Skin- & hair care tips Winter sports

Is it useful to adjust my skin care during winter sports? Apart from good sun protection, this may be the last thing on your mind when you pack your suitcase for your winter sports holiday. However, the answer is yes! In this blog a number of tips to take good care of your skin during winter sports.

Why change your skincare?

Especially your facial skin gets a lot of extra challenge during winter sports. Among other things due to large temperature differences. From the cold on the slopes, to the warmth of apres ski, chalet or hotel. Or from a cold, bleak wind to an exuberant sun. This makes your skin feel dry and tight faster. The sun, which is reflected by the white snow, also ensures that you can easily burn.

But your feet, hands and hair also often have to endure extra. Because of the cold and because you 'stand' on your feet all day.

What is a good facial cream?

Don't use a water-based cream?
The story goes that a cream that contains a lot of water (which is the case with many facial creams) can easily freeze due to the freezing cold. Which is not a pleasant idea for your skin. But there are also contradictions that indicate that the water has already evaporated after applying your cream, so freezing will not happen quickly.

Whether a water-based cream freezes or not, more greasy creams are generally experienced as more pleasant during winter sports. These protect your skin better in inclement weather conditions. It is therefore advisable to use a facial oil - an oil that nourishes, protects and hydrates - or a cream that contains many fats in addition to water, such as the Rose Cream from Dr Hauschka or the Vitamin Cream dry skin or Ceramid Cream dry skin from Dr Baumann SkinIdent. You can also mix some oil with your day cream.

Don't forget your ears and nose!

Protect your face with a sun factor
We need the sun for much-needed vitamin D. But sunburn is not good for your skin. For most of us, a sun protection product is therefore not an unnecessary luxury during winter sports. Do not forget to repeat the application if you are sweaty or have had a snow shower on your face.

Raw Elements ' solar products are 100% pure, contain no water, nano ingredients or less fine synthetic filters for your body and the environment, protect against UVA and UVB radiation, offer an SPF of 30+ and give less or no white cast. Choose the tinted foundation or stick if you want to be sure that you don't get a white blur. These products are based on zinc oxide. That offers protection by reflecting UV rays. As long as there is (sufficient) product on your skin, you are protected. Loveli has a pure sun protection factor of 30 and 50 , which does not give any white haze.

Handy combination products are Hynt beauty's SunPrep and INIKA's mineral powder foundation . Both with SPF 25. Hynt's SunPrep is a day cream and sun protection in one, which absorbs easily and does not give a white cast. INIKA's powder foundation gives a beautiful even complexion and protection against UV in one!

The facial oils in our range have a natural SPF between 6-8.

Does an oil absorb well? Don't I get shiny skin from an oil?
Many people think that a facial oil does not absorb easily / gives a shiny skin. This is rarely the case with a natural facial oil without petrolatum or paraffinum liquidum. Unless you use too much. You need more of a face cream with water as a base and oils in addition, than a concentrated oil without water! If you have fair skin, pure argan oil may not absorb quickly.

Take good care of your eyes

The skin around your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your facial skin. During winter sports you will be wearing goggles or sunglasses for the most part outside. But because many of us want to come home without a color difference on our face, these sometimes go off. With the bright sunlight, you squeeze your eyes more often, which promotes wrinkles. The skin around your eyes also suffers from the temperature differences from inside and outside. Choose for your eyes what you find most comfortable, a fuller or lighter cream. Personally, I would only use an eye gel without fats during the day under a regular cream. The latter offers a little more protection in cold weather.

Protect your lips

The skin of your lips is thin and therefore extra susceptible to chapped, inclement weather and dry (heating) air. Don't lick your lips to moisten them, as this will often make them drier. Lip care with pure and only natural oils and fats care for, protect and support the natural function of your lips. Use a lip protection with SPF, such as Hurraw, during winter sports! Sun (SPF 15) or Raw Elements Lip Rescue or Lip Shimmer - with a pink tint (both SPF 30). Products such as vaseline with paraffinum liquidum or petrolatum from the oil industry put a layer on your lips so that they can no longer work themselves. you often need more and more to generate effect. Your lips feel soft, but not anymore when you stop using it. My favorite after skiing is the INIKA Lip Serum . A super fine vegan gloss, packed with protection for your lips.

Take care of your hands and feet

Due to cold and/or tight ski boots and more foot stress than many of us are used to with an office job, your hands and feet can also use some extra attention. Your hands and feet quickly feel cold, do not drink or eat cold products. Use lots of warming herbs such as ginger, pepper, cumin and coriander to promote blood circulation (A Chai Latte with almond milk, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and turmeric is delicious!). Soak pieces of ginger in hot water for ten minutes, put the water in a thermos and take it with you on the slopes.

Take care of your hands and feet with a protective and moisturizing cream. Pamper them in the evening with a hand or foot ball. If you want it to work in extra well, put on cotton gloves or socks after you have applied the balm.

A foot bath in alternating cold and warm water stimulates blood flow. A (foot) bath with Dr Hauschka's Sage Bath has a multifunctional effect: it warms and prevents cooling down. After exercise, the Sage bath invigorates. The Sage bath has a restorative effect on overloaded and swollen feet. Dr Hauscka's Leg Tonic is also wonderful for tired legs and arms.

As long as your hair's nice

Your hair suffers from the weather and is hidden all day under a hat or helmet. The cold air quickly makes your hair static. Make sure your hair is well hydrated before winter sports, so that your hair is less frizzy. Take a bottle of cosmetic argan oil with you during winter sports to take good care of your points. Read more about hair care in the blog 'Help my hair fluff' .

Other tips for radiant skin

• Drink enough water, herbal tea or pure broth to hydrate your skin from the inside out. Water preferably at room temperature or lukewarm, because your body needs its energy to stay warm.
• Don't shower too hot! That dries out your body.
• Put on a nourishing face mask in the evening. It gives your skin a boost! Pamper your eyes right away with a refreshing and soothing eye compress .
• Avoid 'heavy' facial care such as scrubs and peelings during winter sports. These put a little too much strain on your skin when you're outside all day.
• Prior to winter sports, you can build up protection for your skin from the inside out. LaVieSage SkinBalance builds up your skin's protective barrier layer. SkinProtect provides a sun protection factor of 6 from the inside.
• Muscle strain? A warming, muscle relaxing oil like Shankara's Muscle Release Oil , Dr Hauschka's Body oil Birch Arnica or Weleda Arnica oil or gel helps!
• The cream to powder Eyebrow Definer from Hynt Beauty is very nice to let your eyebrows speak. Long lasting, water resistant, super caring. Does not contain water.

Enjoy your winter sports holiday!