Pretty Fly
/Ah long travels in metal birds — who doesn’t love to be transported into exotic foreign lands even at the risk of irritating the skin you’re in? Still there are these little things that make flying less of a bore where one’s skin is concerned.
- Hydrate — there is really no more important rule to flying than hydration — Since people breathe out CO2 the air in the cabin is pumped with fresh air for more oxygen but at high altitudes the air has very little moisture making the cabin air dry — the solution is not merely to drink a lot of water but to spritz away — rosewater mists — this is your moment to shine — and generally supplement this with serums rather than merely creams.
- Sun Protect — Especially if you love window seats as I do there is nothing more important than sun protection since the sun’s rays are more harmful at high altitudes (not to be too dire about this but pilots have higher rates of skin cancer like 25x) and it’s got to do with radiation especially near the poles. Take a peak at the views but keep the shutters down in an effort to be sun careful.
- Sleep — we all operate with sleep debt and long haul flights are neat ways to catch up on much needed rest — movies on computers are overrated as is most airline food but a respite from the phone and internet for hours on end is totally divine. The key to sleeping on flights is to budget this time as surplus rest — this is not to arrive fresh — it’s to sleep for longer than you need to when you’re on the road and the way to do this for me is with melatonin as alcohol is particularly dehydrating to the skin but if you need a drop of wine to calm your nerves then there’s that.
