If you thought the two most important factors when picking a plane seat were legroom and lavatory proximity, an ex-flight attendant would like a word.
According to beauty expert and former crew member Danielle Louise, your row selection at 35,000 feet can actually make or break your skin—and some spots on an aircraft practically beg to leave you flaky, tight or stepping off the jet bridge looking like you came from a sand dune.
The culprit, Louise says, is the cabin environment itself. Humidity on board can drop below 20% (that is actually drier than the Sahara) and recycled airflow plus UV exposure at altitude intensifies the assault on your skin’s moisture barrier. Fresha, a beauty and wellness booking platform, teamed up with Louise to map out the exact seats that do the most damage.
The danger zone, perhaps unsurprisingly, begins at the window. Those coveted sky-view perches also include a blast of UV exposure, which ramps up even on cloudy days thanks to reflective clouds and a few thousand fewer feet between you and the sun. With cold wall temperatures and limited airflow, you’ve got the driest spot on the plane.
Aisle seats in the middle of the cabin are the dark-horse heroes. Here, airflow is more consistent, temperature swings aren’t as great and you can stand up and stretch without bothering your sleeping neighbor. (Better circulation means happier skin.) On bigger jets, the center-block seats also seem to win the hydration game, with passengers reporting less tightness and irritation, even after long-haul trips.
No man’s land includes the first and last five rows. These spots take the brunt of pressure and humidity shifts during takeoff and landing, so your skin loses moisture at record speed. Bulkhead seats, meanwhile, can be a mixed bag—the legroom is nice, but strong vent airflow isn’t very forgiving. Another weirdly helpful trick? Aim for a seat above the wing. The aircraft’s structure stabilizes pressure changes there and humidity swings are smaller.
Louise insists that passengers underestimate the impact that flying has on their skin. “People don’t realize that where you sit on a plane genuinely impacts your skin barrier,” she said. (And expect the impact to be amplified if you’re wearing retinol or acids within 24 hours of your flight.)
Her advice: skip the actives, load up on barrier cream in the lounge, swap your wipes for a hydrating mist, wear SPF (even on night flights!) and start drinking water well before the beverage cart comes rattling your way.
With winter sun escapes booming and long-haul bookings up, it’s timely guidance. Your seat choice matters—and your skin is taking notes.
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