How To Touch Up Till Touchdown

Want to arrive at your chosen destination looking more Learjet, less Easyjet? With the right kit and beauty know-how you can offset the damage even the stuffiest long-haul can do to your complexion

- Ingeborg Van Lotringen

01 BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE…

Comb through a light, leave-in hair serum (Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum, £36) and let it dry as you head to the airport. Moisture evaporates much faster on a plane than on land, decimating the water reserves in your skin and hair.

02 ONCE YOU’VE CLEARED LUGGAGE CHECK…

HEAD STRAIGHT TO BOOTS for a bottle of Vicks First Defence Nasal Spray, £6.55. A recent study showed that any person full of cold seated within a meter of you on the plane is 80% likely to infect you. Spritz this up your nose to kill the bugs (which breed in your nasal passages) dead.

03 AFTER SECURITY

Plane-cabin air pressure can expand intestinal gas by up to 30%, so choose your food wisely in Departures. Load up on lean protein – like Pret’s crayfish and avocado salad – and skip anything salty. The extra sodium will only exacerbate water retention.

04 BEFORE TAKE-OFF

PICK UP AN OJ. The air on any plane has less than 20% humidity – almost half of what you’re used to, which means you can end up feeling as dry as an old flip-flop. Thankfully orange juice is packed with potassium to restore your fluid balance. (So is coconut water or a ripe banana.)

05 IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKE-OFF