Ski trips are rough on skin in a way a cold walk around the block never is. You’re higher up, the snow bounces sunlight back at your face and the wind on a fast run is no joke. Then you head inside to dry lodge air for the night. Ever come home from a ski weekend with a goggle tan and lips like sandpaper? That combination is why mountain skin needs its own plan.
I like keeping a separate little bag just for mountain trips so nothing important gets left at home. What goes in it is simple. Think a rich cream, a high SPF you’ll really reapply, lip protection and something to repair whatever the day did.
Everything below follows the order it goes on, with one short stop for the science from the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Your SPF has to work harder up there
Cloud cover doesn’t get you off the hook. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, as much as 80 percent of UVA rays can get through clouds and fog, and snow can reflect up to 80 percent of UV rays back at your face.
Altitude matters too. The Skin Cancer Foundation says sun exposure rises about 4 to 5 percent with every 1,000 feet above sea level, so I’d go straight for a broad-spectrum SPF 50 or higher and reapply every two hours or after heavy sweating. For lips, use a balm with SPF 30 or higher.
Wind is a skin barrier problem
There’s no medical consensus on windburn, but dermatologists writing for the Skin Cancer Foundation say wind can irritate and dry the outer layer of skin. Some redness that gets called windburn may actually be sunburn from a cold, windy day.
I wouldn’t rely on skincare alone when the wind is doing the most. Cover as much skin as you can with goggles, a hat that fits firmly and gloves, then use a rich cream or oil-based sunscreen since it may hold up better than a light lotion or dry spray in strong wind. Reapply at least every two hours.
Start with a rich cream
@makeupbycheryl1 / Instagram
Makeup artist @makeupbycheryl1 has used Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré to prep her clients’ skin for years. She calls it the perfect hydrating base for makeup and a favorite for makeup artists to carry in their kits. It’s a French pharmacy classic with shea butter and aloe vera that Embryolisse has made in France since 1950.
On a ski day that cushiony layer has a second job. Dermatologists writing for the Skin Cancer Foundation explain that wind can dry out and weaken the outer layer of skin. Moisturizer under your sunscreen gives your face a little more to work with before you’re out in it. Smooth a thin layer over clean skin and give it a few minutes to sink in before SPF. Pay extra attention to your cheeks and the tip of your nose. Those are the spots that stick out past your goggles and collar.
Very dry skin might want something thicker. Weleda Skin Food is the rich, old-school option for cheeks, the nose and the backs of your hands. A little goes a long way. Cheryl also mentions that Lait-Crème now comes in an oil-free formula for combination and oily skin. Nobody has to sit this step out. Like a little concealer or tinted SPF for the group photos? A hydrating base like this one helps it sit smoothly instead of clinging to dry patches.
Why mountain sun hits harder
Screenshot: The Skin Cancer Foundation
The foundation lays out the numbers in its Peak Performance Skin Care Tips. Sun exposure goes up about 4 to 5 percent with every 1,000 feet above sea level. Snow reflects up to 80 percent of UV rays, which means the sun gets you from above and below at once. Gray days don’t let you off the hook either, because as much as 80 percent of UVA rays can get through clouds and fog.
For the slopes they recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher, reapplied every two hours or after a lot of sweating. Goggles or sunglasses should offer 99 percent or greater UV protection. Add a hat that covers the top of your head and your ears. They also suggest a sunscreen with lanolin or glycerin to help with dryness.
Mineral formulas are a nice choice for skin that’s already feeling raw. Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion Mineral is SPF 60+ with 100% mineral actives. Its WetForce technology is designed so the protective layer gets stronger with water and sweat, which suits a day of snow and effort. La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Fluid Mineral is the drugstore favorite, an SPF 50 with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that’s water resistant.
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion Mineral SPF 60+
A sheer, 100% mineral-actives sunscreen for face and body that holds up to water and sweat.
Around $26.00 · Shop
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Fluid Mineral SPF 50
A water-resistant zinc oxide and titanium dioxide face sunscreen.
Around $29.99 · Shop
SPF you'll really reapply
@supergoop / Instagram
Reapplying on a chairlift with cold hands is the real test of any sunscreen. Over at @supergoop set their Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 against a snowy mountain, which is exactly the right backdrop. It’s their award-winning, 100% invisible formula. Their line is that protected skin belongs on the list 365 days a year.
Unseen is clear, weightless and scentless with no white cast to show at the edges of your goggles. Put it on before you head out, right over your moisturizer. The lodge or the car is the place to do it, not the top of the lift when your fingers are already numb. Don’t skip your ears, your neck and the underside of your chin, since all that snow is bouncing light upward at you.
For touch-ups a stick is easier. Supergoop’s Glow Stick SPF 50 is a mess-free dry oil stick for face, chest and shoulders that leaves a dewy, non-greasy finish. Keep it in a jacket pocket and swipe it on every two hours. That oil texture is a plus here. According to the dermatologists writing for the Skin Cancer Foundation, a rich cream or oil formula may hold up better in strong wind than a light lotion or dry spray.
Lips need SPF too
@drjart / Instagram
Lips are easy to forget until they’re cracked and sore. Skin Cancer Foundation guidance is a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher. On a ski trip, that balm lives in your pocket instead of on your nightstand. Supergoop’s PLAY Lip Shield is an SPF 30 balm that’s water-resistant and protects against both UVA and UVB rays while it moisturizes.
Night is for repair. Over at @drjart, the Jelly Bear lip masks are the cutest thing in this whole routine. This duo pairs the original clear, unscented mask in the blue jar with a limited-edition pink one. Both are jelly-textured masks with hyaluronic acid for dry lips. My card is that exact set.
Keep it easy. Swipe on the SPF balm before you leave and again every time you reapply sunscreen to your face. Tinted balms only count if the label lists an SPF, so check before you lean on a pretty gloss. After you wash up at night, pat on a thick layer of the mask and leave it on while you sleep.
After-ski repair for face and hands
@aveneusa / Instagram
Red, tight, stingy cheeks after a day out usually get blamed on windburn. In the Skin Cancer Foundation’s piece on wind, dermatologists Dr. Jennifer Tang and Dr. C. William Hanke point out that there isn’t a medical consensus on what windburn even is. Their view is that wind most likely hits skin twice. It’s a direct irritant that makes the upper layers slough off. It can also carry your sunscreen away with it. Wind also cools your skin, which makes a sunburn harder to notice while it’s happening.
For the evening fix, @aveneusa keeps Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream close for dry patches, minor scrapes or post-procedure skin. This occlusive cream helps restore the skin barrier and keep in hydration. Use it on face or body twice a day, on clean, dry skin. Smooth it over your cheeks and nose after a gentle wash. Skin that blisters or stays painful is a reason to call a doctor.
Hands take a beating as well, especially when the gloves come off for photos, snacks and checking your phone. Skiers should put sunscreen on their hands at those moments, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. At night a hand cream does the rest. L’Occitane’s shea butter hand cream is the pretty one for your bag, with 20% organic shea butter. Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula is the fragrance-free, glycerin-rich classic for rough, dry hands, and it’s small enough for any pocket.
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream, 1.3 oz
An occlusive cream that helps restore the skin barrier and maintain hydration.
Around $26.00 · Shop
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, 1 oz
A nourishing, non-greasy hand cream with 20% organic shea butter.
Around $14.00 · Shop
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
A fragrance-free, glycerin-rich cream for dry, rough hands.
Around $5.49 · Shop
Pack the bag once and leave it with your ski gear, next to the goggles. Day three of the trip, when everyone else is reaching for your lip balm, is when you’ll be glad you did.
