Essential Oil Skin Care Tips for Frequent Fliers

Are you one of those people that has lots and lots of airline miles, so many that if you had a dollar for each one, you could stop working for a living? Do you know exactly where all the Auntie Anne's Pretzels are located at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport? Do you book your flights by typing in the 3-letter airport code instead of the city name into the "Destination" box on-line? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you fly too much ? and if you fly too much, chances are, it has taken a toll on your skin!

Let's face it: when you fly, you are entering an aluminum box full of bad air consisting mostly of recirculated other-people's-gaseous-disturbances. 37,000 feet up, you are actually grateful for being able to breathe at all, but on the other hand, have you ever taken a close look at a flight attendant's face? Talk about constant dehydration! The proper use of essential oils during your in-flight routine, in addition to having aromatic, anti-bacterial, and therapeutic benefits, can also help you avoid having YOUR skin resemble the Sahara desert or a topological contour map (where lines and wrinkles denote elevation). Here are 5 essential-oil based in-flight skin care tips that have worked for me, a former Frequent Flier:

  • Avoid drinking diuretics such as coffee, alcohol, or sodas. These squeeze the water out of our cells, and we need as much as we can get while we're up there. Drink plenty of bottled water with a twist of Lemon or Lime for further purification and a refreshing tingle. They don't have Lemon or Lime on your airline? Then use a drop of Lemon or Lime oil, instead. Don't like plain water? Try mineral water or club soda instead for a little extra "zest!"

  • Make a face spritzer and use it often! You can make one using an empty spray bottle with an atomizer top. Add some hydrating essential oils to make it more effective: I like to put 3 drops Lavender, 3 drops Neroli, and 3 drops of Rose per 4 ounces of water because these oils are not only hydrating, they're also anti-aging.

  • Have your body lotion readily available so you can quickly mollify dry, itchy areas like shins and arms. Add 10 drops of a good Dry Skin essential oil blend to 1 ounce of your favorite shea butter-based body lotion for maximum benefit as well: I like a blend of equal parts Roman Chamomile, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang, Rose, and Sandalwood.

  • For dry scalp (which causes embarrassing flakes) and lips in-flight, rub several drops of Lavender oil into your scalp and a single drop onto your lips to help eliminate dandruff and alleviate chapped lips.

  • After you land, take a nice, long bath to soak up more moisture and soothe your nerves. Don't forget to dunk your head under as well! I like to add 15 drops of Lavender and 15 drops of Grapefruit to 2 ounces of Epsom salts to my post-flight baths ? it has the added bonus of putting me straight to sleep and helping me get over jet lag!

    • Maryling Yu is a former frequent flier and current owner of Pavia Day Spa in Saratoga, CA, where she and her staff focus on clients' sanity, not vanity. http://www.paviadayspa.com