The Alpine Edit: Skincare Heroes for Skiing

Extreme conditions – like freezing winds and indoor heating – call for gentle cleansers that don’t strip the skin of moisture but replenish it with nutrients. Rich, indulgent formulas such as Biologique Recherche’s Lait E.V. or Eve Lom’s Foaming Cream Cleanser lather on like a dream, enveloping your skin with plumping humectants like Erylite and hyaluronic acid plus nourishing fatty acids and vitamins. The lipid-rich Cleansing Gel from Nescens was created with dry skin in mind, promising to clear away build-up and daily debris while revitalising the complexion. Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale The Foam in Cream Cleanser employs the regenerative qualities of orchids, locking in moisture for a visage that’s healthy and luminous.

Highly concentrated serums, rich in multi-functional ingredients such as niacinamides, ceramides and hyaluronic acid, “support barrier repair, reduce inflammation and improve skin resilience without sensitising, which is critical in extreme climates,” says Dr. Malik. Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Ceramide Drops Face Oil targets both skin resilience and moisture with a blend of precious oils and antioxidants. Omorovicza’s Elixir serum combines its signature Healing Concentrate – derived from Hungary’s mineral-rich thermal waters – with hyaluronic acid to calm irritation and fortify the barrier. Finally, Medik8’s Hydr8 B5 Intense Serum and Augustinus Bader’s The Elixir marry hyaluronic acid and ceramides with vitamin B5 and a phyto-peptidic concentrate, biomimetic elastin, and collagen, respectively, to boost cell turnover and rejuvenation.

“When skiing, your skin needs formulations which help to protect, repair and regenerate,” says Dr. Patrick Schwarzentruber, Chief Scientist at Niance Replica Jewelry . The brand’s Premium Glacier Facial Cream provides around-the-clock moisture while powering cell turnover and boosting collagen production to strengthen the skin barrier. Helena Rubinstein’s Replasty Age Recovery Day Cream is specifically designed to protect skin from environmental stressors with its hydrating, cocooning texture and an advanced complex of soothing niacinamide (hello again), madecassoside and tasmanol extract. The Extreme Cream from Evidens de Beauté smooths over skin like butter, and, thanks to the brand’s proprietary Triple Collagen complex, strengthens your complexion in time to hit the slopes. The aptly named Alpine Rose Glow Crème from Skin Design London harnesses its titular floral extract to increase stem cell vitality, together with hyaluronic acid and peptides to protect against windburn and oxidative stress, ensuring smooth slaloming.

Clear skies, crisp air and fresh powder might spell the perfect ski day, but they also create challenging conditions for your skin. UV exposure skyrockets at high altitudes: “Radiation climbs by 10%–12% for every 1,000 metres gained, while snow can bounce back up to 80% of those rays,” explains Dr. Schwarzentruber. It’s why every expert we spoke to emphasised SPF as non-negotiable. “Many people underestimate winter sun,” cautions Dr. Malik, pointing out that lack of sun care causes long-term pigmentation and premature skin ageing. Her advice? Choose a moisturising SPF with antioxidants – “and don’t forget your lips, either.”

La Prairie’s Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil offers UVA and UVB protection, while infusing skin with energising antioxidants that power cell repair and renewal. Skincycles’ DNA Defence Sunshield boasts broad-spectrum protection alongside a unique complex to stimulate DNA repair. Valmont’s Restoring Perfection is formulated with the brand’s Silicon D² complex, designed to stimulate collagen production, making up for any solar stress you might experience on the slopes. 111Skin’s Repair Sunscreen combines broad-spectrum with the proprietary NAC Y² complex, made up of vitamin C, escin and NAC to help repair, soothe and restore.

After conquering the black diamond, savouring molten fondue, and indulging at the après, it’s time to shift focus to overnight repair. “Skin regeneration happens at night,” says Dr. Malik, “and after days in extreme conditions, this recovery phase becomes even more critical.” Putting advice into practice, Natura Bissé’s Diamond Extreme cream is designed to revive cellular vitality with marine and floral extracts that sync with your circadian rhythm. The Night Recovery Concentrate from La Mer works while you sleep, accelerating barrier renewal and deep restoration. For elasticity and firmness, Clé de Peau Beauté’s Advanced Intensive Night Cream harnesses radiant lily extract, odorant-binding protein, and 4MSK. And for the ultimate finishing touch, Orveda’s Overnight Reviving Mask – a lush gel-to-oil formula infused with nine highly concentrated actives, dual hyaluronic acids, glycerine and seaweed extracts – wraps skin in hydration so you wake up effortlessly radiant.