Packing for a ski trip is an art.
The challenge of stashing layers upon layers into a tiny carry-on case means that every item needs to work hard to earn its place. The same is true for your washbag.
No alpine retreat is complete without an army of SPF and nourishing creams. As skiing is a winter sport, you may think you can skip the suncream - but that’s far from the case. The sun’s rays reflect off the snow, redirecting radiation and increasing the likelihood of burning. While you may think you have your facial care covered, there is one crucial element that you may be missing.
You only need to have burnt your lips once to know the importance of a designated cream for the delicate, sun-sensitive area. Lips don’t contain any melanin, meaning they are unable to protect themselves from external aggressors like UVA and UVB rays.
Your pout becomes more parched than usual in cold, snowy conditions. The lack of humidity can dry skin and lips, and then there's the windburn you'll expose your skin to as you pelt it down the mountain. All this is to say, lip balm is one of the most important elements in your ski beauty kit.
What should you look out for in a lip balm for skiing?
A good lip balm for skiing should contain SPF to shield against the sun's harsh rays. It should also be waterproof, have longevity so you're not constantly reapplying, and be infused with nourishing ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, vitamin E and jojoba.
But gone are the days of dealing with a thick white cream that simply won’t rub in. The reinvented, sport-ready formulas of today glide onto the lips, leaving a healthy shine, while looking virtually indetectable or imparting a welcomed tint.
Whether you’re climbing, skiing, snowboarding or exploring the mountain, add one of the products below to your basket to inject moisture back into your lips and prevent them from getting chapped, flaky or dry.
Shop the best lip balms for skiing
Piz Buin Mountain Sun Cream and Lipstick - Very High SPF50+
This lip care essential was created by Piz Buin to protect your pout in extreme climates. The formula was curated especially for snow-based adventures and as such, the brand has factored in the need to include moisturising ingredients like shea butter and glycerine but set these alongside a Cold Shield Complex to offer staying power.
The product also offers broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and edelweiss to counteract the damaging effect of environmental aggressors. You will find all of this in a compact size that will slip into any pocket in your ski jacket so that defence against high altitude is on hand when you need it.
Buy now £8.49, lookfantastic
Supergoop! PLAY Lip Balm SPF 30
This sun-shielding lip balm from Supergoop! is not widely available in the UK just yet but you can currently shop it on Revolve to treat your skin to its high-performance formula. The brand was created to provide premium protection that feels like a treat to apply – which cannot be said for many suncare labels on the market.
With this in mind, the label has infused acai and shea butter into this product to lock in moisture to your lips whether you’re on the slopes or sand. It has SPF 30 and a thirst-quenching effect.
Buy now £11.00, Revolve
Ultra Violette Sheen Screen Hydrating Lip Balm SPF50
For an SPF product that doesn’t feel like an SPF product, Ultra Violette is part of a new generation of suncare labels that imbue the infamously laborious task of slathering on sun protection with the sensorial aspects of facial care. The Sheen Screen Hydrating Lip Balm is a case in point.
This nourishing hero is made up of lanolin, shea butter and cacao seed butter that leaves a healthy, hydrated shine, but coats your lips with SPF50. There are also five shades available, ranging from the dusty mauve Rose hue to the translucent glittery Shimmer.
Buy now £16.00, Cult Beauty
La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Solar Protector for Sensitive Skin SPF50
La Roche Posay is best known for providing advanced formula for sensitive skin – and that’s the approach the French pharmacy label has taken when creating its lip balm. First and foremost, the suncream stick is water-resistant and can be slathered all over the skin, especially on areas prone to burning like the lips but also the eyes, nose and ears.
Standing the test of time, the long-lasting formula glides onto the skin without leaving a greasy residue in its wake, protecting against UVA and UVB rays. This is all while hydrating the skin with the brand’s signature Thermal Spring Water ingredient.
Buy now £14.18, Amazon
Malin + Goetz SPF30 lip balm
The Malin + Goetz Mojito lip balm is one of our holy grail products that lives in our bag, bedside table and desk. If you're heading to climes wintery or warm, it’s the SPF-infused product that you need.
The lip balm boasts the nourishment of the original and even has a tingling spearmint flavouring but includes mineral titanium dioxide that shields against UVA and UVB rays. It’s a reef-safe product that forms a moisture layer on parched pouts to infuse antioxidant-rich nutrients like vitamin E.
Buy now £14.00, Space NK
Ultrasun Lip Protection SPF50
There is a reason why the Ultrasun Lip Protection SPF50 is a bestseller. The emollient-rich formula works double duty to restore moisture to dry and cracked lips, while also ensuring that the situation is not further exacerbated through high sun protection. It is made up of shea butter, argan oil and vitamin E, a nourishing trio that feels silky smooth on application.
Buy now £10.00, lookfantastic
Sun Bum Original SPF30 Lip Balm
There is something nostalgic about the Sun Bum Original SPF30 Lip Balm - whether it’s the classic chapstick bullet or the watermelon or coconut fragrance that takes us back to our childhood. Yet there is nothing outdated about the powerhouse formula.
This product forms a protective barrier on parched pouts to shield against UVA and UVB rays, while nourishing with all-important vitamin E. The formula is gluten-free, vegan and cruelty-free.
Buy now £4.79, Cult Beauty
Coola Liplux lip balm
Pucker up with the Coola Liplux lip balm for long-lasting broad-spectrum SPF30 protection from the sun’s rays. The California-based label has created this formula using 70 per cent organic ingredients so that while you’re nourishing your lips with a cocktail of natural raspberry and avocado butter, you are doing so content in the knowledge that the product is completely reef-friendly and has water resistance for up to 80 minutes.
Buy now £10.00, Selfridges
