Our All-Star Guide to Fix the Most Common Travel Beauty Problems

Frizzy hair from the local water, awful bug bites and even puffy, tired-looking eyes after a long flight… We’ve all been there.

And while we can’t necessarily wave a magic wand to make all of these issues disappear entirely, we can lend you some solid advice for how to avoid and address the beauty problems that arise during your travels.

Here are the products we recommend stocking up on (and so many of them are on sale right now) for each possible skin or hair scenario!

For Puffy Eyes/Puffy Face

The best way to address the post-plane puffy eye issue is threefold. When you board, remove any makeup, first thing. Sleeping with makeup on or even just sitting with it on during a long flight can irritate your eyes and the delicate skin around them a surprising amount. Once your skin is clear, do an eye mask like the Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels. Then, right before landing, you could treat yourself to a little facial massage using a roller, like this Jade Roller Beauty Rose Quartz from Cotify to jumpstart your circulation again, and use your index finger to gently dab a little something restorative and hydrating under your eyes, like SkinCeuticals A.G.E Complex or La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Eyes Cream. If you still feel like you need a concealer, try the top-rated Glo Skin Beauty, which features two hydrating, blendable hues.

For Breakouts

We could spend days, weeks, years — eons, even — going into all the different kinds of travel-induced acne that can cause a complication mid-trip, but we’ll try and keep it brief. Whether you have oily, dry, or combination skin, there is typically a way to combat breakouts even when you’re en route.

The Solution: Serums, especially this iS Clinical Active Serum which multi-tasks its way through a plane ride, smoothing, brightening and fighting off acne before it even appears. Another great option is to keep a zit-zapping roll-on in your bag, like this Better Skin Zit No More roller stick that uses a combination of tea tree oil and salicylic acid to diminish the appearance of blemishes.

There has been a big market for cleansing water in the past couple years, too. Opt for something like this travel-sized micellar cleansing water from Yon-Ka which can be applied gently to the face using a soft washcloth, and doesn’t need to be rinsed off, so it’s ideal for when you’re racing from gate to gate, road-tripping, or stuck on a plane overnight.

And, remember, when it comes to drinking and snacking on a plane, opt for lots and lots of water, or hot water with lemon. Try to keep snacks to whole, healthy, gut-friendly foods that won’t cause flare-ups. What you put in your body will almost always impact your skin.

For Wild Hair

How is your hair wired to react to a dry environment like an airplane cabin? Why, with oil, of course. When heading to the hotel room for a shower isn’t an option, we’ve got you covered.

Bumble & Bumble makes a powder dry shampoo that comes in a very convenient travel size, lasts a really long time (especially if used sparingly), and soaks up grease, dirt, and moisture around the roots of your hair very effectively, giving it body, too. R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo is another favorite of ours. It’s tiny enough to pop into your clear, TSA-approved bag, and will give you a good boost of volume and freshness. Plus, it smells divine.

For Dry Skin

To put it plainly: airplane cabin air is not very nice to our skin. Most travelers experience a bit of post-flight dryness, but those of us who are already prone to dry skin can really struggle with keeping skin clear and hydrated away from home.

Serums, serums, serums are the solution. The nice thing about an oil-based serum is the punch that it packs. You barely need any in order to see results. And they often work their magic overnight, or while you’re asleep, so if you’re stepping on a plane and know you’ll be there for the next six to 10 hours, slipping a serum into your carry-on bag might be a real skin-saver. Here are a bunch of our favorites, but some standouts include Sunday Riley Juno Essential Face Oil, Kahina Giving Beauty Argan Oil, and Bio-oil. If you prefer a cream moisturizer, try S.W. Basics, which is simple, all-natural, and very fast-acting.

Also, never underestimate the power of a good hydrating sheet mask (they’re easy to apply and dispose of during a flight), like the Dr. Jart Dermask Water Jet vital hydra solution, the Patchology FlashMasque, or J.Lo’s favorite, the SK-II facial treatment mask.