Hello everyone!

I am traveling to India within next few days and I am so so excited to celebrate this year’s Diwali there in india with my all my near and dear ones. (for those who don’t know; it’s a festival of lights and one of the most popularly celebrated festival all over the India).

Since its going to be a very long journey from USA to India, I thought of sharing few tips on “Long Haul Flight Survival”. Because, the truth is – no matter how excited we happen to be, its undeniable that flying takes a serious toll on our beauty/health, if we don’t take things in our hands.

As you all know the drill. Hydrate plenty while traveling! Yes, water is an in-flight essential. And the small cups they bring around during the food service are not enough. So its always a good idea to buy and bring your own water bottle before checking in the flight.

Beside staying well hydrated, there are few other things that I don’t forget to do and encourage others (family/friends) to keep those things in mind too. I bet all these suggestions will make your flying experience more pleasant if you decide to act on them.

1. Pre-Travel Prep

First thing first, I really put my focus on preparation before starting the journey. These are the things I like and suggest to do:

Create a Travel Essentials Bag

Get all your essential items in “travel size”, because they are TSA approved. For this reason, one thing that I like to do is, I like to save my samples (the beauty or skincare samples that I get from ulta/sephora) and like to use them during travel.

The goal here is to take a smaller bag full of In-flight essentials, which you can keep inside your carry on bag.

Do A Series Of Face Masks

It is really effective to do a series of moisturizing face masks few days before your travel. Reason, the environmental change inside the plane can make skin dull and dehydrated. Or you can do a mask in flight as well! Yes I’m talking about sleep mask. Use a product that will lock in moisture and provide a protective barrier against all of the recycled air. You can just put it on just before going to sleep and when you’ll wake up, your’ll feel your skin is all hydrated and refreshed.

Deep Condition Your Hair Preflight

The recycled air inside the plane is not only bad for the skin but harsh on the hairs as well. The lack of moisture in the cabin causes water levels in the hair to evaporate, which makes the hair look frizzy and dull. To keep hair soft, go through some deep conditioning hair treatments at home or salon before starting your journey. What I do for deep conditioning treatments is I slather on some conditioner, put the shower cap on, watch my favorite TV show for an hour or so, and then rinse it out.

2. Things You Can Do In Flight (During Travel)

Prefer No Makeup

This way your skin will get a break. It is best to skip foundation, eye makeup, and the rest of the stuff so that this stuff will not sit on your skin throughout your journey which can increase the risk of acne. Instead use a hydrating moisturizer and a light lip gloss.

Moisturize As Much As You Can

The best bet to combat the dry air in the plane is try switching your lotions (body and face) to creams, which are thicker and better to fight off the dry air. Try to use an unscented lotion because strong smells could make you, or your very close seat mate feel airsick.

Also, many people might not know that it is important to use a sunblock even while sitting inside the plane, as while flying, we are exposed to higher levels of radiation (UV rays) simply because plains are positioned closer to the sun for long periods of time when flying.

Also, don’t forget to moisturize your nostrils. A product like ‘Aquaphor’ can be applied to your nostrils to keep them moisturized.

Oral Hygiene

One of the biggest mistakes people make on a long flight is to ignore their oral hygiene. The change in air pressure dehydrates us, and a dry mouth doesn’t have as much bacteria-fighting saliva, as a result it leads to bad breath!

On the other hand, a clean mouth will not only make you feel fresher, but it can also help lets your body know that it’s time for sleep in the night, as a part of your home routine.

To keep it simple you can use products, such as ‘Colgate Wisp’ for quick mouth cleansing.

Feminine Hygiene

Don’t ignore your personal (feminine) hygiene. Carry a pack of feminine wipes and/or bathroom wipes. Bathroom wipes come in handy if you’re traveling or stop at a place where there is no toilet paper. You’ll thank yourself later that you brought these with you.

Be mindful About Your Clothing Choices

This step is the most important steps of all, I belive! Never think of wearing spanx (clothing item) during long hour travel. Tight clothing can restrict pelvic area air circulation. If sweat does not have an opportunity to evaporate, it can open the door for unwanted bacteria.

Also, pick an outfit which is comfortable first and trendy later. Trust me, because if there is any chance that there is long hours delay in your flight or connecting flight, all you’d think of being comfortable in those circumstances!

Wear Right Amount Of Fragrance

Try not to wear too much fragrance or too strong fragrance. It is almost as bad as not wearing any at all. Use mild deodorants and/or fragrance for preventing body odor, especially if you cannot shower right often and regularly. This will keep you feeling fresh and your seat mates will thank you too 😀

Stretch Out Your Neck

Stretch you neck muscles while you air travel. It really helps. Repeat this about every hour or two. You should get up at least once in every two hours and stretch your legs/body. You can either do it on your seat or can just take a walk, even if it’s a quick one towards the bathroom. It will encourage efficient blood circulation in your body while traveling.

Apply The Landing Makeup

Now this step is totally optional. They say, a fresh coat of red lipstick on your lips is an instant beauty boost. Just moisturize your lips before doing that.

And at last, have a positive mindset. A long plane ride can be a good opportunity to catch up on books and movies or to sleep, meditate, or write a business plan for your dream job. Just try to relax and enjoy your ride 🙂

I would love to know your thoughts and any suggestions on this post. With all this excitement, I wish you all a very happy, prosperous and safe Diwali. And a very happy and spooky Halloween! 😀

See you all soon in the next post.

Until then…