Whether you're hitting the slopes for the first or the fortieth time, a skiing or snowboarding holiday will present particular challenges for your beauty and skincare regimes. You'd think that, because you'll be outdoors being active all the livelong day, you'd have a fabulous natural glow about you for the duration of your winter sports break. That's only true to a certain extent - mostly, you can expect skin to appear pale and dull, as blood circulation to the skin is restricted at colder temperatures, and the lower concentration of oxygen in the air at high altitudes makes skin more sensitive to the cold and UV rays that can cause dehydration, chapping and sunburn. Boo! As if that wasn't bad enough, cooler weather and dry winds conspire to further strip the skin of moisture, so even the oily skinned among us need to be careful that skin doesn't become dehydrated and crack right off the face.
To make sure that doesn't happen, check out the Beaut.ie guide to maintaining your fabulousness on and off the slopes after the cut!
SKIN: ON PISTE
It's just like that chap in that Everybody's Free song said, in his super-mellow voice: Wear sunscreen. Now you might think that's pure mental, given that you'll be up to your oxters in snow rather than toasting yourself beside a pool somewhere hot, but there's actually a greater risk of sunburn on a winter sports holiday than on your regular summer trip abroad. Apart from the overhead UV rays beating down - 80% of which can pass through cloud, ladies - there are reflected UV rays to contend with, too. Snow reflects a whopping 85% of ultraviolet nasties and the sun's rays are more intense at higher altitudes because the air is thinner, so it is absolutely vital that you wear a broad spectrum sunscreen that's going to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Use an absolute minimum of SPF30 on your mush. Brands that are really strong on sunscreens include La Roche-Posay (their SPF50 Anthelios XL fluid is my own fave), DDF, Dermalogica, and Piz Buin, who have a "Mountain" product range specifically formulated to protect from winter sun at high altitudes. For your pout, pack a lipbalm with SPF - choose a tinted version if you like the idea of a bit of colour - and go for one in a twist-up tube or squeezy dispenser rather than a pot so that you can fish it out and apply without needing to take off your gloves.
Don't forget that you'll also need appropriate eye gear: the knock-off Chanel numbers that you picked up for a fiver on Canal Street are absolutely not going to cut it here. Wrap-around style sunglasses with approprite UVA and UVB protection are the way to go. These will offer maximum protection from UV rays, preventing snowblindness - that's sun damage to the cornea of the eye that can result in temporary blindness. They'll also stop you giving yourself crow's feet from squinting at the glare from the snow which can be unmercifully bright.
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SKIN: APRÉS SKI
Two key words to bear in mind here: nourish and rehydrate. If you're usually a foamy wash-off kinda gal, switch to a more gentle creamy cleanser. In terms of moisturiser, you'll want to use something a bit more intensive than your everyday choice: Liz Earle's Superskin Concentrate or indeed any of the product's Kirstie's posted about in the Cold Weather Skin Savers series would be ideal for this job. Oily skins could try Decleor's Aromaessence Ylang Ylang Oil or Balm. To really give your complexion a shot in the arm, whack on a super-duper calming and rehydrating face mask like Dermalogica's Multivitamin Power Recovery Mask, Decleor's Hydra Floral Flower Essence Moisturising Mask or the Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask from Elemis.
The rest of your hide should take less of a battering, assuming it's under cover when you're out on the slopes, so slathering on your usual moisturiser should do the trick. Now, having come in from the freezing cold, you'll be tempted to sit so close to a roaring fire that you might as well hop into it or to drench yourself in a hot shower to try and get some warmth back into your bones. This is exactly the wrong way to go: switching quickly between extremes of temperature can lead to broken capillaries, while bathing in water that's really hot will strip your natural protective oils and further dehydrate the skin. Use warm water instead, and leave half an hour between washing (even if it's only your face or hands) and going outside so that your skin can dry completely to prevent any chance of chapping.
Skiing and snowboarding will use muscles you never knew you had - until the morning after your first day on the piste. To help prevent you from siezing up entirely, take (warm, not hot!) baths into which you've loaded a muscle soak to ease away any aches and pains. It's a good idea to also pack a muscle rub, and remember that stretching thoroughly before heading out will help warm up those muscles so that they don't get in such a bad way to begin with.
HAIR & MAKE-UP: ON PISTE
Hair needs protection from those pesky UV rays just like your skin does. The easiest thing to do is whack on a hat, but that's not always an option: all that whizzing around on the black runs (or crying with frustration on the nursery slopes because you just can't do that stupid snowplough thing) means that you may actually be roasting in your thermal knickers and vest. Use a protective spray to guard against UV damage, and tie hair back so that your parting's not exposed (and you don't inadvertantly strangle yourself in a ski lift).
Forget about full-on daytime make-up. It won't stay put, it'll dry out your skin, and, frankly, you'll just look ridiculous with a whole face of slap on. If you absolutely can't go bare-faced, touch up with some concealer or a little tinted moisturiser to even out your complexion and lash on some 100% waterproof mascara for flutterly lashes.
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HAIR & MAKE-UP: APRÉS SKI
If you find that the poor gruaig is looking a bit frazzled in the evenings, intensive conditioner is your New Best Friend. There are an infinite number of options to choose from to suit any budget, but three I personally like for my below-shoulder-length, inclined to be lank, coloured hair are Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm, Colet Vitamin Rescue Conditioner, and Terax Crema Original Conditioner.
Off piste night-time action is fantastic craic, but it is not dressy: leave your mega camel-length false eyelashes with the sparkles at the base at home. Go back to basics: mascara and a natural-looking dewy foundation like Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk coupled with a cheek stain like Benefit's Posietint and a pop of lip colour are absolutely all you'll need for the evenings. Slick on some jewel-toned eyeliner if you really want to push the boat out!
