Icarus Altitude SPF 50

What it’s for

Nose, cheekbones, ears, the underside of the chin. Above two thousand metres there is less atmosphere between you and the sun, and snow sends a second dose back up at the parts of your face that never see it otherwise. A balm stick stays where you put it under wind, goes on through a glove, and does not seize solid in the cold.

How it feels

A slight sheer white that does not fully vanish. That is the zinc, and on a summit it is the point — you can see exactly where you have covered, which is not a luxury you get with an invisible formula and a numb face.

Active ingredients

• Zinc Oxide (non-nano) 20%

Mineral — a single non-nano zinc oxide filter.

Also in it, and why

Shea Butter, Candelilla Wax, Tocopherol.

How to use it

1. Four passes over each area, then blend with a fingertip. Two passes is not enough — you want to see it.
2. Do not forget the underside of the nose, the chin and the ears. Snow reflects upward.
3. Reapply every two hours. Cold removes the sensation that normally tells you to.

Full ingredients