. I slept continuously for 3 hours on a long haul flight using this!
- Clear your footwell: It may sound obvious, but giving yourself maximum room to stretch out will make a huge difference when you’re trying to get some rest, so if you have a bag/jacket under the seat in front of you, pop it into the overhead lockers and give your legs some extra room.
- Steer clear of alcohol: The frequent line I hear from travellers is ‘I’ll have a couple of glasses of wine and it will help me sleep’. The alcohol may make you drowsy, but it will also dehydrate you and end up making you need the toilet quicker, meaning a more disturbed sleep. Sip a beverage with your dinner if you wish, but then switch to soft drinks and visit the bathroom before settling down in your seat.
To keep you entertained:
The inflight entertainment systems on planes have come a long way in recent years, but if you’re wanting something to do other than watch back to back films, these are my recommendations of books that will keep you entertained long after you step off the plane:
- Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce – A new thriller for 2019 and guaranteed page turner.
- You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane – A light hearted and fun beach read you’ll want to read again.
- Hot Mess by Lucy Vine – Dubbed ‘Bridget Jones’ for the new generation. Hilarious!
- Hello, My Name Is May by Rosalind Stopps – A gripping read with a twist you won’t see coming
- The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary – A laugh out loud, feel-good love story
- You by Caroline-Kepnes – For anyone who has been gripped by the series on Netflix
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