Anyone recommend what they use to protect the face from snow and sun during winter riding and xc skiing?
I have always used basic Dermatone in the tin but I'm finding that it doesn't protect from the sun enough on cold sunny winter days (midwest).
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Anyone recommend what they use to protect the face from snow and sun during winter riding and xc skiing?
I have always used basic Dermatone in the tin but I'm finding that it doesn't protect from the sun enough on cold sunny winter days (midwest).
If you don't mind a balaclava... I just got a nice bamboo/microfiber one with UV protection at Sierra Trading Post. It is nice and wicking, and dries quickly. As far as lotion-type products, are there any dermatologists out there? In the summer I use the Neutrogena sunblock for faces with good results.
Deb
Kiehl used to make a ski-type face block. It was thick like vaseline but kept your face warm.
I've got a balaclava. Lotion type stuff, I don't go there, as my skin reacts badly to excess grease on my face.
Yeah, this stuff is pretty thick. Works good, but you need Ajax to chisel it off when you're done!Quote:
Originally Posted by Owlie
I used to get cold sores if I didn't cover my face when I was skiing/snowboarding, so my answer was a neck gaiter. After using fleece gaiter for a couple of years and getting disgusted at the smell (even with washing after every use), I finally found Smartwool's neck gaiter.
I wore it last week during our cold snap for my commute to work, and it worked great. Unlike a balaclava where you're kind of committed to having it on your face, you can pull down/up a gaiter as you need it when hot/cold.
http://www.rei.com/product/738922
I live in Chicago and try to ride outside through the winter (so long as there is no ice on the road). After many tries, I love my balaclava from Boure. It is nice material (does not itch) and washes well. It also is the right weight so that I do not feel too hot or too cold.
I also use Aquaphor around my nose and lips once the temperature drops into the 30s. (I keep a special jar for my face so I don't use the one I use for my feet!) I have tried other products but this seems the best, even on my sensitive skin.
Karen
I've been using a Gore face warmer. if I use a balaclava and it's not freezing out my glasses fog up and I'm useless to see.
The face warmer just comes up to my nose, and due to it being gore seems to breathe much better than other materials I've used.
http://www.gorebikewear.com/remote/S...1208436871979A
My other favorite is the Buff as it goes from head to face pretty easily (you do have to stop the bike though)
I use Clinique's Super City Block sunscreen (SPF 25 or 40) on my face. It was recommended to me by a dermatologist because all other sunscreens (including Neutrogena, which works for a lot of sensitive-skinned people) made my skin break out. It's a physical sunblock with titanium dioxide and works really well. It doesn't feel greasy and stays on even when I sweat, though it's not marketed as being waterproof. One 40ml tube is around $15, but usually lasts me six months or so. One potential downside is that it's tinted, so if you're not fairly light-skinned it'll give your face a paler hue.
Also, SPF 15 lip balm, applied regularly to avoid getting cold sores. Blistex and Burt's Bees seem to stay on longer than most brands. After a ride or skiing (once out of the sun) I'll often apply some Vaseline or a similar product to retain moisture and avoid chapped lips.
Seconding the Smartwool neck gaiter. It's awesome -- I wear mine all the time as a neck warmer, face cover or hat. It's warm but I can still breathe through it if my nose and mouth are covered. I've had it for two years, run it through the washer and dryer regularly, and it still looks and feels new.
I wear a thin wool neck gaiter a lot, but now that it's well below freezing here it gets saturated with the moisture from my breath then re-freezes into a stiff icy mask. I''ll have to pull out my bank robber Buff again, the one I cut a hole in for my nose and mouth a few years ago. I can keep that one up to my eyes all the time to protect the skin on my cheeks. When it's this cold I wear a thin wool open-face balaclava underneath, a thin wool skull cap, and a neck gaiter that I pull up or down as needed/or the "bank robber Buff". Preferably a layer of cold cream under my eyes and around my nose and mouth as well.
BikeShopGirl, how do you keep the face warmer in position? I had one of those and had high hopes for it, but it kept sliding down unless I fastened it uncomfortably tight, so I never got the hang of it and one day it just disappeared.