Having the perfect vacation is more than just packing the ideal wardrobe and sipping cocktails in the sun. It also means making the most of your time on land and in the air, and there’s no better opportunity to catch up on some much-needed beauty treatments than when you’re flying the friendly skies. I put several travel-friendly beauty masks to the test to nourish my eyes, hands, face, chest, and even toes while I was en route. Here’s how they stacked up.
Sephora Collection Hand Mask
One of the most essential in-flight masks IMO would have to be the hand mask. Walking out of baggage claim and greeting strangers with chapped mitts? No, thanks. So Sephora’s bargain buy is a crucial carry-on item since it’s virtually mess-free and works in 10 minutes — the amount of time it takes to choose your next movie. It comes in three formulas: nourishing avocado, anti-aging Argan, and moisturizing aloe vera, but my personal fave (and the one that made me feel like I was still on vacation) was the avocado. Just be sure to rub in any excess product after you remove the gloves.
Talika Eye Decompress
Leave it to the French to come up with one of the best soothing eye masks in the game. The camellia blossom and cornflower and chamomile water are extra calming and soothing, while Escin gets rid of puffiness and dark circles. And did I mention there’s a 10-minute relaxation podcast you can download on the instruction sheet to relax and refocus your mind? It doesn’t get better than that.
Karuna Exfoliating + Foot Mask
I’m all about masking my face, hands, and chest in an aircraft, but let’s not forget the feet. All that sand, sun, and surf can do some damage to your perfectly polished toes, but Karuna’s pedi-perfecting bags (as I like to call them) reverses all that in 20-30 minutes. For extra rough skin, you can also slip socks over the masks and wear them during an overnight flight.
Orgaid Greek Yogurt & Nourishing Organic Sheet Mask
If your skin is itchy, red, or irritated — as can be expected during travel — Orgaid’s yogurt mask will be your new best friend. Not only does it adhere well without sliding off, but it soothes and smooths via its organic botanicals. Pro-vitamin B5 and allantoin also tighten the skin so you’ll get a little lift and de-bloat, which is always in order after a night of partying.
SIO Skinpad
Any ladies with ample cleavage can probably relate to the dreaded chest crease. Seriously, you take a nap on your side sans bra and the next thing you know you’re waking up with décolleté wrinkles in between the girls. Not only are they annoying — especially if you want to deplane and slip into your bathing suit without baring these sleep-induced markings — but they can cause crepey skin over time and no one wants that. SIO’s genius medical-grade silicone patch hydrates and plumps this delicate area while firming and lifting, and it also feels super comfortable, so rocking one on the plane was NBD.
STARSKIN Silkmud Pink French Clay Purifying Liftaway Mud Face Sheet Mask
Unlike most of the serum-based masks I tried on my flights, this mud-based mask was totally different. For starters, it’s made of super-fine gauze and infused with Pink French Clay, Kaolin clay, and Bentonite to blitz blemishes, blackheads, and blocked pores. And when you peel it off, you can actually see the results as it acts like a magnet, pulling the impurities off your face and onto the now hardened sheets. I, for one, love a beauty treatment where I can see it working immediately, and this mask was great for a fast detox up in the air. However, because it’s not drenched with liquid and tends to dry quickly, I would strongly advise against falling asleep with it on. Beware of getting it too close to your hairline as well (I found that out the hard way). Regardless, my skin was insanely silky, shine-free, and taut AF due to newly minimized pores.