Post-holiday skin blues? Use these techniques to restore your glow

Even if you love flying, all those hours locked in a metal tube with airconditioning and humidity levels as low as 10 per cent are stressful for your skin. Hello, acute dehydration.

In air that has been compressed, then cooled, no amount of spritzing can counteract this impact; basically, your skin barrier is compromised from the moment the wheels go up. Long travel days can also dry out skin, and weight-restricted carry-on luggage means your skincare products need a serious edit.

Then there are the differences in water quality and content in other countries. In London, where I spent several weeks recently, the water is “scaly”, the result of the limescale deposits that form due to naturally occurring minerals such as calcium and magnesium. This “hard” water makes everyday tasks such as washing your hair much more challenging, especially with products made for Australia.

After travel, try to devote a half day to rebooting parched, weary skin. Look for a moisturiser such as SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore Anti-Ageing Moisturiser ($214) that blends hyaluronic acid, ceramides and allantoin to rehydrate and reboot skin without clogging pores.

For eyes – the face’s “windows of fatigue” – go for big guns such as Clarins Double Serum Eye ($135). Its lightweight texture delivers a great dose of hydration without causing mascara to smudge.

To slough off the travel dust and a build-up of dead skin cells (and sunscreen), try a gentle daily exfoliator to reawaken your skin. We love Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant ($112), with its gentle, rice-based formula. For a nightly hit of retinol, try Medik8 Crystal Retinal 1 serum ($89) – perfect for those with sensitive skin.

Never underestimate the power of a sheet mask to revive and boost radiance in minutes. Kibon face masks ($19 each) are fab for dull skin as they contain a great delivery system for maximum absorption to help calm redness and inflammation, and boost glow. The skin on your body also takes a pounding on holiday but our newest find, CeraVe Intensive Moisturising Lotion ($37), contains revitalising ingredients while also gently exfoliating.

For a quick, hydrating pick-me-up, soothing spritzes are essential. One of our all-time favourites is Caudalie Beauty Elixir ($93), which comes in a flight-friendly 100ml bottle. And let’s not forget hair, which can also suffer from being parched. We like Maria Nila Purifying Cleanse Shampoo ($52), which soothes the scalp and adds a big dose of healing hydration to tortured tresses.