

I live in Asia, which means whenever I want to go back to the US to visit, I have to spend ridiculously long amounts of time on an airplane. If you’ve ever taken a long flight across the ocean, then you might be all too familiar with what I call “airplane skin.” You know, dry, itchy, wrinkly, mixed with chapped lips and bloodshot eyes. If you have oily skin, you may get off the plane with your face even more oily than usual. Since becoming a hardcore skincare junkie, I’ve realized the importance of not only having a night and daytime routine, but also a long haul in-flight skincare routine.
Why is a skincare routine on a long flight important? It all comes down to the humidity in the airplane cabin. A good humidity level indoors during the winter is anywhere between 30% to 40%. During the summer, anything below 50% is good. The humidity levels in airplane cabins? It can be anywhere from 15% to a pretty much non-existent 3%. So basically, airplane cabins have no humidity, which is awful for our skin, our eyes, throats, and our sinuses. Whenever people complain of having awful skin after a flight, it’s not only the air being re-circulated over and over again, it’s the low humidity levels that just suck every single drop of moisture from your skin, leaving it dry, red, scaly, itchy, and wrinkly. Gross.
So I combat airplane skin by layering on as much moisture as I possibly can, then adding more moisture every couple of hours. When I travel to the U.S., my flights are 20+ hours long, so hydration is key.
Here are my steps for stepping off the plane looking and feeling fabulous:
1. Keep It Clean
Missha First Treatment Essence
Cleanse skin using a micellar water like Bioderma or cleansing wipes. I’m anti-cleansing wipes, but the only time I’ll use them is on a plane. I don’t wear makeup when I fly, so I use the wipes to remove surface dirt and to prep my skin for the rest of my routine. If you do wear makeup, make sure that your skin is absolutely clean before moving on to the next steps.
2. Stay Hydrated
Apply a hydrating toner. In Korean skincare, toners are used for hydration, not for cleansing like Western toners. I use the Missha First Treatment Essence. Apply in your palms, and gently press into your skin.
3. Add Moisture
Missha Super Aqua Hydrating Emulsion
I then apply a lightweight moisturizer. I usually use something like the Missha Super Aqua Hydrating Emulsion. Again, apply in your palms and gently press into your skin.
4. Dab On Oil
Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask
Next, I like to mix a bit of oil with a sleeping mask. Using both together ensures that your skin is super hydrated and stays that way. I love argan oil mixed with my holy grail Korean beauty product, the Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask. It’s a thick cream that sinks into your skin like magic, and when you wake up, it looks like you’ve had a facial. It’s magic in a tube, and one of my flight essentials. If I’m feeling super dehydrated, I’ll use a sheet mask.
5. Re-apply and Repeat
As a final step, I apply an eye cream and use a hand cream to moisturize my hands and feet. I also apply a hydrating lip balm. Every couple of hours during the flight, I add a little more oil and moisturizer to my skin and reapply lip balm. When the plane is almost ready to land, I cleanse my skin again using a facial wipe, and apply the lightweight moisturizer, and proceed to put on makeup.
I know you’ve read all this and you’re like, “but how do I get all of these products in my small clear bag?” My secret weapon is samples. I have a stack of samples that I keep and use for flights only. You can order samples of your favorite products from eBay, or if you’re near a Sephora or department store you can ask a salesperson for samples. Also, water is essential. I bring a big empty bottle through security, and fill it up once I get into the terminal. I stay away from alcohol and caffeine during flights, as both dehydrate you.
I use this routine on any flight that is three hours or longer. Having an in-flight skincare routine not only ensures that my skin looks fabulous when I land, but that I don’t have to deal with any residual breakouts during my vacation. You gotta look good in that Travel Noire Instagram photo!
As a disclaimer, I am not a doctor or a medical professional. I’m just a woman who loves skincare, and wants to share my tips and tricks on what has worked for me personally. Please see your physician or dermatologist before beginning any new skincare regimen.
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
'Leave Quicker': Keri Hilson Opens Up About Learning When To Walk Away In Love
What you might call Black love goals, Keri Hilson is kindly saying, “Nah.”
In a recent appearance on Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast, the We Need to Talk: Love singer opened up about a past relationship that once had the public rooting for her and former NBA star Serge Ibaka. According to Cam, the pair looked “immaculate” together. Keri agreed, admitting, “We looked good.” But her demeanor made it clear that everything that looks good isn't always a good look for you.
That was all but confirmed when Cam asked what the relationship taught her. Keri sighed deeply before replying, “Whew. Leave quicker.”
It was the kind of answer that doesn’t need to be packaged to be received, just raw truth from someone who’s done the work. “Ten months in, I should have [left],” she continued. “But I was believing. I was wanting to not believe [the signs].”
Keri revealed to Cam that despite their efforts to repair the relationship at the time, including couples counseling, individual therapy, and even sitting with Serge’s pastor, it just wasn’t meant to be. A large part of that, she said, was the seven-year age gap. “He was [in his] mid-twenties,” she said, attributing a lot of their misalignment to his youth and the temptations that came with fame, money, and status.
“There were happenings,” she shared, choosing her words carefully. “He deserved to live that… I want what you want. I don’t want anything different. So if I would’ve told him how to love me better, it would’ve denied him the experience of being ‘the man’ in the world.”
But she also made it clear that just because you understand someone’s path doesn’t mean you have to ride it out with them. Instead, you can practice compassionate detachment like our girl Keri. “You can have what you want, but you may not have me and that.”
When Cam jokingly questioned what if there was a reality where a man wanted to have both “you and a dab of that,” Keri didn’t hesitate with her stance: “No,” adding, “I can remove myself and [then you] have it. Enjoy it.” Sis said what she said.
Still, she shared that they dated for a couple of years and remain cool to this day. For Keri, being on good terms with an ex isn’t a sign of weakness; it's a reflection of where she is in her healing. In a time when blocking an ex is often seen as the ultimate sign of growth, Keri offers an alternate route: one where healing looks like resolution, not resentment. “I think because I have such a disgust for ugliness in my life. Like, I don't do well without peace between me and everyone in my life. Like, I really try to resolve issues,” she explained to Cam.
Adding, “I think that's what makes things difficult when you're like sweeping things under the rug or harboring ill feelings towards someone. When you're healed, when you've done your work, you can speak to anybody when you've healed from things. I think maybe that's the bottom line.”
Watch Keri's appearance on Funky Friday in full here.
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Featured image by Paras Griffin/Getty Images