Glossy Pop Newsletter: Why Are so Many Skin Care Brands Hitting the Slopes?

Why It Matters

Ski‑based activations let skin‑care brands prove efficacy in extreme environments while delivering premium, shareable content that drives awareness and sales among affluent, experience‑seeking consumers.

Key Takeaways

• Influencer ski trips generate high‑impact visual content
• Rhode’s Snow Club leverages 2M+ influencer followers
• Supergoop secures four‑year partnership across 13 resorts
• Neutrogena produced 600 pieces content, 3M views in 48h
• Ski market reaches ~30 million U.S. participants

Pulse Analysis

Ski resorts have emerged as a high‑visibility platform for beauty brands seeking authentic, experiential marketing. By transporting influencers to alpine chalets, companies capture striking winter imagery that resonates on Instagram, TikTok, and emerging short‑form channels. The cold‑weather setting also provides a natural laboratory for testing product durability, from hydrating masks to UV‑blocking sunscreens, reinforcing claims of performance under extreme conditions. This approach aligns with the broader shift toward experience‑driven commerce, where consumers value real‑world validation as much as product aesthetics.

Recent activations illustrate the scale and sophistication of the strategy. Rhode’s Snow Club leveraged creators with combined followings exceeding two million to tease new caffeine‑infused masks and peptide lip boosters, while Supergoop secured a four‑year, 13‑resort partnership with Alterra Mountain Company to position itself as the go‑to sunscreen on the slopes. Kiehl’s expanded its Jackson Hole presence, seeding over 100,000 samples across multiple mountains, and Neutrogena’s inaugural ski trip generated 600 pieces of creator content and three million views within 48 hours. These campaigns blend product sampling, on‑site consultations, and immersive brand experiences, turning resort guests into brand ambassadors.

The implications for the beauty industry are significant. With roughly 30 million Americans skiing and a growing Gen Z and millennial appetite for luxury adventure, ski‑based activations offer a direct line to high‑spending, trend‑savvy consumers. Brands that successfully integrate cold‑weather product testing with shareable creator content can differentiate themselves in a crowded market, drive incremental sales, and reinforce a narrative of resilience and performance. As the seasonal cycle repeats, we can expect more brands to adopt multi‑year resort deals, expand creator collaborations, and refine data‑driven measurement of earned media value, cementing ski resorts as a permanent fixture in the beauty marketing playbook.