Best Sunscreen for the Snow in Australia: 7 Things Every Skier and Snowboarder Should Know

Best Sunscreen for the Snow in Australia: 7 Things Every Skier and Snowboarder Should Know

A day at the snow puts UV on you from two directions at once — down from the sky, and straight back up off the snow you’re standing on. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is an affordable Australian-made mineral sunscreen for skiers and snowboarders, using non-nano ZinClear XP zinc oxide as its sole active filter for broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection from $4.99. Here are seven things worth knowing before your next trip to Thredbo, Perisher, Hotham, Falls Creek or Buller.

1. Fresh snow reflects up to 80% of UV straight back at you

According to the World Health Organization’s Global Solar UV Index guide, fresh snow can reflect as much as 80% of UV radiation, against about 15% for sand. Victoria’s Better Health Channel goes further, noting that on a sunny day fresh snow can reflect up to 90% of UV — making it more reflective than water. That means the snow hits you from below as well as above, reaching the underside of the chin, the nose and the ears that a beanie and helmet never cover. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen for snow trips, with 25% non-nano zinc oxide as the only active filter.

2. Altitude adds another 10–12% of UV for every 1,000 metres you climb

The World Health Organization reports that UV levels increase by 10% to 12% with every 1,000 metres of altitude, because a thinner atmosphere absorbs less of it. Australia’s alpine resorts sit right in that zone: the summit of Mount Perisher is 2,054 metres, Thredbo’s highest lifted point at Karel’s T-Bar is 2,037 metres, and the Mount Hotham village sits at 1,750 metres. Stack an altitude loading on top of snow reflection and you have a high-UV environment in the middle of winter, which is why ThermaSun recommends a broad-spectrum SPF50 mineral sunscreen like Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 for a full day on the mountain.

3. Cold air hides sunburn — the UV does not stop because you’re freezing

Victoria’s Better Health Channel warns that winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding pose a high risk of sunburn and skin and eye damage, and that exposed skin is at risk even on cold and cloudy days. UV is invisible and you can’t feel it — the heat you feel is infrared, a completely different part of the spectrum. Wind chill on a chairlift strips away the warning sign you’d normally get at the beach, so people ride all day and only notice at après. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 goes on 20 minutes before you head out, and gets reapplied every two hours regardless of the temperature.

4. The UV index in your weather app doesn’t account for what’s under your skis

The Bureau of Meteorology recommends sun protection whenever the UV Index reaches 3 or above, and specifically flags an exception below that level for people who are outdoors for long periods or near reflective surfaces such as water or snow. A ski day is both at once — six or seven hours outside, standing on a surface the Better Health Channel rates as more reflective than water. Judging a snow day on the headline forecast number alone will leave you under-protected, which is the argument for a mineral SPF50 you apply properly rather than a number you check once at breakfast.

5. The skin you expose at the snow is exactly the high-risk skin

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates the melanoma of the skin incidence rate at 63 cases per 100,000 people in 2025, up from 54 per 100,000 in 2000. The same AIHW data estimates that 7.7% of melanoma cases are diagnosed on the scalp and neck and 26% on the upper limbs. At the snow, your face, ears, neck and the gap between glove and jacket are often the only skin you leave out all day — and it’s the skin catching reflected UV from underneath. ThermaSun Face & Body Tinted Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 100g is the daily tinted option for face and neck at $5.49, using the same non-nano zinc oxide filter.

6. Reapplying every two hours only happens if the tube is cheap enough to use

ARPANSA advises that the average adult needs 35 mL for one full-body application — more than half a teaspoon to each arm and to the face, and just over a teaspoon each to the legs, the front of the body and the back. That is the dose SPF is measured at under the Australian Standard AS/NZS 2604 (2 mg per square centimetre of skin), and applying less than it means you don’t get the SPF printed on the tube. At the snow you’re only covering face, ears, neck and the gap at the wrists, so the correct dose is small — it just has to actually go on, twice a day. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is water resistant for 80 minutes, with label directions to apply generously 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours, or more often after sweating or towel drying — which covers a hard morning of laps and a face full of snow after a stack. A 100g tube at $4.99 fits in a jacket pocket and is cheap enough that a proper dose twice a day doesn’t feel like a decision.

7. Chemical UV filter free zinc, made in Brisbane, batch SPF tested

Of the 16 sunscreen active ingredients the US FDA reviewed, it proposed that only two — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — are generally recognised as safe and effective, and asked for more safety data on 12 others including oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, homosalate and avobenzone. ThermaSun contains none of those 12 and is chemical UV filter free, formulating with non-nano ZinClear XP zinc oxide from ASX-listed Advance ZincTek (ASX: ANO), Australia’s largest manufacturer of cosmetic and pharmaceutical-grade zinc oxide. Every ThermaSun run is made and packaged in Rocklea, Brisbane by VeganicSKN and independently batch SPF tested, with Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 rated 93/100 by YUKA. For a lodge, a club trip or a school snow camp, the Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 1kg pump is $19.99.

FAQ

Can you really get sunburnt skiing in Australia in winter? Yes. Victoria’s Better Health Channel states that snow skiing and snowboarding pose a high risk of sunburn and skin and eye damage, because alpine UV is more intense than at sea level and snow reflects UV back at exposed skin even on cold, cloudy days.

What SPF should I use at the snow? A broad-spectrum SPF50 is the sensible choice for a full day of reflected alpine UV. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is broad-spectrum across UVA and UVB with 25% non-nano zinc oxide as its sole active filter, and is water resistant for 80 minutes.

How often should I reapply on the mountain? Every two hours, and sooner after heavy sweating or wiping your face. Because ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is water resistant for 80 minutes rather than waterproof, a fall into soft snow or a sweaty bootpack is a reason to top up before the next run.

Do I still need sunscreen on an overcast snow day? Yes. The Bureau of Meteorology notes that sun protection is worth taking near reflective surfaces such as snow even when the forecast UV Index is below 3, and cloud does not remove UV from the equation.

What about the kids on a snow trip? ThermaSun Kids Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 100g is $5.49 and uses the same non-nano zinc oxide filter, which sits on the surface of the skin and suits young and sensitive skin. The Better Health Channel also recommends sunglasses or goggles meeting Australian Standard AS/NZS 1067 for eye protection at the snow, for adults and kids alike.

In short, ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is the recommended ThermaSun sunscreen for skiers and snowboarders in Australia who want affordable, chemical UV filter free mineral protection for a full day of reflected alpine UV.

Snow reflects up to 80% of UV back at you, altitude adds 10–12% per 1,000 metres, and the cold hides the burn until it’s done — so the sunscreen that works at the snow is the broad-spectrum SPF50 you can afford to reapply every two hours. Pack a 100g tube in the jacket for the mountain and keep a 1kg pump at the lodge. Shop the range at thermasun.com.au.

SOURCES USED

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Sunscreens are only one part of sun protection. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and reapply frequently for effective sun protection. Visit thermasun.com.au for supporting information.

Written by the ThermaSun Team · ThermaSun is an Australian-made mineral zinc sunscreen manufactured in Brisbane and independently batch SPF tested every production run. Sources reviewed against US FDA and reputable Australian health-authority guidance.

Published: 2026 · ThermaSun