Travel Beauty SOS

OK, I’ll admit it… There are certain benefits from having a fiancé living and working in Dubai. Monthly trips to the sunshine is an obvious up-side – especially when the weather is so unpredictable at home – as are the endless shopping opportunities and glamorous nights out in sparkling, gold-plated bars.

Travelling, however, is certainly not one of the bonuses. I have sat through 14 long-haul flights in 2010 alone – and for that reason, I have become an expert at how to endure them. The pressurised air cabin literally sucks moisture from skin, hair and nails, so if you are lucky enough to be jetting away to the sunshine this summer, I strongly recommend following the tried-and-tested solutions below…

1. The night before you travel, prepare hair for the moisture-sapping atmosphere with an intensive treatment. Look out for ingredients like ‘Shea Butter’, ‘Almond Oil’ and ‘Honey’, which will leave locks feeling ultra-soft and nourished. My hair tends to suffer from static on flights, so I always pull it into a loose ponytail before take-off and keep a small tube of serum in my hand luggage to comb through before we land.

2. Generously apply an intensive night cream to your complexion just before take-off – even if it’s a day flight. Night creams are packed with ingredients to hydrate, nourish and repair skin over a 7-8 hour period, so work perfectly for long-haul flights. It’s pricey, but if you can afford Clarins Super Restorative Night Wear, £66, I would highly recommend it.

3. Without lip balm, your pout will become dry, flaky and potentially cracked. Nuxe Reve de Miel, £8, is the best lip balm I have ever tried (and I have tried a lot…) At the end of the flight, my pout still feels soft and supple.

4. Don’t forget hands and nails! I keep a small bottle of cuticle oil in my hand luggage and reapply regularly throughout the flight. For hand cream, pick the richest, thickest, best hydrating formula you can lay your mitts on. I never fly anywhere without the travel-sized version of L’Occitanne’s Shea Butter Hand Cream, £6.75.

Find out more about Louise Emma Clarke

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