The perfect skincare kit for a week in the mountains

By the third day of a mountain holiday, the story is often the same: skin feels tight, lips are peeling and the backs of the hands turn red. Hardly surprising. Between dry cold, wind on the peaks, sunlight reflected off the snow and the overheated air of the chalets, the skin endures in one week what it rarely faces in town.

The good news is that it doesn't take much to enjoy a carefree stay. A few well-chosen products, tucked into a compact bag, are enough to keep skin comfortable from the first day to the last. Here is how to put together the perfect skincare kit for a week of skiing, step by step and without overpacking.

What altitude really does to your skin

In the mountains, every factor conspires against the hydrolipidic film, the fine barrier that keeps water at the skin's surface. Cold slows microcirculation and stiffens the protective lipids; wind speeds up evaporation; and the very dry air of heated interiors carries on the work once you are back at the chalet.

Then there is the sun. UV intensity rises by around 10% every 1,000 metres of altitude, and snow reflects a large share of it back towards the face, including under the chin and around the eyes. The result: skin that dehydrates quickly, shows the cold and readily turns red.

Sensitive, reactive or mature skin feels these effects more keenly, as does children's skin. Hence the value of anticipating rather than repairing. A good kit rests on three simple reflexes: prepare the skin, protect it from cold and sun, then repair it every evening.

The essentials to slip into your bag

No need to bring your whole bathroom. Seven types of product cover the essentials for a week in the snow:

• a gentle cleanser that clears the skin without stripping it or damaging its protective barrier;
• a concentrated serum, applied in the morning beneath your cream;
• an extreme-cold cream, richer and more cocooning than your everyday city cream;
• a lip balm to keep in your pocket;
• a hand cream to keep in your ski jacket pocket;
• a mask to rehydrate the skin in the evening;
• a high-SPF sun protection for the face, never to be forgotten on the slopes.

When it comes to sizes, opt for travel formats and decant larger products into small reusable containers: your bag stays light and you avoid sacrificing your full-size everyday bottles. A clear pouch lets you find everything at a glance and keep face care separate from body care.

Simplify your routine, too – it is easier than at home: cleanser, serum and protective cream in the morning; cleanser, then a mask or comforting treatment in the evening. The day before you leave, a quick test of each product on the wrist avoids unwelcome surprises far from home.

The Ferme de Beauté's tip: apply your extreme-cold cream about ten minutes before heading out, never at the last minute. This gives it time to form its protective film before the wind joins in.

The serum, your morning base layer

Just as you pull on a base layer before your ski suit, the skin needs an underlayer before facing the cold. Light and concentrated, a serum slips beneath your cream and prepares the skin for the day.

The Lift4810 Concentrated Serum combines lingonberry cryo-extracts, hyaluronic acid and Osilift Bio® to wrap the skin in an invisible tightening film. The result: a smoother face, refreshed from the morning and better protected against external aggressors. Apply a few drops from the centre of the face outwards, then your extreme-cold cream on top.

The extreme-cold cream, your down jacket

On the slopes, facial skin needs a more protective layer than usual. A rich cream acts like a down jacket: it limits water loss and buffers the skin against icy wind and temperature swings.

Cold Cream relies on beeswax (Cera Alba) and Mont-Blanc glacier water to wrap the skin in a comforting film. Apply it in the morning as the final step, focusing on cheeks and nose, the areas most exposed to the cold.

It also comes into its own on your return: in the evening, a small amount is enough to soothe skin that has been in the wind all day. On very dry skin, you can even leave a thin layer on sensitive areas as an overnight mask.

The evening mask, to rehydrate

After a day in the fresh air, the skin is thirsty. Two or three times during the week, treat it to the Biocellulose Hydration & Radiance Mask, the house's newest launch. Its second-skin sheet, soaked in a thirst-quenching edelweiss serum, quenches the skin and revives its radiance in 15 minutes. Its sachet format slips in anywhere.

Lips protected until the last lift

Thin and lacking sebaceous glands, lips are the first to chap in the mountains. A balm kept to hand and reapplied on every chairlift spares you plenty of discomfort and that unpleasant tight feeling.

The Bons Baisers de Megève Lip Balm combines beeswax (Cera Alba) and Alpine honey (Mel) to nourish and repair damaged lips in a single gesture. Its melting texture goes everywhere and slips into a ski jacket pocket.

Two useful reflexes: avoid licking your lips outdoors, which worsens dryness, and apply a generous layer at bedtime so the balm can repair overnight.

Hands: not to be forgotten after skiing

Exposed to the cold, washed often and sometimes left in damp gloves, hands become tight and dry particularly quickly on holiday. A dedicated cream, applied after every wash and on your return from the slopes, keeps them supple all week.

The Secret des Alpes Hand Cream, with edelweiss extracts (Leontopodium Alpinum), has a non-greasy texture that absorbs quickly – handy before slipping your gloves back on or picking up your poles. Keep one in your ski jacket pocket and another on your bedside table.

One last reflex to complete the picture: never skip sun protection for your face. Even on overcast days, snow reflects UV rays, and a high SPF applied every morning remains your skin's best ally during your holiday in the great outdoors.