LET's face it. Flying is the ultimate test for any beauty regime. There's the fear of germs in the recirculated cabin air, but most problematic is its dryness. Cabin air supposedly is as humid as air in the Sahara Desert (roughly 20 per cent humidity), which means that the moisture will be sucked out of your skin even as the plane leaves the runway. This makes the travel beauty business a very lucrative one indeed and explains why beauty brands have, in the last few years, started to launch many flight-specific beauty products.

For example, Prescriptives launched a Super Flight Cream and beauty giant Estee Lauder also went on to launch their own Super Flight Creme to battle altitude dehydration.

In fact, sales of travel beauty products account for roughly a fifth of the beauty retail business for Nuance-Watson, which rung up a total of $250 million last year. Nuance-Watson has 24 beauty stores in the four Changi Airport terminals.

Thanks to the growth of air travel, as well as the international regulation of carrying liquids no more than 100ml on board - mini kits are in. 'Today, packing the purchases of liquids/aerosols/gels in Sealed Tamper Evident Bags has become a 'way of life' and travellers being better informed have grown accustomed to such requirements,' Ken Tse, managing director of Nuance-Watson.

Yap Eng Kian, director of multi-label beauty boutique Scubbe the Apothecary, agrees: 'Retailers have quickly learnt to get around the inconveniences caused by in-flight travel restrictions. We've seen more products available in mini or travel sizes - in fact, this is almost an industry norm today.'

'Men, especially those who are PMEBs, appreciate the fact that they can buy travel kits and packs because most cannot be bothered to fill up little 100ml bottles when they travel,' says Tan Seng Hwee, director of men's beauty store What He Wants.

Travel kit-sized products - first launched so you can carry a tube of moisturiser on board the plane rather than a tub - are in fact getting to be a hit among grounded shoppers. Mr Tan points out that travel size kits also double as good trial products for those who are looking to try new stuff - which is why they 'tend to do well in the market'.

To help all you avid travellers out there to decide which items to take on a long-haul flight, or just to sample, here are some of BT Weekend's top picks of beauty products that should make the cut for your hand luggage.

Travel kits

THOSE lucky enough to travel first class with Swiss International Air Lines, Malaysia Airlines, Eva Air and Lufthansa are presented with a luxurious La Prairie amenity gift set so that they can pamper their skin while travelling.

But those who aren't that fortunate, never fear, for there are travel kits galore that can be purchased over the counter.

At Nuance-Watson's beauty counters in the airport, Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Traveler Gift To Go ($39) comes with the a hand treatment, lip protectant stick and skin protectant from its famed Eight Hour Cream line that seasoned fashionista travellers swear by - thanks to its healing, moisturising and protecting benefits.

If you hit the mall before the airport though, another good pick would be Dr Hauschka's Daily Face Care Kit ($37, at outlets like CK Tang) that comes with small trial sizes of products such as a cleansing cream, cleansing milk and moisturising cream, which are also sufficient for a long weekend.

For the men, check out the Wanderlust travel kit from Billy Jealousy ($65) from What He Wants at The Cathay and Suntec City. The kit includes everything from shaving cream, to shampoo, to a facial cleaner and even hair gel to to fix your hair! Finally, for those with specific beauty concerns, head over to one of the The Sloane Clinic branches (Holland Village, Raffles Place and ION Orchard) where they carry travel kits from iS Clinical targeted at those with acne ($438) or pigmentation problems ($499) or those looking for an anti-ageing kit ($517).

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise

There really is no way around it: when cruising at 20,000 feet in the sky, the moisturiser is your best friend as the air-conditioner on the plane will dry up every bit of life from your skin.

For general skin purposes, trainer for beauty brand Jurlique, Eunice Ho recommends applying the brand's Moisture Replenishing Day Cream ($70 for 40ml and outlets like CK Tang) every few hours and the 'chamomile, rosehip and evening primrose oil in the moisturiser will leave your skin soft and glowing', she promises.

For the eyes, Dr Brandt's R3P Eye Cream ($126) from Scubbe the Apothecary (Centrepoint and Takashimaya Shopping Centre) will help to protect the delicate area around the eyes. With a superior anti-ageing formulation of three intense polypeptides as well as potent antioxidants such as green tea, Vitamins A and E in a moisturising shea butter base will 'work to refinish, replenish and retexturise your skin and rescue eyes tired from the stresses of continent hopping', says Scubbe's director Yap Eng Kian.

Other good options include Estee Lauder's Super Flight Creme for face and eyes ($112 at DFS Galleria and $105 at Singapore Changi Airport) that is said to leave all alighting the plane looking radiant and well rested.

Multi-purpose products

When travelling, if anything, efficiency is key. And if the products you bring with you can kill a few birds with one stone, all the better.

The Rodial Glam Balm ($167) from Scubbe is a good example. A super blam that works to plump lips, erase fine lines, treat skin, nourish hands, tame fly-away hair, sooth sunburn and strengthen nails is a god-send to anyone's travel beauty regime as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Richie will tell you. Alternatively, try the DERMA-Rx Rejuvenator ($149 before tax) from The DRx Clinic (Tong Building) that's not only a non-oily moisturiser but also stimulates cell renewal and turnover, resulting in firmer skin even after the flight.

For customers on long flights wanting to remove their makeup, MAC has wonderful wipes ($29 for 45 sheets from MAC counters islandwide) to counter the regulations on the amount of liquid one can bring on board. An ideal substitute for facial cleansers or makeup removers, this is a product that is handy both in and out of flights.

And finally, a must have in every woman's make up kit is YSL's Top Secrets ($89 from YSL counters islandwide) - a flash radiance skincare brush that doesn't only help to stimulate improve tired, jetlagged skin with a quick swipe but also covers up facial imperfections - so you can arrive glowing at your destination.

This article was first published in The Business Times