Your skin faces some thorny issues on the slopes – but a stepped-up routine and our edit of the best skincare for skiing can make a real difference. After all, what could be more gratifying than moisturisers that coddle, soothe and make a glacial glow look like it's in your DNA?
Extreme temperatures are obviously skin's biggest nemesis when snow settles. But high mountain altitudes also mean "drier air and colder temperatures, all of which sap moisture from your skin,” says dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite, "while wind can also cause irritation and dryness.”
UV rays play a part, too, as snow reflects up to 80% of the sun’s light. “These rays are more likely to be directed at exposed skin,” Dr Granite notes. “UV exposure is even stronger at higher altitudes because the atmosphere is thinner, providing less protection.”
All of which is to say, doubling down with a vitamin C serum and an SPF50 sunscreen – alongside flooding skin with barrier-repairing ceramides – is your ultimate protection strategy.
Ahead, your step-by-step skincare guide for the perfect snow day.
The best skincare for skiing
Day
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C 10 Serum
- Best for: Refining and balancing out skin tone.
- Skin type: All skin types, particularly sensitive skin.
- Key ingredients: Pure vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid and thermal water.
- Tested by: Lian Brooks.
Why we love it: Best used once in the morning – over your face and neck – this pure vitamin C serum has a lightweight, non-greasy texture. It can be used on all skin types, even sensitive skin, and it helps correct signs of ageing while evening skin tone, brightening complexion and softening the skin. Alongside vitamin C, it contains hyaluronic acid which effectively hydrates and plumps the skin, as well as salicylic acid (for exfoliation) and thermal spa water (which contains an exceptional mineral diversity to help restore skin’s barrier, soothe sensitivity and fend off pro-ageing free radical damage). And while this product is not fragrance-free, La Roche-Posay is always a favourite among board-certified dermatologists for a reason.
“La Roche-Posay's Pure Vitamin C 10 Serum applied like a dream, having a light and non-sticky texture which makes it ideal for skincare layering. Overall, it played well with my skin and gave me a much appreciated glowy boost," says Lian Brooks, Glamour's Senior Audience Development Manager.
Save when you shop for the best vitamin C serums with these Superdrug discount codes.
Skin can be on the sensitive side on the slopes, but “if it's able to tolerate antioxidants such as vitamin C, these can be great to help combat the effects of increased UV exposure,” says Dr Granite.
Dr Sam's Flawless Vitamin C NAD+ Serum contains 15% vitamin C and innovative NAD technology, designed to help reboot skin cells, strengthen your skin barrier and reduce UV damage. It's also non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, making it a great fit for easily riled skin.
Another dermatologist favourite is La Roche-Posay's Pure Vitamin C10 Serum, which is excellent at catering for fragile skin and contains hyaluronic acid for added moisture.
“I like adding extra hydration with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, panthenol, ceramides and beta glucan,” Dr Granite notes, name-checking Tatcha The Dewy Serum as a favourite for on the slopes.
Despite being billed as a moisturiser, the Tata Harper Hyaluronic Gel Moisturiser is exceptionally light – and the antioxidant-rich chia seed water in the formula plays nicely under sunscreen.
Around 30% of your skin barrier is made up of ceramides – fats or lipids found in skin cells– that make it more resilient against chilly temperatures. So it makes sense to look for an emollient moisturiser that is equally rich in these lipids.
Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream parachutes soothing cica and lipids into the top layer of your skin, where they are needed most. Less of an S.O.S product and more of an indulgence, Caudalie's Premier Cru The Rich Cream contains ceramides alongside hyaluronic acid and a seriously impressive ingredient that boosts the skin's natural production of TET – an enzyme shown to increase elasticity, firmness and hydration.
A freezing headwind when shooting down the slopes means we often don’t feel the burning effects of the sun. “We apply sunscreen early in the morning, but when out skiing all day it's important to reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours," says Dr Granite.
Personally, I'm a fan of stick versions such as Shiseido's Clear Suncare Stick SPF50+ as they're pocket size, and the waxy formula offers additional protection against windburn.
Or, for a sunscreen that really doesn't require moisturiser underneath, try 111Skin Repair Sunscreen SPF50+ as it's already packed with skincare benefits including niacinamide to reduce water loss, hydrating hyaluronic acid and a cotton extract to dial down redness.
Don't underestimate the power of an SPF lip balm on the slopes. Both Mecca Cosmetica Lip De-Luscious SPF20 and Ultra Violette Sheen Screen Hydrating Lip Balm SPF50 not only deposit a pretty pink tint, but they will also prevent chapped skin and limit the risk of sunburn.
Night
A balm is more comforting when skin is skewing dry and sensitive. Remember, too, that like attracts like so SPF is removed more effectively with an oil-based cleanser.
Try Augustinus Bader The Cleansing Balm, which contains an avocado and olive fruit oil complex to leave skin feeling comfortable rather than taut. Or Sarah Chapman's Skinesis Ultimate Cleanse, which smells like a spa and cleans deeply but also cleverly contains collagen-stimulating peptides.
Windburn is characterised by red, tender skin as a result of prolonged exposure to cold, harsh winds. Dr Barbara Sturm's Calming Serum, which is laced with gentle botanicals, is beloved by beauty editors for its ability to dial down redness and rebalance sensitised skin – fast.
Medik8 Calmwise Serum is powered by an anti-redness active, while I can vouch for Kate Somerville's DeliKate Recovery Serum, with skin-identical ceramides and omega-rich fatty acids. It's a staple in my bathroom cabinet as it's just as effective on post-treatment skin as on a seriously compromised weather-beaten face.
Faced with so many aggressors, it's hardly surprising that your skin barrier becomes compromised – and inflammation, in the form of a rough texture, redness and stinging, becomes the equivalent of your skin sending out a flare. “As your skin replenishes during sleep, a richer cream or balm might be needed to help restore moisture levels overnight,” says Dr Granite.
Drunk Elephant's Bora Barrier Repair Cream is its thickest, richest cream to date with barrier-replenishing ceramides and potent antioxidants. Estee Lauder's Revitalizing Supreme+ Night comforts dry, dehydrated skin with hyaluronic acid (important as skin loses water faster at night) and a patented moringa extact that supports a firming protein in your skin. Apply a thick layer and let your skin drink it up.
Also good is Meditatif's Serenity Oil, the world's first three-in-one oil. Use it neat over the top of your skincare to lock in all the nourishing goodness or add a few drops of water to turn it into a cream rich in the skin-plumping Tree of Life extract as well as coconut and jojoba oils.
Dr Granite is also a fan of occlusives like petrolatum to help soothe the chafing effects of cold and wind. CeraVe's Advanced Repair Ointment is powered by hyaluronic acid to draw in moisture, while ceramides and petrolatum form a waterproof barrier on the skin’s surface to lock it in.
"I also tend to avoid heavy fragrance or any potentially drying and irritating actives while skiing, such as retinol and AHAs,” Dr Granite adds.
Brutal gusts of cold wind on the chair lift are enough to ravage the delicate skin on your lips. Enter lip masks, an elite way to repair cracks by slathering on a thick layer before bed and allowing the protective film to lock in serious hydrators.
OG lip mask brand Laneige was the first to popularise this Korean beauty staple – and it's all-star formula includes hyaluronic acid and shea butter. The clue is in the name of Kiehl's Buttermask For Lips. Not only does it glide on like butter, but it drenches lips in coconut oil and mango butter.
Likewise, Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm deposits a thick coat of shea butter and fatty acids for long-lasting moisture and a waft of eucalyptus that, fittingly, conjures up the scent of an Alpine sauna.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
