Expert Dermatologist Reveals Her Skincare Product Must-Haves For Long Flights

Dr. Russak and our resident Holistic Nutritionist, Jennifer Hanway, are hosting an intensive wellness retreat in August at The Capra. Together, they will be providing insights on the connection between wellness, overall gut balance and healthy, youthful skin. 

There’s still a chance to sign up, read about it here!

Ever wonder what skincare products a dermatologist packs for an overseas trip? Us too! Most of us suffer from dry and lackluster skin due to powerful airport AC levels and dry cabin air. The most common concerns we hear about from our patients include dry skin, red skin, breakouts, puffy eyes, and dehydrated skin.

So, we asked Dr. Julie Russak, MD of Russak Dermatology Clinic what beauty products she can’t leave home without – that best address these concerns.  

Here are Dr. Russak’s 4 must-have products – from take off to landing:

WIPE IT OFF  

“Clean your face the minute you get on a flight but do not use airplane water. Airplane filters are not cleaned regularly which means you’d be taking a chance on washing your face with dirty water, impurities, and bacteria. My trick? Neutrogena wipes in a zip lock bag.”

A THICK MOISTURIZER 

“It’s vital to protect the skin, especially when you’re always traveling, dealing with the stress of traveling and the changes in the environment. This, plus the dry air while airborne, is the worst possible combination for the skin. A good and heavy moisturizer acts as a barrier cream – I can’t live without SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore – the ceramides and cholesterol in it create a protective barrier which prevents dehydration from within and blocks impurities from getting into the skin.”

GOLD GELS TO THE RESCUE 

“The Revision DEJ eye cream and my custom formulated golden eye gels for firming and de-puffing the eyes are must-haves. I always keep my gels in a ziplock so they won’t dry up and I dab the eye cream on as soon as I take my seat. Depending on how puffy I am, or if I am not hydrating as well as I should, I will leave my gold eye gels on while I nap or watch a movie.”

MASK AND GO 

“Right after the airplane crew gives the landing warning, I will apply either SkinCeuticals Phytocorrective Mask or a Biocellulose Mask which I then remove right before grabbing my bags out of the overhead bin. Doing so ensures my skin is bright and ready for whatever comes next.”