Which seats on the plane are better for your skin; how to hydrate

Window or aisle? Your choice of plane seat could be ruining your skin

Planes are notorious for making your skin dry and flaky, but what if we told you your choice of seat on the plane could help you arrive feeling fresher and more hydrated?. According to the experts, the aisle seats are kinder to your skin, and it's not just because of the air flow.. The window seat might feel like the best seat to get a good night's rest, but you're also tackling more UV, stagnant air and lots of germs on those walls..

According to the University of Queensland School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences associate professor, Yousuf Mohammed, the humidity in an aircraft is extremely low, at only 20 per cent.. Compare this with the National Asthma Council's guideline of in-home humidity being around 40-60 per cent, and you've got a very dry in-cabin experience.. And this isn't great for your skin..

"Window seats, obviously they're popular, [but] there is a lot more UV because you're above the clouds," Mr Mohammed told Explore.. "You're below the ozone, but you're above the clouds, and especially on the window seats there is UV, and that does impact your skin quality.. Photo aging is one of the bigger forms of aging in this day and age compared to just biological aging." Combine this with the low humidity conditions, the high pressure and sitting idle for long periods of time, and it all adds up to pull "the juice out of your body" - your skin starts to get "really, really dehydrated and there's a lot of loss of moisture", Mr Mohammed said..

Where you rest your head can affect your skin, too.. If you're in the window seat, don't rest your face against the wall as it's been through "so many cycles of people" that it is "contaminated", according to Mr Mohammed.. Try to use the supplied pillow with a fresh pillow cover, instead..

"Moisture is your friend" on a long-haul flight, said University of Melbourne senior lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Dr Anneliese Willems.. "I would recommend a thicker and barrier repair moisturiser, as opposed to a light liquid," Dr Willems told Explore.. "I would suggest something which is fragrance-free, and that is because the dry cabin can make the skin more sensitive, and fragrance can be a common trigger for irritation in the skin." Dr Willems said to look for three things in your moisturiser:.

humectants, such as hyaluronic acid;. emollients;. and ceramides to act as a barrier support..

"Facial mists are very popular and they might feel nice, but they don't replace moisturisers, and they can actually worsen dryness if they're not sealed in appropriately," Dr Willems said.. Apply your moisturiser before boarding, reapply during the flight, and don't forget lip balm, Dr Willems advised.. "I would suggest avoiding heavy makeup on a flight," she said..

And all that free alcohol and caffeine isn't your friend.. In fact, it can worsen dehydration which can "accentuate the feeling of dryness on the skin", according to Dr Willems.. According to beauty app Fresha, minimal airflow near the window seat can also wreak havoc with your skin..

But how far back you sit in the plane matters, too, they say.. They claim the most dehydrating zone is the first and last five rows of the plane, where temperature and airflow fluctuate the most..