For most women it is almost impossible to step out of the aeroplane with fresh radiant skin. Although lack of sleep during a long flight causes bags and a pale skin, there are also other reasons why flying can be a drain on your skin. Fortunately there are ways in which you can limit the damage or even avoid it.
Both feet back on the ground again?
It has emerged from very recent research that interference with your body clock after long flights can, during the course of the day, cause your skin to become less efficient at protecting against outside influences. So theoretically jetlag can prematurely age your skin. This effect is more noticeable if you are older; when you are younger your body clock has much less difficulty with this change. This makes it additionally important after a long flight to protect your skin with a sun filter and a cream with higher concentrations of anti-oxidants. Good anti-oxidants are, for example, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (tocopherol).
An occasional spray…
Apart from the fact that your skin has difficulty in adjusting to the new rhythm, it also has trouble retaining moisture during the flight. The dry air in the aeroplane dries your skin out very quickly and an over dry skin is more susceptible to external irritants. So your skin can feel not only dry after a long flight, but also look red and blotchy. This can also be largely avoided. Keep your skin damp by spraying it with water (water from the tap is also good as you may not get through customs with a plant sprayer).
and smear in extra hydrating substances!
If you want to avoid dry skin then the trick is to seal it off while it is still damp with a cream which stops moisture from evaporating! The best thing is good old fashioned vaseline; it is a bit sticky and shiny but it works a treat. And it is a myth that it causes spots, it so happens that it doesn’t block the pores. If you want to do it really thoroughly, firstly apply onto your damp skin a moisturiser which contains substances that retain the moisture like a sponge in your skin (such as hyaluronic acid) and substances which can strengthen and soothe it (eg. Niacinamide). Then over this apply a layer of vaseline! You know, for sure, then that you will step out of the aeroplane with lovely smooth skin.
The ‘basics’ at your destination
At your holiday destination you often have to deal with high temperatures, a lot of sun and a variable humidity. If you want to avoid sun damage (the cause of wrinkles and pigmentation) then it is better to protect your skin not only with a sun cream but also with a cream containing anti-oxidants. If you are on a city break this will also protect your skin against the increased air pollution. Apart from a sun cream and a cream with anti-oxidants, a mild, preferably un-perfumed, cleanser wouldn’t go a miss in your travel bag. At the end of the day you can use this to remove the last traces of dirt and sun cream from your face with ease.
The temperature and humidity
If you are going to a country with high temperatures and humidity, then it’s best not to use an overly rich cream; otherwise there is a big chance that you will suffer from fluid filled bumps or blisters. A water based cream or serum will then be sufficient. If you go to cold climates or often sit in hotels then you most probably have to deal with low humidity. In this case apply the tips that I gave about skincare during flights. It may be wise in this situation to wash your face with a cleanser in the evenings only; cleansing your face twice a day may be just too much of a good thing!
Which factor should you take?
One more tip about the sun cream; unless you have extremely pale skin, using a factor 15 or 30 is likely to be high enough. If you apply a sun cream properly and according to the rules a factor 15 will give just 6% less and a factor 30 just 3% less protection than a total sunblock. Furthermore, the lower factors are often more pleasant to use and generally contain less irritating ingredients.
Regards Jetske.
(Dr. Jetske Ultee-Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology)
You can also read:
‘Luxury ingredients for your skin’,
‘A healthy barrier function, a healthy skin’,
‘What is a serum?’,
‘Such dry skin”, and
‘Winter in the Netherlands, what does it do to your skin?’
On TV!
In the AD
Many people don’t realise that in the land of cosmetics, there are great deal of identical twins to be found. In other words; the shelves are full of products with the same ingredients but very different names. Very amusing when you realise this… You may even find that the same list of ingredients from a cheaper product is also found on its three times more expensive twin brother. It is therefore not uncommon for the products to come out of the same factory.
Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denatured, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane
Wate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate,
Determining your skin type is not as easy as it sounds! Because are those bumps really acne or just a result of an over sensitive skin? And what actually is the difference between a “dehydrated” and a “dry” skin? You just have to google it and you become completely disheartened. If you have been able to find out what your skin type is, you then need to start searching for suitable products . But don’t worry help is on its way! Today is part 3 in the mini course “know your skin”:-)
There is a celebration today, but before I tell you more about it I would like to say something about my two different hats. If I give interviews or write pieces for my blog I do that as independently as possible. And I think I pretty much achieve that ! But as most people know by now, I also have my own product line; 
I have already written about the difference between men’s and women’s skin. Because men have more sebaceous glands their skin is more oily than that of women’s. Alongside this men have more collagen, elastin and sebum/hair follicles which “support” the skin. This makes men’s skin also slightly thicker (as if we didn’t already know that…:-)). Because the framework of the man’s skin is stronger, wrinkles and sagging skin take longer to appear. Not fair but true!
It was that time again last week for a big end of year clear-out of my toilet bag. Not so extravagant, as cosmetic products have a limited shelf life and using out of date products can cause a heap of problems. And I’ll bet that you also have products in your bathroom in which a little too much bacteria and fungus are swimming around!
This is no guarantee that your product is still in order though. That depends on how long the product has been in the distribution centre, the way you use it, the composition and the packaging of the product and the preservatives used. If there is ‘no open pot symbol’ on the packaging then there should be an expiry date on it.
I really wanted to write a book about skincare… My head is so full of information; that it simply needed to be put down on paper! Meanwhile two years down the line and Giphart, van Royen and Nigella have become my biggest heroes. Because writing a book is chewing through, abandoning, losing heart, and yet again carrying on. A bit like giving birth actually; So I regard the book as my fifth child. Last week the almost final result was presented by the Studio Room, Graphic Design Agency. Complete with photographs! I could so have been in the commercial for Fisherman’s Friend…
I read about a remarkable study by Yale University in Boston. A couple of months ago Dr. Lubna Pal (Professor in gynecology, obstetrics and fertility) discovered that the more wrinkles someone has in the first years after starting their menopause, the worse their bone quality is. In other words, people with deeper and more wrinkles also appeared to have more fragile bones. This is also true vice versa; people with smooth firm skin actually had stronger bones. You may think yes that’s logical; people that have more wrinkles are older and therefore also have a higher chance of a fracture. Or people who have more wrinkles have these due to bad diet which also has an influence on the strength of the bones! But the investigation revealed that this relationship was not caused by factors such as age or diet.