Considering I refuse to be outside for longer than the 10 minutes it takes to walk my dog when the temperature dips below 40 degrees, I'm always interested in how people who spend days or weeks at a time in the cold handle it. Melissa Arnot is one such person. She's a professional mountain climber and guide who has summited Mount Everest five times! If these cold-weather skin care tips work for her, they'll definitely work for you and me.

What is your typical skin care routine when you're not planning intensely cold outdoor expeditions?

"My philosophy has always been to keep it simple. I live in a really dry climate, so I have to make sure to use moisturizer every day so I go for the double benefit of an SPF 35 (Coppertone Sport Faces Lotion). The best advice I ever got was to wash your face with a cleanser at night and let all your natural oils work their magic as you sleep, then just splash water on your face and add sunscreen in the morning. This is always my routine, no matter where I am."

And what about when you are?

"I don't change much when I am planning for cold or expeditions. The one exception is that I will use Simple Exfoliating Facial Wipes at night because water is often scarce. Then I go with the sunscreen in the morning again."

How do you keep your skin hydrated?

"I think it is all about not overwashing—which is odd, I know. But my skin is honestly the most healthy when I am on expeditions and I am not able to wash it with a cleanser every day. The natural moisture and oils from my body do a pretty great job keeping my skin happy."

Do you ever have a hard time remembering sunscreen? Seems like it'd be less top of mind on a mountain than a beach.

"Never! The sun is so intense at high elevations (anyone skied in Colorado?). It is part of my safety routine. I rest for a few minutes each hour I am out moving, and I eat a quick bite, drink a gulp of water, and slather on some more sunscreen. I am compulsive about it! I do make sure to use a brand that doesn't just cake on top of itself. And sweatproof is critical to keep it out of my eyes."


And what about windburn? Any beauty remedies for treating or preventing it?

"I always wear an Eddie Bauer MultiClava (which is super-thin, lightweight fabric) as a scarf, and when the wind picks up or the sun gets too intense, I just pull it over my face and nose, ninja style. In fact, my nickname is Ninjita because of this."

And we must talk about chapped lips. How do you keep yours smooth?

"Chapped and sunburned lips are the absolute worst. I have been a loyal user of Dermatone Sport ChapStick with SPF 35 for my whole guiding career. It really sticks to my lips and doesn't just rub off. I buy 10 of them before a trip and hide them in all my jacket pockets so I am never without one. It is particularly great because it doesn't melt in the extreme heat like some lip balms do."

This might be silly, but do you have any tricks for preventing hat hair? Or do you just go with it?

"Of course! I believe there is nothing you can't do in the mountains with a little baby powder and sunscreen. If my hair is freshly washed I will just put a little sunscreen on my hands and smooth it through the roots to keep it from matting down under my hat, and when I take my hat off, I will just dust a little baby powder in my hands to de-oil it and bring it back to life. It is a magic combination, really."

Want more dry-skin tips? Try our guide to staying flake-free from head to toe.