With long-haul bookings already up year-on-year, Fresha revealed the exact seats most likely to leave passengers with tight, flaky or dehydrated skin.
According to beauty expert and ex-airline flight attendant Danielle Louise on the Fresha app, humidity levels inside a plane cabin can drop below 20 percent, drier than the Sahara.
Combined with recycled air, UV exposure at altitude and limited movement, certain seats accelerate moisture loss far more than others.
- Worst for skin: window seats, due to boosted UV exposure and minimal airflow.
- Best for skin: aisle seats in the middle of the cabin, where airflow is more stable, and humidity dips aren’t as severe.
- Most dehydrating zone: the first and last five rows of the plane, where temperature and airflow fluctuate the most.
- Surprising fact: seats directly above the wings receive the least turbulence in humidity changes.
- Skincare gain: passengers in centre-block seats (B, C, D, E on larger jets) reported less tightness and irritation post-flight.
“People don’t realise that where you sit on a plane genuinely impacts your skin barrier,” said Danielle Louise, beauty expert on the Fresha app.
“Window seats get the harshest UV exposure, even on cloudy days, because you’re thousands of feet closer to the sun and light reflects off the clouds. It’s a recipe for dehydration.”
She added that the aircraft’s front and rear sections also experience more pronounced humidity drops.
How to Protect Your Skin in Any Seat
- Skip active ingredients 24 hours before flying (retinol, AHAs/BHAs).
- Use a barrier cream in the airport, not after you’re already onboard.
- Choose a hydrating mist over a face wipe, which can damage the skin barrier.
- Apply SPF even on night flights (UV penetrates cabin windows).
- Drink water early, not just when the cart comes round.
Fresha has seen a 22 percent rise in searches for hydrating facials and barrier-repair treatments over the past month, driven by travellers wanting pre-flight protection and post-flight repair.
