Let’s face it, what with the LAG restrictions on carry-on luggage on the plane, it’s really cramping our style on what we can and cannot bring on board with us, isn’t it? Next thing you’d wonder is how to bring all your makeup and skincare nessesities on the plane in that miserable little 1-litre sandwich bag!

Well, I did. And it’s a miracle on how I managed to squeeze them all in. That’s for using a proper see-through makeup bag. If you use a Ziploc sandwich bag, you can squeeze even more stuff in.

Here are some items I recommend bringing on board with you when you’re on a long-haul flight. Do make sure each item is 100ml or less though.

1. Face mists

These are great when you need a little pick-me-up on the flight. I normally spray some on my face when I get on the plane and then some more during the flight. Try Avene or Evian.

2. Small jar of your favourite moisturiser

Do you know that the in-flight air on the plane is drier than any deserts in the world? Relative humidity is 20-25% in the Sahara or Arabian deserts, while optimum comfort is around 50% humidity. In-flight cabin humidities gradually fall on long-distance, high-altitude flights in many cases approaching 1%. That’s a scary number, isn’t it?

So other than keeping yourself properly hydrated by drinking lots of water (not anything with caffeine, and definitely no alcohol if you can help it), keep your skin moisturised by applying your moisturiser every hour or two. I’d suggest using night cream; it’s richer in texture and more emollient. For some reason, the skin around my mouth always peels when I’m on long haul flights. I had to keep that area properly moisturised constantly.

You can also use tinted moisturiser, which gives you light coverage on your skin. I normally use this just as the plane is about to land.

3. Peppermint oil/cream

This is to combat travel sickness, headaches and nausea. Just put a few drops on your fingers, inhale slowly and deeply, rub a bit of the oil on your ears, temples and back of the neck. I do not recommend camphor oil such as Minyak Cap Kapak as the scent is very strong and will most likely irritate your fellow passengers. By all means use it when you’re not stuck with a whole lot of people in the same room. Do try Origins Peace of Mind On-The-Spot Relief. This works wonders for me.

4. Pantyliners

Do bring some with you on long-haul flights. Unless you’re going to be bringing a change of underwear as part of your carry-on luggage, on a long-haul fligh, you’re going to be wearing the same underwear for many, many hours as you did when you got on the plane. Keep your woohoo clean and fresh by changing pantyliners :p

5. Body cream

This can double up as hand cream as well. Remember the dry in-flight air? You’d want to keep your skin moisturised. Do massage some of the cream onto your cuticles as well, as they can get very dry.

6. Toothbrush and toothpaste

For fresh, minty breath after a long flight. I like to brush my teeth after meals and before I go back to sleep. Do bring these along just in case you’re not supplied with any. Always ask the flight attendants though if you could ’em. More often than not, they’ll oblige. Sigh cattle class.

7. Moisturising lip balm
Suffice to say, keep those smackers soft and peel-free with lots of lip balm (not lip gloss). My lips tend to get very dry on the plane. I normally slip a lip balm into my jeans pocket when I’m traveling. This way I’d always have access to it without having to reach into my purse for one.

8. Hand sanitiser and/or wet wipes

Believe me, the toilets on the plane, no matter what class you’re traveling on, can be downright filthy. People who splashes a lot of dough to travel on first/business class aren’t always the cleanest people on earth.

9. Eye drops

This is for waking tired and soothing red eyes. This is great for long-haul flights. Although slightly more expensive, I’d recommend using eye drop vials instead of eye drops in a bottle (think artificial tears in small, plastic vials). If you don’t use eye drops regularly, that is. Once a bottle has been opened, it will expire in 3 months, after which you’d need to chuck the whole bottle even if you haven’t finished using it. Vials last much longer, because you only use them when you need to. Plus they’re much smaller.

Oh, and ditch your contact lenses when you’re flying. You don’t need an extra factor to dry those peepers out.

10. Lip and cheek stain

This is great when you want to touch up with a bit of colour on your lips and cheeks, just when the plane’s about to land. I don’t have to bring separate lipstick, lip gloss or blush; the lip and cheek stain is versatile like that. Try Benetint or The Body Shop’s Lip and Cheek Stain.

11. Hair brush

Gotta brush those tangles out and look presentable before you land 😉

12. Medicine

Bring some with you when you’re traveling. This does not have to go into your 1-litre see-through bag, but at least it should be in your carry-on luggage or purse. I was having very bad air-sickness on my Singapore-Taipei flight, and the flight attendants only had paracetamol. I took some in the end, and just had to sleep it out. Bring some flu meds, antihistamines, something for stomachaches, etc with you when you’re traveling. Goodness knows these basic items could cost a bomb elsewhere.

And … that’s it!

You can also throw in some eye makeup if you have a bit more space. As for me, I concentrated on prepping my skin for the journey. You can always add in some mascara when you land (I suggest using the proper restroom in the airport terminals for that, just in case you encounter a bumpy ride on the plane when you’re about to land).

It’s a basic checklist which worked very well for me, on my overall-19 hour journey to and fro the US. I hope it works for you too 🙂