The new year has barely had time to start and the first holidays are already booked. Winter sport fans can rejoice at the thought of snowboarding or skiing down the slopes. Those among us who opt for a cozier holiday can simply enjoy hot drinks by the fireplace or a sled ride in the snow. A trip that elevates the soul can be hard work for your skin however. We’d like to share a few tips with you on how to properly take care of your skin, hair and eyes during a winter holiday.

Protect your face while skiing

Your face should be covered up properly during those exciting descents down the slopes. Wearing a scarf, hat and a windbreaker will help protect you both from the cold and the sun’s rays. Wearing proper protection is especially important as the icy air tends to desensitize you from feelings of warmth. This makes it all the more probable that you’ll end up with the infamous ski goggle mark around your eyes or a bright red nose.
In addition to this, mountains tend to intensify solar radiation: per 1000 meters, UVB rays are increased by about 20 percent, the snow’s reflection increasing their strength.

It doesn’t stop there, unprotected skin has quite a lot to handle while skiing. The cold winter air not only depletes the skin of moisture, but can also feel as cold as minus 50 degrees Celsius, leading to redness, itching and even frostbite. Being properly wrapped up is therefore of the upmost importance, just as taking proper care of your skin during your breaks is.

A good skincare routine in the snow starts first thing in the morning. Try not to shower for longer than 10 minutes, using only lukewarm water so your skins own protective barrier remains strong. In addition, use only a bit of shower gel or soap, and refrain from using any kind of cleansing product on your face. Drink plenty of fluids during the day, to keep yourself hydrated from the inside out as well.

As for what type of products to use, we recommend fatty creams for your skin. The cold temperatures tend to slow down the production of sebum (the oil produced by the sebaceous glands in your face to keep your skin hydrated), and at degrees lower than eight below zero, it completely comes to a halt. Sebum is pretty important however, as the thin protective layer of grease on the skin normally prevents moisture from evaporating and in its absence, your skin is left to become brittle.
Creams that promise a lot of moisture should be avoided, as they can actually make your skin feeling even drier during harsh winter conditions. Instead, opt for creams with a high fat content (around 50%), so called ‘cold creams.’ Stay away from creams containing only fat, as these tend to clog pores and cause all kinds of other skin irritations. Another tip is to always remove the cream again as soon as you return to your hotel, to prevent dilated capillaries and an accumulation of heat on your skin.

Keeping those lips kissable even after snowboarding

Sliding down those slopes all wrapped up can be lots of fun, so fun that it can be easy to forget about the health of your lips. Unlike the rest of your skin, your lips contain no pigment nor a corneal layer to protect them against solar radiation. This means that without proper care, they will be exposed to ultraviolet light, which only gets intensified the higher up you go.
Therefore, using a nice, greasy lip balm is very much recommended. Preferably find a balm with at least SPF 30 for proper protection. Eco Cosmetics carries exactly such a lip balm; it’s mineral sunscreen powers are enhanced with organic sea buckthorn oil and pomegranate seed oil, which protect the skin against loss of moisture. Don’t forget to reapply your lip balm every two hours.

Eyes wide-open

Cross-country skiing might be one of the most challenging sports you can engage in when it comes to keeping your eyesight safe. Not only do you need to have a good view of the trail you’re following, you also have to deal with constantly changing light conditions. You might be skiing through shady woods or alongside snowy farmland that is bathed in sunlight. In certain more extreme conditions, wearing the right type of sunglasses is the alpha and omega to protecting your eyes from harmful ultraviolet light. With the sun blasting on the lenses, improper protection can lead to a painful inflammation of the cornea, also known as snow blindness.
First, make sure that your glasses are the right fit. They need to properly stick to your head, as a wobbly model can all too quickly lead to an accident. The next thing to look after is proper ventilation, which will prevent your glasses from fogging up.
Glasses with a lateral seal are recommended. These models can also protect you from UV rays blasting at you from the sides, which still can contain potential harm for your eyes.

Picking the right type of glasses comes down to the details. Your glasses should fall in the so-called category 3, as these absorb up to 82-92% of light. If you really want to go for gold, choose glasses with interchangeable lenses, to be able to switch between grey or brown lenses for bright sunlight, or orange tinted ones for when it’s foggy outside. The filter in the lenses should be made up of a polycarbonate, as this material is highly resistant to scratches and breakage. In addition to all of the above, make sure the filters in your glasses protect a full 100 percent against UVA, UVB and UVC rays, being marked as UV400.

Healthy hair during your winter break

Beanies, hats and hoodies tend to make your hair feel limp and stringy. After just a few days of being all wrapped up, chances are you’ll start looking like you stuck your finger in an electrical outlet. That your hair will become as dry as hay is an unfortunate consequence, without maintaining proper hair care. Therefore, it’s extra important to to make sure none of your hair care products contain alcohol. This will ensure your hair doesn’t lose any extra moisture. In addition, try to only wash your hair with a mild shampoo, using lukewarm water, followed by nourishing hair treatment such as Rahua’s Voluminous Omega 9 Hair Mask. Leave it in for ten minutes before rinsing, after which it’s advised to gently patting your hair dry with a towel, instead of rubbing it.

Soft hands après ski

Having rough, chapped hands is not the best way to introduce yourself to your fellow travelers. Even if you wear gloves while you’re outdoors, your hands can still get very exposed numerous times per day. Just think, every time you reach for your lift pass, a water bottle or a chap stick, your hands go from being all cozy and warm to suddenly being exposed to the cold elements, ensuring that they’ll get dried out in no time.
The best protection from the cold, wind and wetness in addition to warm gloves is a thick layer of hand cream with protective vegetable fats such as almond or coconut oil.
Make sure to reapply after every time you wash your hands.
Balm Balm carries a great hand balm for this purpose, the Rose Geranium Balm. This wonderfully pure organic balm cares intensely for the sensitive types of skin, containing a high amount of rose geranium essential oil, making your hands feel smooth and supple again. Egyptian Magic is another great option, with six soothing ingredients such as olive oil, beeswax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly extract and bee propolis, ensuring some super moisturizing powers that are hard to beat.
Nuori Vital Cream is another strong contender when it comes to amazing balms. It contains vegetable squalane and shea butter, combined with grapeseed and almond oil, all ingredients that restore the natural moisture level of the skin. A mixture of vitamin E and white tea extracts add an extra protective boost against free radicals. The cream comes in a handy tube with an innovative little air-protected pump mechanism that preserves the efficacy of the natural ingredients. You can read more about Nuori and the brand’s founder here.

The one-on-one on sauna trips

One of the best aspects of après ski might just be a little down time in a sauna. After full days skiing or boarding in the cold, your tired muscles are craving some TLC. The bonus of a trip to the sauna is that it can significantly reduce the risk of injury, while increasing your athletic performance. Make sure to stretch as soon as you finish your snowy workout, after which you should head over to a steam room, sauna or a massage.

One of the first things to remember when it comes to regular sauna trips is to not overdo it on intensive skin peelings. Once a week is more than enough, especially if you use a gentle peeling product such as Kimberly Sayers Gentle Almond Lavender Face Scrub. The fine peeling particles from the organic trio of almond flour, jojoba beads and oat-beta-glucan remove dead skin cells in a non-invasive way, leaving your skin more receptive to nourishment afterwards, and at the same time protected from harmful UVA rays. The peeling actually supports the skins own ability to renew itself, feeding it all the things the winter tends to draw away: a vital, moisturized look and feel.

When it comes to facial products, steer clear of anything that tends to dry your skin. This means using alcohol and soap-free cleansers only, followed by a rich cream that contains ingredients such as shea butter, beeswax or coconut oil, look for ingredients that are famed for leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth.

After a well-deserved trip to the sauna, it’s best to avoid hot showers, as the hot water would basically melt away your skin’s naturally greasy protective layer, the same one that protects you from the cold. Go for a slightly less than warm shower session instead, applying jojoba or rosehip oil afterwards on still moist skin. Same goes for lotion actually; when applied to moist skin, the hydrating ingredients have an easier time penetrating into deeper layers of the skin.

Keep in mind not to overdo it on cleansing products either, as cleansers and soaps tend to dry your skin a lot. During your ski trip, try to only apply soapy products under your arms, the feet, on your face and more intimate areas only once per day. For your limbs and torso, water is more than sufficient for keeping things clean. More tips on how to protect and prepare your skin during winter can be found in this article.

The skin around your eyes is a particularly sensitive area. It doesn’t measure more than a millimeter, which is about half as much as the rest of your facial skin. In addition, this skin possesses only a few sebaceous glands. If you normally only apply eye cream at night, go for a few dabs in the morning as well.
Your elbows, knees and shins suffer from the same lack of sebaceous glands, and could use some extra care as well. A thick layer of Egyptian Magic before bedtime does the trick.

Last but not least – don’t forget about your feet. Tight ski boots don’t always protect against the cold and the wet and after a long day in the snow, your feet can definitely use some extra love and care. I recommend starting off with a warm footbath with a few drops of eucalyptus or mint oil, both not only promoting blood circulation, but also a acting as a great aid against muscle cramps. Afterwards, it’s Egyptian Magic time again, or if you want to spice things up, try Balm Balm’s Tea Tree Foot Balm. The combination of the sunflower, calendula and jojoba oil beeswax can soothe even the most hardened, chapped feet. Next step is bundling up your feet in some thick cotton socks to protect your sheets, and come morning, you’ll be more than ready to hit the slopes again.