Wearing a sheet mask while flying has become a huge trend thanks to A-listers like Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain (above) who travel long-haul in their private jets.
They are such a common sight now on planes in Europe, that you would think they were compulsory for keeping your skin in check.
There are enough of them being sold in airside pharmacies, and it seems everyone thinks they are doing their skin a favour by adding hydration and calming. But, it turns out that they probably aren’t doing much of anything, here’s why.
Sheet Masks
The humidity of the air on a plane can fall between 5% and 12%, far less than the healthy range of moisture in the air which ranges between 30% and 60%.
Because of this, we can feel quite different while flying. You might notice your mouth and nose can feel quite dry, and food and drinks can taste a little different in the air. And then there’s your skin and lips, these too take a hit while you’re in the skies. But if the first thing you add to your handbag is a sheet mask, maybe you should think again.
Dehydration
The problem with whipping out a sheet mask for a face treat at a high altitude is that these paper masks dry out much faster than if you were on the ground.
The lack of humidity causes this, and if you are sitting there for 15 or 20 minutes, the mask itself could be sucking the moisture out of your skin, causing the dehydration you are hoping to avoid. All is not lost though, there is a way around this happening.
Skincare Sandwich
If you do want to do a face treat in the skies, think about using a skincare sandwich instead of a sheet mask. Start with hydration, lock it in, and cover it up with protection. The first step is a hydrating serum to flood the skin with as much moisture as it needs to look flawless when you land.
Seal it in with a rich moisturiser, something that has ceramides, squalane or glycerin to seal in the serum and follow with a decent sunscreen of SPF 50. A couple of times during the flight, you could try this other beauty hack.
Beauty Hack
Rather than relying on a sheet mask to add instant hydration, keep a mini face mist in your handbag to top-up levels during your flight.
Look for mists based around rose water or aloe vera which have soothing and hydrating qualities. Spritz at will, but if your flight is two hours or more, don’t forget to reapply your sun protection. As for the sheet mask you had wanted to wear, keep that for the end of a long day on your holidays, it will do its job perfectly then.
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