The best beauty products to pack for a skiing holiday (2025)

When you're off on a skiing holiday, it's not just a warm jacket and salopettes you need to think about adding to your packing checklist.

With the freezing temperatures, harsh winds and blazing sunshine in the mountains, skin can be left dry, dull and sun damaged, all in less than a week.

To help you protect and nourish your post-slope complexion, hands and hair, these are the products we'd keep on standby for a trip to the slopes.

Dr Barbara Sturm's small-yet-mighty ski cream is cleverly designed to specifically tackle the cold conditions of the sport. In particular, the nourishing water-in oil formula focuses on strengthening your natural skin barrier so it is more resistant to the irritation and redness that snow and wind cause.

It's no secret that cooler temperatures can reap havoc on your skin, so it's important to pack a product that keeps your irritation under wraps. Rescue your skin from dryness and irritation using this balmy blend of azulene oils, calming redness and rebalancing your barrier.

Knotty, wind-swept hair can be painful to brush, but using a Tangle Teezer - starting from the bottom and working up your lengths - makes the process a lot easier. Choose one with a compact design and cover case to keep it clean in your carry-on.

In colder climates, all skin types can become prone to dryness and sensitivity. To combat this, apply a few pumps of Decorté's Liposome Advanced Repair Serum in the AM and PM. The clever time-release technology of the capsules deliver hydration to the skin throughout the day to keep it plump and radiant, so you can focus on mastering the black diamond run.

Specifically designed with the slopes in mind, this high altitude-ready SPF comes complete with a cold shield complex, marrying a moisture-rich trio of shea butter, trehalose and glycerine for skin that feels hydrated and protected despite the wind and cold.

Sun protection on the slopes should be a top priority, but avoiding a white-cast finish for post-ski mingling is also important. At once, Supergoop's Glow Stick protects skin from UV damage with an easy glide-on applicator and hydrated, dewy finish.

When you're struggling with the effect of 'helmet hair', perspiration from exercise and changing temperatures, it never hurts to have an effective dry shampoo to hand to revitalise your tresses with.

When cold winds strike, your skin is the first to know. Keep this sensitive-skin must have on hand to soothe irritated skin from head to toe. A hero for compromised barriers, it calms irritation, protects broken skin from bacteria and accelerates your skin's natural repair process, cutting out that post-slope recovery time.

Your lips can also suffer from both the cold and the sun in the mountains, so it's paramount you protect them with a lip balm that contains SPF. This straight-thinking lip salve shields your skin not matter the temperature or any altitude, restoring compromise lips a happy and hydrated state.

A tell-tale sign of day on the slopes is unkept, windswept helmet hair. Tame the ends of those wispy braids with a few pumps of this multi-tasking balm, which harnesses flyaways, defines curls and smooths frizz, all while nourishing those frazzled strands.

When fighting against windburn and the cold, you need a thick, emollient-rich cream to ensure your skin stays hydrated. Kiehl's' cult moisturiser is packed with squalane and other hydrators, and this version has the added benefit of sun protection too.

These mega de-puffing masks from 111Skin won't take up any room in your luggage. Leave on for 15 minutes for noticeably rejuvenated under-eyes and allow caffeine, peptides and citrus enzymes to tackle the dullness and dehydrating caused by one too many après drink.

If high winds and frozen breeze can leave your face looking flushed, this serum-like neutraliser is one for the packing list. A few drops of this lightweight fluid will correct the appearance of redness and imperfections, while hydrating cica and protective SPF35 look after the skin barrier underneath.

Don't forget about your hands, which can take a battering from the weather and the physical activity you are undertaking. This luxe nourishing treatment is an effective defence against dryness, while also soothing weather-worn skin.

If you're looking for a little bit of eye-definition, especially for apres-ski, you need to make sure you choose a hardworking waterproof mascara, like Dior's classic option. No one wants to look like a panda when they take off their goggles.

Another efficient source of sun defence, Sisley's tinted stick formula not only provides super high levels of protection in a portable form, it also contains vitamin E and camellia oil to keep your skin moisturised (without any white streaks). That's especially important in the fight against windburn.

Aching muscles are an unavoidable part of hours spent on the slopes, but the effects can be minimised. Après ski, run a bath and pour in a generous amount of these salts from Dr Teal's. Not only will the Epsom salt help to soothe tired and weary limbs, but the presence of hemp seed oil will deliver much-needed moisture back into the skin.

After a long day of skiing there's nothing better than having a relaxing bath (or jumping in a hot tub if you are lucky enough to have one). Take the opportunity to enjoy a soothing, muscle-reviving oil - none smell better than those by Aromatherapy Associates.

If the thought of going bare-faced on the slopes fills you with dread, use a touch of tinted moisturiser SPF in lieu of foundation, for light coverage that doesn't noticeably slide down your face. The only downside: it won't spare your blushes if you fall.

If sore muscles are making the thought of putting on your skis a little painful, this fast-acting, immediately cooling muscle gel is just the ticket. Gently rub it into aching calves and arms to relieve built-up tension.