Featured Article
Spring is, in my opinion, one of the most unique and exciting times of the ski season. As the days get longer and the temperatures get warmer, the sun’s angle gets higher, and the goggle tan starts to show. It’s important to remember to protect our body’s largest organ, the skin. Here on the slopes of Lake Tahoe, the combination of a thinner atmosphere at higher elevation and up to 90% UV reflection off the snow makes the risk of sunburn exponentially higher. While covering my skin and face with UPF clothing is a good start, applying an aloe-based sunscreen like Aloe Up is a must to help prevent sunburn.
While the snowfall around Lake Tahoe this season started out minimal, the sunshine, blue skies, and spring-like feel proved to be more than optimal. After a set of Christmas and New Year’s storms hit the Sierra, things drastically shifted for the Tahoe region. January became June-uary, with 40-50° temperatures and a warm, high-elevation sun beating down on the snow, and therefore on my skin as well. Thankfully, I was able to protect myself during this time using the Aloe Up Sport Collection sunscreens and For the Face Daily Moisturizer.
Flashback to before I moved to Lake Tahoe nearly a decade ago. I visited Heavenly Ski Resort for a short trip to meet a couple of friends from Michigan. It was the middle of March, and there was some fresh snow, yet I vividly remember halfway through the day thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I’m really hot, and my face feels beet red!’ Needless to say, an entire day spent above 9,000 feet with the glaring sun burning my face really did some damage. When I woke up the next morning, I realized just how bad my sunburn was. Unfortunately, it was really bad. After checking out of my hotel, I drove straight to CVS and bought an entire aloe plant. During my 2-hour drive home, I was cracking aloe leaves directly off the plant and applying them all over my entire face.
Now, years later, I’ve learned just how important it is to protect my skin from the sun, regardless of the season, temperature, or any other factors. Instead of applying a fresh aloe plant to my burnt and blistered face after the damage is already done, I’m proactively using the Daily Moisturizer with SPF 25 on mornings that I know I’ll be out in the sun. Whether I’m skiing when it’s 30º and sunny on the mountain, or I’m hiking, biking, golfing, or paddle boarding and enjoying the warmer, spring days, I make sure to bring one of my favorites from the Sport Collection, either the SPF 30 or 50 Continuous Spray. This combination has worked flawlessly to keep my skin protected and moisturized during this warm, spring-like winter here in Tahoe.
As someone who spends a significant amount of time outdoors and is exposed to the elements, it’s important to have both gear and products I can trust and rely on, and Aloe Up is just that. A few noticeable differences that set these products apart from other sunscreens are the fact that they are fragrance-free, non-greasy, and at least 35% and up to 96.9% aloe vera-based. Not to mention, everything is biodegradable, reef and ocean-friendly, cruelty-free, alcohol-free, and paraben-free, and made in the USA. Aloe Up’s diverse lineup includes a handful of other great products, such as mineral-based sunscreens, lip balms, and aftersun lotions.
So when you’re debating on where to go for that spring break trip, off to the mountains to shred the slopes, or escape to the warmer weather to sit on a beach, remember to keep your skin protected wherever you are with Aloe Up.
