Skincare expert shares why you should never wear make-up on a plane

14 June 2024 , 12:47

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If possible, he advised not to wear to make-up when travelling by airplane (Image: Getty Images)

Skincare enthusiast David Kim has built a loyal following on social media thanks to his intelligent insight and knowledge of all things skin and beauty. The influencer, 34, shot to fame in early 2020 and shows no signs of slowing down his campaign of helping everyone achieve a flawless complexion.

Recently, the US native shared his thoughts on air travel and why it is so detrimental to the skin. Speaking to his cool 506,100 TikTok followers using the handle dthekorean, he said: “Being on an airplane is literally one of the worst things you can do to your skin so here are a couple tips you can use so you can glow.”

Starting off, David stressed you should never wear make-up on an airplane as it could cause your skin to dry out. He added: “Your skin will get oily to compensate for the dryness and your makeup is gonna look all pasty.”

The reason you tend to feel dehydrated when up in the air at that level is that the cabins typically have very low humidity levels. Usually, around 50% of the air circulating in the cabin is pulled from the outside, and at high altitudes, the air is almost completely devoid of moisture. This might cause your throat, nose, and skin to feel dry.

Because your body is dehydrated you need to drink more water, obviously, and if any alcohol you imbibe will affect you more quickly.

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David continued: “Being so high up also prevents blood flow to your face so you will look dull and colorless. What I do when I get off a flight is I always do a couple of squats.” Another aspect that people may not have realised is SPF.

"Because you're 30,000 feet up in the air that means you're 30,000 feet closer to the sun so make sure to have your airplane windows closed or wear lots of sunscreen because it will damage your skin.”

People reading the comments loved David’s helpful and practical advice. One person who shared they previously worked as a cabin crew wrote: “As a former flight attendant, I 100% agree with the sunscreen part! Since we must wear makeup, I have found ways to keep it intact.”

Another asked if it was a good idea to perform a skincare routine on a flight, taking into consideration the germs and air. They questioned: “I’ve seen ppl do skincare on the plane but I wasn’t sure if that’s good bc of the air? I read that it just traps the recycled air into your skin.” And David replied: “That’s meeee. It’s ok it’s better than having dry skin.”

Eve Wagstaff