This Is Actually the Grossest Thing You Can Do on a Plane

"Yes, I'll even go as far as to say it trumps common offenders like taking your shoes off, eating a tuna sandwich, and coughing without covering your mouth. While I'll absolutely give side-eye to the person who doesn't respect the rules of common decency with each of these snafus, repeatedly touching your face on a plane-a guaranteed breeding zone for pathogens-is the worst in-flight offense you can inflict. Even worse, you're inflicting it on yourself."

"Per the 2019 Airline Water Study by CUNY's Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, the researchers shockingly advise against washing up entirely, suggesting instead to use hand sanitizer given the risk of coliform bacteria and possible E. coli swimming around in the rarely sanitized water tanks. Staph species can also linger on airplanes, says Suraj Saggar, DO, the chief of infectious disease at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey."

Elaborate in-flight skincare routines increase contamination risk because airplane cabins are breeding zones for pathogens and cabin water is often contaminated. Repeatedly touching the face amplifies pathogen transfer and can be worse than other common airplane offenses. A 2019 Airline Water Study found coliform bacteria and possible E. coli in plane water tanks and recommended hand sanitizer instead of washing. Staphylococcus species can also linger on aircraft surfaces. Washing with cabin water may not remove microbes, and touching the face after contact with contaminated surfaces exposes skin to additional bacteria and increases infection risk.

Read at Fodors Travel Guide