Planning a ski trip? Prepare your skin
Cold temperatures, low humidity and high-altitude sun exposure can all compromise your skin barrier. Before heading to the slopes, follow these key tips to adjust your skin care routine and prevent irritation, dryness and sun damage while out in the snow.
Choose a creamy cleanser over foam
In cold, dry climates, protecting your skin’s natural barrier is crucial, as it contains an equal ratio of ceramides, cholesterol and specific types of fatty acids that seal moisture inside your skin and keep irritants and allergens out. One way to help keep your skin barrier intact is to use a creamy moisturizing cleanser instead of a foaming cleanser. Creamy cleansers help to preserve your skin’s natural fatty acids, while foaming cleansers are designed to strip them away.
Use the right barrier repair moisturizer
Barrier repair moisturizers mimic the 1:1:1 ratio of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids found in your skin’s natural barrier to help strengthen, protect and repair it. However, the best barrier repair creams have a few key qualities:
They contain the right type of fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids like stearic acid and palmitic acid are generally the most effective fatty acids in barrier repair moisturizers because of their molecular structure. However, the best specific fatty acid for you will depend on your skin type.
They contain ingredients that protect the skin, such as jojoba oil or argan oil. These are occlusive ingredients that help to seal in moisture and can also reduce inflammation caused by wind and sun.
They should not contain large amounts of humectants like hyaluronic acid. These ingredients can pull moisture out of your skin in dry climates.
Pause exfoliants and retinol
If your skin is not accustomed to cold or dry conditions, don’t use exfoliants or retinoids during your trip, since these ingredients can cause irritation and dryness. If you are traveling from somewhere humid like Miami to somewhere dry like Colorado, it can take your skin about two weeks to naturally adjust.
Don’t forget SPF
UV exposure increases with altitude, and sunlight reflecting off snow can also double your UV exposure. Even on overcast days, apply SPF 30 or higher to all exposed skin while on the slopes. Reapply every two hours or more frequently if you’re sweating or wiping your face.
Bottom line
The key to keeping your skin calm and comfortable during a ski trip is to take steps to protect and strengthen your skin barrier. This might mean slightly adjusting the products that you might normally use in humid climates to help your skin retain moisture when traveling somewhere cold and dry. I am now seeing patients at Body and Beauty in Palm Beach and will begin in Bay Harbor, FL in February. Questions/comments? Come ask me on reddit r/skintypesolutions