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A veteran skier’s shower routine & cold-weather tips ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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Conversations surrounding routines, holy grail products, unique tips, and peeks of shelfies are the ultimate love language of Team Soft Services. Being active has its accompanying set of skin challenges, especially if you’re also battling the elements.
Today, we’re taking a shower with Eliza Rolfs, Head of Brand at Still Here—a New York denim brand that specializes in Everyday Dressing—and veteran skier. |
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Hi, my name is Eliza Rolfs. I live in New York City and spend time in Aspen, Colorado where my family lives. I’ve been skiing since I was two and grew up competing in downhill racing all over the world. After a few knee surgeries, I retired when I was 23 and moved to New York to study at Parsons.
As a longtime skier, winter and cold weather feel like home to me. It’s the nature of the sport—we’d be in head to toe spandex in -10 degree weather regularly. Lots of frostbite and bad circulation, but I didn’t know any different then… made me tough I guess. I grew up in Wisconsin, Northern Vermont, and various mountain towns for racing, so 90% of my time was spent in the freezing cold and dark winters—to me it’s calming.
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My routine in the mountains is completely different from the pace of my life in New York—it’s like yin and yang. On a typical day in Aspen, I’m up... too early. Then it’s coffee coffee coffee and stealing my sibling’s neckie. We live on the back of the mountain so I’ll snowmobile to the top of the resort then ski down. The rest of the day is ski ski ski with friends, family, or solo, which is my favorite. A drink or two in town (either a peppermint tea or a Negroni from
 Clark’s Aspen), and then back home to sauna.
Since I’m up so early on ski days, my AM prep is pretty minimal; lotion and sunscreen. The wind and sun on the mountains can be intense, so making sure I create a solid moisture and SPF barrier between any exposed skin and the elements is key. On bad weather days, I’ll use a neck gaiter to cover my whole face, protecting me from the sun, snow, and wind.
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If you’re in the market for one, I would suggest getting
 something thin that tucks under the bottom of your goggles. And don’t forget chapstick—it goes a very long way.
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We live at 9,000 feet elevation so it’s really high and realllly dry. That, plus the cold all day really takes a toll on my skin, meaning my skincare routine gets more attention in the PM. I use 4x the amount of body and face lotion when I’m in the mountains and am more diligent about dry brushing and using proper body washes and moisturizers that are very hydrating.
When I am done being active for the day, I sauna and then hop in the shower. I bring everything with me – my toothbrush,
 Buffing Bar,  Comfort Cleanse, and  shampoo and conditioner. I see my post-ski showers as a reset: I’ll buff my arms and legs (this transformed my skin’s texture), and then use Comfort Cleanse on my entire body. I always end by cranking the handle all the way cold for a good 30 second wakeup. When I get out, I use  Carea Cream and then  Speed Soak (my all-time favorite body moisturizer, a tough title to earn since I grew up on  Coconut Mountain Ocean Moisturizer). Like I said, the air is very dry, so doubling down on moisture with the products I use can only be a good thing—Carea Cream is on repeat all day. |
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After several knee surgeries, I’ve learned that staying active means taking extra care of myself—more baths, saunas,
 compression pants, legs up the wall—all the recovery things. Taking good care of my body means I can ski more, which is always the goal.
Sports that require a lot of equipment like skiing seem intimidating because the barrier to entry is high, but if you ever have the chance to try it, take it! Learning new sports as an adult is so hard but so fun. Skiing is a lifelong sport so it’s never too late to learn—my parents ski better now than they ever have. I love to ski because it makes me feel high and young. It’s the good kind of scary. |
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ELIZA’S MUST-HAVE GEAR
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Peppermint Tea
or Negroni
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Clark’s Aspen
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Neck Gaiter
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LÉ BENT
$32
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Buffing Bar
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Soft Services
$28
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Comfort Cleanse
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Soft Services
$32
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Amino Acid Shampoo
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Kiehl’s
$42
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Carea Cream
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Soft Services
$40
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Speed Soak
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Soft Services
$28
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Skin Trip Lotion
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Mountain Ocean
$15
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Normatec 3 Legs
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Hyperice
$799
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Free shipping on orders over $65
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