Skiing is one of the harshest “perfect storms” for skin – cold, wind, altitude and very strong UV all hitting at once. It is brilliant for mood and fitness, but the skin pays a price if it is not properly protected.
On the slopes you are dealing with three big stressors: sun, cold and wind. UV exposure is dramatically higher at altitude and snow reflects a large percentage of UV back up onto the face, so you are effectively being hit from above and below. That means much higher risk of sunburn, pigment change and long-term collagen damage than on a typical winter’s day at home. People get caught out because the air feels cold and the sun does not feel “strong”, yet the UV index is significant. At the same time, low temperatures and low humidity strip moisture from the skin barrier. Cold air holds very little water, and when you add central heating in chalets and hotels, you get a cycle of cold–dry–hot–dry that leaves skin tight, sore and depleted. Wind across the face accelerates water loss and causes “windburn”: redness, stinging and a rough, chapped texture, particularly on cheeks, nose and lips.
From the skin’s perspective, skiing without preparation looks like barrier trauma. Transepidermal water loss rises, surface lipids are disrupted, and the skin becomes more permeable to irritants. That is why people so often come back from a week on the slopes with chapped lips, cracked corners of the mouth, flaking around the nose, broken capillaries and a general “weathered” look, even if they did not burn. For anyone with rosacea, eczema or very reactive skin, the combination of cold, wind, sun and rapid temperature changes is an almost guaranteed trigger without a plan.
Protection is about three things: shielding, supporting and repairing. Shielding means serious SPF: a high-protection, broad-spectrum sunscreen that you would happily use in summer, not a token winter cream. It needs to be applied generously to all exposed areas – face, ears, lips (with an SPF lip balm), neck – and topped up through the day, because sweat, friction from helmets and buffs, and simple time all reduce protection. Sunglasses or goggles are non-negotiable, both for the eyes and for the skin around them. Supporting means switching to more occlusive, barrier-focused skincare for the trip: richer, fragrance-free moisturisers, barrier balms on exposed areas, and avoiding aggressive actives (strong acids, high-strength retinoids) for a few days either side of travel. This is the time for ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids and soothing ingredients, not a new peel. Hydration from the inside helps too: plenty of water and moderating alcohol and very salty food will make a visible difference to how “deflated” the skin looks by mid-week.
Repair is what you do in the evening. As soon as you are off the slopes, gently cleanse away sunscreen, sweat and pollution, then give the skin replenishment rather than a fight. Think hydrating serums, barrier creams, maybe a soothing mask, not scrubs or strong actives. If there has been any burning, that needs to be treated as an acute injury: cool compresses, aloe or other calming, non-perfumed products, and strict avoidance of further UV until fully settled. For clients who ski regularly, you can position this as a specific “ski skin protocol”: adjust actives ahead of the trip, use a barrier-heavy routine while away, then book a gentle, barrier-rebuilding facial rather than something aggressive once they are back.
The key message is that skiing is not just “cold weather”; it is high-intensity exposure. With the right plan, it can be an energising, joyful week that does not cost them six months of collagen and a huge barrier repair job. Without that plan, it quietly accelerates photoageing, rosacea and sensitivity in a very preventable way.
