The definitive list of in-flight beauty essentials every smart traveller needs.

One day in the future, we can hope for some kind of super-sonic travel option that gets us to Paris before dinner. But for now? Getting from our Aussie isle overseas is a journey of epic proportions.

24 hours on a plane. Taxis. Public transport. Air conditioning. Coughing people. Dirty bathrooms. Travel is taxing on our bodies, and it’s important to be prepared for every emergency before you go anywhere. (And yes, chapped lips are considered an emergency…)

So for anyone about to travel, here are six beauty essentials that will make your flight a lot more bearable.

1. Lucas’ Paw-paw Ointment, Priceline, $4.99.

Plane air-conditioning works to suck out any moisture, leaving it up to 10 per cent dryer than normal air.

This means that less than an hour into your flight, you’re going to be feeling like an Egyptian Mummy. The first areas to get hit with dehydration will be your mouth and nose, so stock up on some trusty Lucas Papaw ointment.

Apply generously to chapped lips and dry nasal areas. Go on. Grease yourself up. No one’s looking.

Fun fact: applying paw-paw ointment or Vaseline to the inside of your nostrils can actually catch air particles that can spread illness on flights.

"I apply a thin layer of Vaseline around (okay, basically inside) each nostril,"writes Byrdie magazine editor Deven Hopp.

"Supposedly it catches the germs to keep you healthy... it's a little embarrassing but it’s never failed me."

2. Visine Maximum Redness Relief Eye Drops, Chemist Warehouse, $4.99.

The air-conditioning on flights won't just dry out your skin - it will also dry out those poor eyeballs as well. Bring along some hydrating and anti-red eye drops for the flight.

By hour #15, when you're dragging yourself onto a connecting flight and feeling like you've got sand in your eyes, these little babies are going to be a godsend.

3. Eco-Care Organic Apple Face Wipes, Sephora, $21.00.

It's so hard to beat that grimy, 'I haven't showered in two days' feeling during long-haul travel, but these wipes do a pretty good job at trying.

Now, listen up ladies: not all face wipes were born equal. The cheaper options can sometimes leave your face with a fine film of chemical product, and can even dry it out even more than the air-con will.

These delicious-smelling facial wipes from Eco-Care are apple scented, made with organic cotton, and will cleanse the skin and remove oil build-up. Being natural and biodegradable, you can feel good about doing the right thing by the environment, too.

4. Aesop Resurrection hand cream, $31.00.

Here's the splurge item. While it's *definitely* not kosher to spritz perfume in an enclosed environment like a plane, a luxe hand cream is a great way to make yourself feel human again. And get rid of that mild smell of cheese. (Post continues after gallery.)

This Aesop cream is a little exxy, but worth every cent: its rich formula will protect your cuticles and leave you smelling like a bunch of beautiful flowers.

5. Good Night Flight Travel Eye Mask, Dream Essentials, $29.95.

Do you know what really sucks? Those flimsy little sleep masks they give you on the plane that slide off just as you're falling asleep.

Invest in a good quality eye mask - you will be less inclined to lose it, and the heavy satin material will ensure a solid sleep.

6. Pore Refining Sheet Mask, Caolion at Sephora, $10.00.

This is your next in-flight secret weapon.

Before landing: wet the mask, throw it on, and wake up an hour later with fresh, dewy skin that defies the 20+ hours you've been in the air.

Sephora has a great range of individually packed face masks that you can slide into your handbag. Just don't scare the person next to you...

Bon voyage, happy travellers!