High Altitude Skincare

One of the fastest ways to dehydrate your complexion is to step aboard an international flight. Recycled, pressurised cabin air, combined with vodka tonics, can suck the life out of your skin faster than you cross a time zone.

But, for the international traveler, jetsetting need not take a toll on comfort and appearance.

While many airlines now issue high quality mini-skincare packs to male passengers - Qantas for example has Payot Paris in first class and Australian label Ultraceuticals in business - taking your own travel-sized products will pay skin dividends.

Dermalogica's Skin Kit for Men, $56.50, offers five products, all of which are under the 100ml limit specified for international flights. Try the Special Cleaning Gel (59ml) for removing impurities, Skin Prep Scrub (22ml) to exfoliate dead skin cells and prepare for shaving, Professional Shave (19ml) with botanical oils to prevent razor-burn and Active Moist (22ml) to help prevent fine lines. A 10ml Medicated Clearing Gel can be used to treat that inflight blemish. Stockists:1800 659 118.

Australian brand Eyre BioBotanics offers a Frequent Flyer Kit, $50, available in London and Hong Kong's Harvey Nichols department store and here at Macro Wholefoods and online at www.eyrebiotbotanics.com. Included is a sulphate-free Active Enzyme Facial Cleanser (50 ml), ideal for sensitive skins, which can be followed with a Multi Vitamin Day Balm (15ml), or Omega Complex Night Cream (15ml). The kit also includes a smart, reusable wash bag and trial sizes of the Triple Action Facial Scrub (6ml), Absolute Shaving System (2 x 5ml) and Cehami After Shave Balm (5ml). Luxury brand Pevonia's travel packs in five skin type lines may have been designed with women in mind but the Travel Pack Power Repair, $131, that includes a Firming Marine Elastin Cream (50ml) is a popular buy with male frequent flyers keen to avoid complexion stress. Stockists: 1800 069116.

For those who like to travel light, Germaine de Capuccini For Men Travel kit, $25 contains three products under 15ml, including a Supreme Shave for men with dry or delicate skin and a tough beard, Post Shave Comfort and Anti-Fatigue Serum.) Stockists: 1300 432 100. Or try Aveda Shampoo Body Bar, $19.95, a versatile all-in-one hair and body cleanser. The brand's Pure-Formance Grooming Clay, $39.95, and Pomade, $39.95, also fit stringent travel guidelines at a size of 75ml.

No matter what you pack, the minimum requirements for arriving looking less than shabby are a high quality moisturizer and plenty of filtered water, says cosmetic physician and GP Dr Frank Vella. "Internal hydration, combined with a barrier cream, can prevent both flaky or irritated skin as well as fatigue," he says.

Finally, don't forget a sunblock, like True Solutions Babyface (20ml), $15, stockists 1800 808 993 especially if you prefer a window seat. A 2000 study of pilots found that their risk of skin cancer was 15 times higher than the general population for those flying international routes. The research, published in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said radiation at greater levels at altitude was a major cause.