Why is airplane travel bad for your skin?

Air travel exposes skin to two main stressors: increased ultraviolet radiation at cruising altitude (30,000–40,000 feet) and extremely dry cabin air with humidity levels below 20 percent. Together, these factors weaken the skin barrier, accelerate transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and increase oxidative stress that can age the skin.

What skincare products should you pack in your carry-on?

A dermatologist-recommended carry-on skincare kit includes five essentials: a gentle face wash, an antioxidant treatment (such as vitamin C), a barrier-supporting moisturizer with humectants like glycerin and emollients like shea butter or squalane, a healing balm for lips and dry patches, and broad-spectrum sunscreen for daytime flights.

What is the best in-flight skincare routine?

The ideal in-flight routine has three steps: (1) Apply an antioxidant treatment to neutralize free radicals from radiation exposure at altitude; (2) Apply a barrier-supporting moisturizer containing humectants like glycerin and emollients like shea butter or squalane to reduce water loss; (3) Seal with a healing balm on the lips, eyelid skin, and any dry patches to lock in hydration. On an 8–10 hour flight, repeat this routine two to three times.

Does flying increase your risk of skin cancer?

Frequent flyers face elevated UV exposure at altitude. Studies show that airline pilots have approximately a 2.2-fold higher incidence of melanoma compared with the general population, and cabin crew have roughly a 2.1-fold higher incidence, likely due to cumulative UV exposure at altitude. For occasional travelers, the risk is lower, but UV protection during daytime window-seat flights is still recommended.

How should you prepare your skin before a flight?

Before a long flight, apply an antioxidant treatment to protect against free radical damage from increased radiation exposure, followed by a thick, barrier-supporting moisturizer containing glycerin, shea butter, squalane, or ceramides. For daytime departures, apply sunscreen as the final step. For overnight flights, skip sunscreen so you can reapply moisturizer more easily throughout the journey.

What should you avoid doing on a long flight for your skin?

Avoid drinking alcohol, which accelerates dehydration and worsens skin dryness. Do not try new skincare products while traveling—stick to your trusted routine. Drink water throughout the flight to support skin hydration from the inside out.

How do you recover your skin after a flight?

After landing, apply a hydrating mask or try slugging to restore normal moisture levels to the skin. For the first 24 hours after arrival, focus on barrier repair: use gentle cleansing, a hydrating moisturizer, and a healing balm if needed. Avoid exfoliating acids or retinoids until the skin feels fully hydrated again.

Airplane Travel Skincare Guide: How to Protect Your Skin Before, During, and After a Flight

Q: Should you wear sunscreen on a plane?

Yes. On daytime flights, especially when seated near a window, broad-spectrum sunscreen is recommended and should be reapplied every two hours. Airplane windows block UVB radiation but allow UVA radiation to pass through, which contributes to oxidative damage and long-term photoaging. Sunscreen is not necessary on overnight flights with the window shade closed.

By Heather D. Rogers, MD, FAAD, Double Board-Certified Dermatologist

Air travel is hard on your skin. Long flights expose skin to extremely dry cabin air, increased ultraviolet radiation at the high altitude, and disruptions to your usual routine. Together these factors can weaken the skin barrier, increase dehydration, and accelerate oxidative stress aging your skin.

The good news is that you can easily protect your skin while traveling. With a few smart steps before, during, and after your flight, you can keep your skin calm, hydrated, and healthy. Here is exactly how I recommend caring for your skin when flying.

Why Airplane Travel Is Hard on Your Skin

Two primary environmental factors affect the skin during flights: increased radiation exposure at altitude and extremely dry cabin air.

Increased UV Radiation at High Altitude

Commercial airplanes typically fly between 30,000 and 40,000 feet, where there is significantly less atmospheric protection from ultraviolet radiation. UVA radiation in particular can penetrate airplane windows and reach the skin breaking down collagen and increasing one's risk for skin cancer.

In fact, studies show Pilots have a 2.2-fold higher incidence of melanoma compared with the general population and Cabin crew: ~2.1-fold higher incidence! This is likely due to cumulative UV exposure at altitude.

What it means for the rest of us is that if you are seated by the window during a daytime flight, your skin may receive meaningful UV exposure for several hours and needs to be protected.

Extremely Dry Cabin Air

Aircraft cabins typically maintain humidity levels below 20 percent. This is far lower than most indoor environments. Low humidity accelerates transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which can lead to skin dehydration, tightness, irritation, and worsening of sensitive skin conditions. This is why you need to moisture your skin and hydrate while flying.

Should You Wear Sunscreen on a Plane?

The short answer is yes. You do not want to be caught without it. Daytime flights, particularly if you are seated by the window, need broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply every two hours. The plane window blocks UVB but you will have significant exposed to UVA. UVA radiation can pass through airplane windows and contribute to oxidative damage and long-term photoaging. If you are on a nighttime flight with the window shade closed, clearly the reapplication of sunscreen is not needed.

How to Prepare Your Skin Before a Flight

Preparing your skin before travel can help prevent dehydration, irritation and damage.

Before a long flight, I recommend a simple routine focused on antioxidant protection and intense hydration for skin barrier support.

Apply an antioxidant treatment like my Day Preventive Treatment to help protect against free radical damage from increased radiation exposure. Follow with a barrier-supporting, thick, long lasting moisturizer that contains ingredients such as glycerin, shea butter, squalane, or ceramides. These ingredients help strengthen the skin barrier and reduce water loss during travel.

Then if it's a day flight, apply sunscreen and make up. If it is an overnight flight, skip these steps so you can reapply moisturizer throughout the journey.

What Skincare Should You Pack in Your Carry-On?

When flying, you do not need your entire skincare routine but you do need a few VERY important ones to protect your skin from the two main stressors of air travel: increased radiation exposure and extreme dehydration.

The five products I always have in my carry-on are face wash, antioxidant treatment, a moisturizer, healing balm and sunscreen.

Face Wash

If my flight starts during the day but goes late or is a eye-red, I wash my face in the airplane bathroom to make it easy to reapply my day preventive treatment and moisturizer.

Antioxidant Treatment

An antioxidant is one of the most helpful products during air travel. At cruising altitude, the skin is exposed to higher levels of radiation and oxidative stress.

Antioxidants such as vitamin C help neutralize free radicals before they damage collagen or accelerate skin aging. Applying an antioxidant treatment during the flight can help protect your skin while also supporting overall skin health.

For long flights, this step can be repeated before every reapplication of your moisturizer.

Moisturizer

Cabin air is extremely dry, often with humidity levels below 20 percent. This accelerates water loss from the skin and can quickly lead to dehydration and irritation.

A good travel moisturizer should support the skin barrier and contain ingredients that both attract and retain water in the skin.

Look for formulas that include humectants such as glycerin along with emollients like shea butter or squalane. These ingredients help maintain hydration, protect from water loss and keep the skin barrier functioning properly during long flights.

Reapply moisturizer whenever your skin begins to feel tight or dry.

Healing Balm

Sometimes an excellent moisturizer is simply not enough to protect your skin from the dry cabin air. This is when you reach for my healing balm. I apply to my lips, eye lid skin and pat over my moisturizer to for added prevention of water loss on long flights.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is important when flying during the daytime, particularly if you are seated near a window.

UVA radiation can pass through airplane windows and contribute to oxidative stress and long-term skin damage. Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with zinc oxide can help protect the skin during prolonged sun exposure at altitude. See my recommended sunscreens in the Sunscreen Guide 2026: Dermatologist Recommended Essentials.

If you are on a daytime flight and sunlight is entering the cabin, reapply sunscreen every two hours, apply your antioxidant and moisturize prior for maximum benefits. Keeping these five products in your carry-on makes sure you and your skin are prepared and protected even through the unpredictability of travel.

The Ideal In-Flight Skincare Routine

For long flights, the goal is simple: protect against oxidative stress while preventing dehydration.

I recommend layering three types of products.

Step 1: Apply an Antioxidant Treatment

Start with an antioxidant serum or treatment. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals generated by radiation exposure at high altitude and help reduce oxidative stress that can damage collagen and accelerate skin aging.

Vitamin C and other antioxidant blends work well for this step.

If your skin begins to feel dry during the flight, this step can be repeated.

Step 2: Apply a Barrier-Supporting Moisturizer

Next apply a moisturizer designed to support the skin barrier.

Look for formulations that combine humectants like glycerin with emollients such as shea butter or squalane. These ingredients help maintain hydration and reduce transepidermal water loss in the extremely dry cabin environment.

A well-formulated moisturizer allows the skin to remain comfortable and hydrated during long flights.

Step 3: Seal With a Healing Balm

Finally, apply a thin layer of a healing balm to areas that tend to dry out first.

This usually includes the lips, under the eyes, around the nose, and any dry patches on the skin.

An occlusive balm helps lock in hydration and protect the skin barrier from additional dehydration.

How Often Should You Reapply Skincare on a Long Flight?

On a typical eight to ten hour flight, I often repeat this routine two to three times.

If its a daylight flight, I apply my antioxidant and heavy moisturizer prior to boarding and, prioritize reapplying sunscreen during the flight.

What to Avoid During Long Flights

Certain habits can worsen dehydration and skin irritation during travel.

Try to avoid alcohol, which accelerates dehydration and can worsen skin dryness. Drink water throughout the flight can also help support skin hydration.

Travel is also not the time to experiment with new products! Don’t just throw in your carry on the cute new samples that you have never tried to support your skin. Travel is warfare on the skin make sure to give your skin needs to get it through looking its best.

Get some sleep.

Dermatologist Travel Tips for Healthier Skin

A few simple strategies can help protect your skin during travel.

Choose an aisle seat when possible to reduce UV exposure from airplane windows. Keep your skincare products in your carry-on so they are easy to reapply during the flight.

Stick to a simple routine focused on antioxidants, hydration, barrier support and sunscreen.

Once you arrive at your destination, give your skin some extra love with a hydrating mask or slugging to return normal water levels to the skin. Focus on barrier repair for the first 24 hours after arrival. Use gentle cleansing, a hydrating moisturizer, and a healing balm if needed. Avoid exfoliating acids or retinoids until the skin feels fully hydrated again.

Restoring hydration and barrier function quickly helps your skin recover from the stress of travel.

The Takeaway

Air travel exposes your skin to increased radiation, extremely dry air, and environmental stress.

The key to maintaining healthy skin while flying is a simple routine focused on antioxidant protection, barrier support, and hydration. Antioxidants, moisturizer, healing balm, and sunscreen when needed can help keep your skin calm, hydrated, and protected while traveling.

With the right preparation, you can step off the plane with your skin looking refreshed and ready for your destination.

Scientific References

Sanlorenzo M, et al. The risk of melanoma in airline pilots and cabin crew: a meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatology. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26645469/

Diffey BL. Solar ultraviolet radiation effects on biological systems. Physics in Medicine and Biology. 1991. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1946600/

Kim YH, et al. Influence of relative humidity on skin barrier function and skin hydration. Ann Dermatol. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22879711/

About the Author: Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD

Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD is a double board-certified procedural dermatologist and Mohs surgeon and the co-founder of Modern Dermatology in Seattle, where she sees patients full-time. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in skin health, aging, and skin cancer prevention, and for her clear, evidence-based skincare guidance. Dr. Rogers serves on the American Academy of Dermatology Media Team, the Credo Beauty Council, the Sorette for Motherhood Scientific Advisory Board, and the NewBeauty Brain Trust.

She is the founder of Doctor Rogers Skincare, a dermatologist-developed line reflecting her less-is-more, science-backed approach to healthy skin. Dr. Rogers is a graduate of Stanford University, the University of Washington School of Medicine, and completed her dermatology training at Columbia University Medical Center.

Instagram: @drheatherrogers
Practice: mdinseattle.com
Skincare: doctorrogers.com

To receive expert, educational skincare insights from Dr. Rogers each week, sign up HERE.

All product recommendations on this site are not sponsored and reflect the independent opinion of Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD, based on her evidence-based research and extensive clinical experience as a practicing dermatologist. Links are provided for your convenience. Some may include discounts or commissions. Please shop wherever works best for you.

The content on doctorrogers.com and our social media channels - including articles, blogs, videos, newsletters, and linked resources - is intended for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, establish a doctor-patient relationship, or replace consultation with your physician. Use of this information and any recommended products is at your own risk and signifies your agreement with our Terms and Conditions. Nothing shared is intended to diagnose or treat specific medical practice.

Back to blog

Item added to your cart