So winter time is with us once more and what does that mean? Yes, the days are shorter, the nights are longer, it seems like the office is inescapable, and it is freezing outside; but there is one positive, forgetting it all with a trip to your favorite ski resort in the mountains.

Before we rush off to the nearest ski rental shop we must take a minute to consider something much more important, our skin. High altitude has a tremendous degenerative effect on our skin cells but there is a way to guard against it, here's how.

MOUNTAIN AIR AND CLIMATE

Altitude greatly effects its surrounding environment. When in high altitude areas the moisture, humidity, air pressure, and oxygen levels are significantly less. This creates an excessively dry climate that experiences vast differences between day and night temperatures as compared to low altitude areas.

MOUNTAIN AIR AND YOUR SKIN

The extremities of these radical conditions also have an extremely exaggerated effect on your skin. Of the most notable 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 due to the fact that the air is usually totally devoid of any form of moisture, there is a significantly higher risk of experiencing dry, irritated skin, facial redness, and eczema.

It is also usually safe to assume that while in 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.

ALWAYS PACK NATURAL SKIN CARE BALMS

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