An Ounce of Prevention – Skiers and snowboarders must take extra special care of their skin because they are exposed to sun, wind, cold, and altitude. Too much sun can cause dehydration, premature aging, sunburn, and dilated capillaries. Wind, extreme cold, and high altitude causes chapped lips, dryness and dehydration.
Proper ski wear can help you avoid some problems. Always wear a hat to prevent heat loss from the head and protect the hair. Find some good quality ski goggles and/or sun glasses with a built in sun filter. Goggles should not be adjusted too tight to avoid pressing hard on areas where the skin is thinner, such as the bridge of the nose. This will help to avoid broken capillaries, maintain good circulation, and avoid frostbite. Good quality sun glasses will prevent constant squinting, feigning off inevitable crow’s feet. Always wear gloves to protect the hands from the elements and avoid callouses and scrapes.
Protect Your Skin Like a Pro
1. Cleanse, tone, and protect the skin on the face and neck with a rich protective day cream, preferably one with a humectant or liposomes. Humectants help retain moisture and liposomes are microencapsulated moisture agents that are delivered deep into the skin, often with timed-released agents to ensure longer protection. Look for a product with a sunscreen of at least 15. Remember that the bridge of the nose can get sunburned as well as the eyelids and ears.
2. Protect your lips with a balm with a SPF of at least 15. One trick is to apply lip balm, then cover it with an application of ChapStick. The wax will secure the balm and prevent cracks in the lips, which gives an added boost of protection. Don’t forget to apply balm to the corners of the mouth to prevent cracks. Avoid licking your lips. Why? There are digestive enzymes in saliva, which can eat away at dry skin on the lips, causing more dehydration.
4. If you use Retin-A (Tretinoin) cream in a strength that causes flakiness or irritation, take a break from it for a few days prior to and during your ski vacation. (Tretinoin thins the top layer of the skin, sloughing it off.)
5. Inspect your helmet’s chin strap. The inner lining that meets your skin should not have sharp points or protruding nylon threads that can chafe the skin. If there are protruding nylon threads, you can sometimes use a lighter to melt the threads back into the seam or soften them enough to press them flat. Use caution!
6. If you shave your head or have hair loss, be careful to protect your scalp.
Apres Ski
1. Let your hands and body warm up slowly after you come off the slopes. Never plunge into a hot jacuzzi or steam bath if you are feeling frozen, or capillaries that are fragile could be broken. Slather apres ski lotion or a good body cream after a sauna, steam, whirlpool, and long, hot showers as well as your face cream.
2. Wash your face and neck as soon as you can to eliminate dried perspiration, as it can irritate the skin. Inspect the skin for any chapped, flaky, or sunburned areas. Aloe vera gel has been used for centuries for burns, but it can be too astringent on skins that are more dry than oily if used for too many days or if it contains artificial ingredients. Homeopathic gels and creams such as Calendula can be good alternatives. Apply liberally to damaged areas or use a skin repair mask.
3. Men should avoid shaving skin that is burned or cracked and avoid putting high alcohol-containing aftershaves and colognes on these areas.
Top 10 Favorite Natural and Organic Products for Skiing
1. Nelson’s Burn Cream – New! from Nelson Bach (Contains Calendula)
2. Nelson’s Arnileve Cream – New! from Nelson Bach (Contains Arnica – Relieves bruising, muscle aches and strains, joint, tendon, and bone injuries)
3. Alba Botanica Sport Sunscreen, SPF 30
4. Biofreeze (Contains Menthol and Camphor – Relieves muscle aches)
6. Nelson Bach Calendula Cream
7. Decleor High Protection Sun Stick
8. Emerita Deep Hydrating Body Lotion
9. Weleda Everon Face and Lip Balm
10. Weleda Malva Body Lotion (Intensively hydrates dry, sensitive skin)
