We all know how good it is to get away from the city after a period of never ending work and take a break in the mountains. The air smells fresher, the skies are clearer, natural beauty is all around, and fun is to be had.

What doesn't usually cross our minds is the effect the higher altitude will have on our skin. There is a reason people who live in extreme climates have much tougher, damaged skin, here's why.

ALTITUDE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Altitude greatly effects its surrounding environment. When in high altitude areas the moisture, humidity, air pressure, and oxygen levels are drastically less. This creates an excessively dry climate that is likely to experience a greater degree of variance between day and night temperatures as compared to low altitude areas.

ALTITUDE AND YOUR SKIN

The extremities of these elevated conditions also have an extremely exaggerated effect on your skin. Some of the most prominent are the drastically increased risk of sunburn, premature aging, and melanomas due to the stronger presence of UV rays and free radicals in the thinned atmosphere.

Also because the air is usually totally devoid of any form of moisture, there is a markedly increased likelihood of experiencing dry, irritated skin, facial redness, and eczema.

As is usually the case with a trip to the mountains there will be increased levels of drinking, partying, unhealthy eating, and profuse sweating from a day on the slopes. All of this is part of the life in a ski resort but it is severely influential in both drying and irritating the skin.

COUNTER THIS WITH THE USE OF NATURAL SKIN CARE BALMS

If you want to keep your skin looking vibrant and full of moisture and elasticity it is important to take a natural, nourishing lotion or balm on your trip. Natural lotions and balms are absorbed faster into the skin, and rehydrating without causing terrible irritations unlike many of the chemical based products found on the shelf.