My Beauty Uniform: Felicity Aston
I interviewed polar explorer and scientist Felicity Aston seven years ago. It was an unforgettable interview (for many readers, too, I know!). Last weekend, when the mayor announced that NYC was colder than parts of Antarctica, I immediately thought of Felicity’s incredible stories and winter skin recs. These days, Felicity lives with her family on Vigur Island, a nature reserve and eiderdown farm just south of the Arctic Circle, where she continues to research and lead expeditions across the polar regions. We all loved this interview, so in honor (?) of this recent cold snap, we thought we’d share it again…
Felicity Aston is a polar explorer and Antarctic scientist. In 2012, she became the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone (!) and now travels the world leading expeditions and speaking about her work in the polar regions. When she’s not on expedition, she lives between Kent, England, and Reykjavik, Iceland, with her husband and toddler son. Here, she shares what she’s learned about fear, the strongest lip balm, and the old-school drugstore moisturizer she brings on every trip…
So, what IS a typical day like for a modern-day polar explorer?
If I’m on an expedition, my day starts by waking up in a tent, in a sleeping bag next to someone who starts out a total stranger but very quickly becomes not so. Then you spend an hour getting dressed, melting snow for water to make breakfast, and getting your stuff sorted for the day. Then you pack up your camp and supplies onto a sledge, and move on. Then about 12 hours later, you unpack, build your home, make food and do everything as quickly as possible so you can get to sleep before doing it all over again the next day. You spend some time looking after yourself — your feet in particular. Your feet are the most important part of your kit.
That makes sense. How do you take care of them?
It’s amazing how many people arrive with their feet in a pair of socks and don’t see them again until the end of the expedition. But it’s so important to have a good look at your feet every day, to see if you’re getting sore patches or blisters, what’s going on with your nails, etc. If they’re in socks, they’re always going to be a bit damp, and won’t be able to heal properly. Some people spend a lot of time putting creams on their feet, but I just make sure I give them time in the open air each day.
I have to admit, I feel slightly ridiculous asking about your ‘beauty routine’ on a polar expedition. But then again, skincare must take on a whole new meaning in that environment.
Yeah, it’s really important! In the morning, I slap on generous amounts of the highest factor sunblock that I can find. Doesn’t matter what brand, but I often wind up using children’s sunblock because it has the highest SPF, and it’s thicker on your skin (so it also helps protect from the cold, wind, and extreme dryness). You have to remember, in places like Antarctica, there is no ozone protection. You’re under the hole in the ozone layer, so you burn quickly and severely. I’m constantly putting on lip balm because you wouldn’t believe how quickly your lips suffer. I like Labello with a high SPF.
Okay, your skin is amazing. Let’s talk moisturizer.
In the evening, I clean my face with my luxury item: a wet wipe. I give it a good rub to get off all the excess sunblock, snot, and god knows what else I’ve got on my face by the end of the day. It’s always a bit frozen — everything is — so it’s like using a cold compress on my face. Then I put on a generous dollop of the thickest, strongest moisturizer I can get.
What kind?!
You know the old-fashioned Nivea? That comes in a tin? It’s BRILLIANT. I slather it on, and it really moisturizes my skin overnight. On many expeditions, I’m the only woman, or one of just a few, and the guys tend to laugh when I get out my big pot of moisturizer. But when you’re in a really dry environment like Antarctica, if your skin is sore and your lips are cracking, you’re much more susceptible to cold injuries and serious problems. Sometimes I’ll convince the guys to try some and they’ll dip a tentative finger in and dab some on their forehead — and I’m like, ‘No no no, you’ve gotta get a good handful and rub it in until your face can take no more.’ And then at the end of the trip, they come back looking like they’ve been dipped in a vat of acid, with skin peeling off and lips massively swollen and cracked — and my skin’s generally all right. I feel vindicated!
As an explorer, what drew you to the polar regions, specifically?
I’ve been on expeditions in desert and jungle environments, and they were immensely rewarding experiences. But there’s something about the polar environment that keeps pulling me back. I wonder if it’s something to do with where I grew up, in southeast England. Snow was a very rare, exciting event. School was canceled, we went sledding, and this world that I knew was transformed into a different place. Perhaps that’s when I started equating snowy places with adventure. I think it’s also something to do with the fact that these environments are at the edges of the globe. Looking at a map, my eyes always wander toward the fringes — the places I don’t know anything about. I’ve always been driven by that strong sense of curiosity: Who’s there? What would it feel like to be there? And then you suddenly realize the only way to answer these questions is to go there and find out.
You’ve spent much of your career in Antarctica — a place most of us can only imagine. What did you learn about that place that you’d want others to know?
People tend to think of Antarctica as this tiny place on the bottom of the map. But it’s enormous (twice the size of Australia!), and it has a huge impact on our daily lives. Whether it’s the temperature in New York today or the fact that it’s snowing here in Reykjavik — that can be linked back to what’s going on in Antarctica.
I bet your hands need a lot of TLC, too.
The main issue I have with my hands in wintertime — not just on expedition — is that the skin around my nails cracks. I feel like such a wuss when I come back from a trip and people are expecting to hear about terrible injuries and gore, and I’m saying, ‘The skin on my fingers cracked and it was really sore!’ But, you know, it’s like that paper-cut agony. The best thing is zinc oxide. There are a million different brand names, but any zinc oxide cream will do. You rub it into the skin around your fingers and it works wonderfully.
Okay, this may be super obvious but I’m guessing you can’t wash your hair on expedition, right?
No, you can’t. It stays under a hat. But you know, when I come back from an expedition, my hair is in the GREATEST shape. That whole thing about washing your hair less frequently? It’s true. My hair obviously gets super greasy and horrible when I’m on the trip, but when I do come back and wash it, it’s shiny and thick and amazing. So, even when I’m at home, I try to cut down on washes.
I imagine your beauty routine — and all your routines — are very different when you’re at home.
While I spend part of my life in the outdoors, I’m often home in front of the laptop. It can take years of planning before you get to do the exciting stuff. I also do a lot of speaking around the world, so I’m often working on that (or driving to or from the airport). And I have an 18-month-old little boy now, so like most new parents, my days at home are structured around him.
What does your bedtime regimen look like?
I’m actually making the switch to organic products. When I was pregnant, I started looking at the ingredients in products and it freaked me out. So, now I use Dr. Organic for everything: shampoo, deodorant, hand cream. It just makes me personally feel more secure. And I love all their varieties — argan oil, aloe vera, tea tree, etc. I’m a total convert.
In 2012, you became the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone — a 59-day, 1,000-mile journey. Among other things, that’s a long time to be alone. What was that like?
Yes, that part — the being on my own part — was the hardest thing I’ve experienced in my entire life. It hit me immediately. Those first few seconds after the plane left me, I was struck by the full weight of my aloneness, and the responsibility that came with it. That was the most frightening part of the expedition. People often ask how I conquered the fear — but honestly, I don’t think I did. I found a way to keep going in spite of it, but the fear was always there. I learned a lot about myself during that expedition.
Like what?
Well, I learned that although I’m very grateful for the experience, it’s not something I ever want to do again. With no other people around, every single emotion I had would be immediately, intensely expressed. So, if I felt upset, I would be bawling my eyes out in catastrophic sadness. If I was irritated by something, I would be furious, throwing my poles on the ground and shouting to the sky. If I was scared, I’d be shaking and petrified. My emotions swung so hard and fast that it made me feel as though I was going mad. It did teach me about myself — and about people in general. The human body and brain are capable of infinite resilience. You see that, when people survive huge traumas, and yet go on to lead fulfilling, rewarding lives. You see people in survival situations, going beyond what seems humanly possible, both mentally and physically. The difference with my trip was that it wasn’t survival. It was my choice to be out there. I learned my limit.
What was it like, transitioning back to regular life?
Some things were strangely difficult — like going to the grocery store. After living in a tent with what I needed and nothing more, I was overwhelmed by all the choices. I’d be standing in the bread aisle staring at a million different kinds of loaves and literally couldn’t make a decision! The energy of all those tiny decisions sapped my strength. Social interactions were strange, too. Although I was going through the motions of regular social behavior, it felt like the real me was actually sitting in the back of my brain somewhere, totally disconnected. It took a year before these two parts of me came back together as one, before I felt truly present again.
So, you felt like different versions of yourself?
Before that expedition, I had always assumed that I was intrinsically me. I thought Felicity was a specific, definite thing: this is who I am, these are my values, this is how I react. But out there, I realized that me, my character, is the space between all the people that have huge influence in my life. When those people and outside influences were taken away, suddenly my character didn’t have a form anymore. I felt fluid. It made me realize just how much the people in our lives help shape who we are — and how absolutely essential it is to surround yourself with others that reflect the values and the character that you want to have. People who are good for you.
Thank you so much, Felicity! Her book, Alone in Antartica, came out in 2014.
P.S. More women share their beauty uniforms, including an HBO writer and a transgender advocate.
(Fifth photo by Katrina Jane Perry. All other photos courtesy of Felicity Aston.)
Tags: beauty uniform
Comments
83 commentsZinc oxide cream is what we knew as “butt paste” to prevent diaper rash when I worked as a nurse on Pediatrics. It worked, but I never thought of its other possible uses!
Love Felicity’s purplish sweater in the eighth photo. I am now going to read all the comments to see if there’s a source…
https://www.nivea.co.uk/products/soft-moisturiser-face-body-and-hands-50259700225740045.html (Grabbed quick line for photo) Nivea SOFT is a less greasy moisturizer for the whole body. Avail everywhere.
That’s true, but I still prefer the old school Nivea for my face and hands during the cold part of the year. Plus the smell of Nivea soft is nowhere near the classic Nivea scent. Fun thing: In out late teens, early twenties me and my friends realized that the 60-something women in our lives with the best and glowiest skin were the ones who used the classic Nivea cream their whole lives. My MIL still does and her skin is amazing. I love to use it during winter (the same way Felicity describes: you put so much on, the skin can’t take any more in). During the summer months it’s too much – your sweat gets caught between the cream and your skin :)
I loved Felicity’s book and am happy you reposted this interview, as I missed it first time around. I’ve also been to Antarctica—it was a million years ago n a scientific expedition and I didn’t know anything about skincare or keeping warm down there, especially coming from California. This would have saved me. Now that I live in France, where we have winter (even if it’s relatively mild), I have a bigger bag of tricks. My two favorite French pharmacy solutions for dry hands: Avène Cicalfate mains—it has zinc, as Felicity recommends, as well as copper and sucralfate—and La Roche Posay Cicaplast Mains, which has niacinamide and glycine. The Avène is a smooth crème that soaks in right away, whereas the Roche Posay is more like Vaseline (from the glycerine), which is helpful if your hands are really roughed up.
I’m a huge fan of Avene too. The Avene Xericalm Lipid Replienishing Balm saved my skin when a continuous, year-long series of histamine reactions ruined my skin barrier.
Thank you. The last answer is so beautiful and true. Nivea in the aluminum tin is too heavy for my face but is perfect for my lips.
What an incredible woman and interview! I love how this frames beauty as something more than frivolous. I was lucky to visit Antarctica with my Dad which makes me love the piece even more!
I remembered that old interview so when I was in Switzerland this year, I picked up the German tin of Nivea. I was so excited to finally try it, but it made my face breakout in weird little bumps.it may have been too thick for my skin. I was so disappointed.
I don’t think it’s meant to be a regular face cream. I think you would only use Nivea cream on your hands, feet and elbows – unless you were in an extreme environment like Antarctica or maybe on ski slopes and needed a barrier creme.
Thanks for bringing back this interview. It made a big impression on me at the time, and still does. There’s something really special about Felicity Aston. I have been faithfully using Nivea ever since then!
Same for me. I kept thinking about that interview with Felicity quite a few times during the years. What a remarkable woman!
Incredible! It is a dream of mine to visit Antarctica. I would be in absolute awe to meet and talk to Felicity, she seems like such a badass!
I absolutely loved this interview. So much to take away from Felicity’s experience and discoveries – including less shampoo and more Nivea – but the comment of existing in the space in which we relate to the people we surround ourselves with. What a thought provoking piece. What a woman.
The mention of Nivea moisturizer makes me miss my grandmother! She used it religiously, and even saved the containers (cleaned out, of course) and hid her fanciest jewelry in them (LOL). She was absolutely the best.
I recognize that as a “My Beauty Uniform” piece, the focus is inherently on the individual and centres the self. And yet it’s striking to me that there is zero reference to the climate crisis given the profound changes that are happening everywhere, but especially the polar regions. I know folks who live and work in the Arctic and are using any platform and every opportunity they can to try to draw the rest of the world’s attention to the catastrophe that’s unfolding. Maybe it’s a reflection of just how much things have tragically changed in the last 7 years that it wasn’t mentioned in the original post.
Interesting point. Though I did shudder when Felicity mentioned that the hole in the ozone was the reason why she needed to wear high SPF sunscreen.
I discovered labello lip balm in a Switzerland grocery and I love it. I didn’t know they had a sunblock version. Thanks!
My first time reading this inspiring piece and the two others linked at the end. CupofJo profiles always send me down a beautiful rabbit hole of discovery!
Hi! Unrelated, but I haven’t seen posts from Janelle Sanchez in a while, is she still part of the team? As a Latina, it was always welcoming to see her name and read her posts. Just curious :)
Hi Irene! Jannelle is on parental leave, and will be back next month (we miss her too!). 💛
I remember this one because of her talking about not washing her hair!! It’s incredible to revisit this now several years later. It feels easier for me to absorb some of her wisdom this time around. Thank you for resharing this one!
This is as powerful as ever. I remember the first time I read it and thought, “oh, yes! Wash my hair less. Brilliant.” Now, years later, I am struck by her answer to the last question. Who we are is fluid, formed by the people we connect with and who share our values.
It’s really beautiful isn’t it? A reminder to me, to see each person in my life for the gift that they are, and what their loves and personalities and uniqueness add to my own wholeness. The royal “we”, indeed, right?
So good. Thank you for sharing again!
Oh thank you so much for posti g that intervew again! So so inspiring! Live from Paris
I think it was meant Love, from Paris. But LIVE FROM PARIS, IT’S AGNÈS!!!!!!! I would absolutely see this show. (Helps to read it in saturday night live announcer voice)
I still use Labello chap stick based on her recommendation in 2019!!
This passage suddenly made me understand why I have felt so adrift during the social isolation of covid! “ I realized that me, my character, is the space between all the people that have huge influence in my life. When those people and outside influences were taken away, suddenly my character didn’t have a form anymore. I felt fluid. It made me realize just how much the people in our lives help shape who we are” Grateful for the endless insights and wisdom at this site. I wonder if others feel this way too?
I bought Felicity’s book after reading this Beauty Uniform post last February and it went onto my “To-Be-Read” shelf. I have faithfully been working through that shelf during quarantine and I am nearly finished Alone in Antartica. What an interesting book to read while we are all self-isolating! Of course I am in the comfort of my own apartment, and have the (never-ending) company of my husband and three young children, but the philosophical pondering is still on point. Thank you, CoJ, for expanding my horizons, even as I am snuggled up indoors!
I’m running behind on my reading (obviously!), but I wanted to chime in and say that I wonder how many great posts like this one I’ve missed because I assumed that the “beauty uniform” posts were literally just about clothes or makeup routines. I accidentally opened one a few months ago, and I’ve been reading them ever since, but I’ve been reading the blog for years and always brushed those posts off as being fluff I wouldn’t care about.
Thanks for this post. Ordered her book right after I read post. Amazing story, so scared.
My husband’s been obsessively watching this BBC three parter called Operation Gold Rush. Normally I’m only mildly interested, but the woman on the expedition caught my eye… “I saw her on Cup of Jo!” My partner and I agree: Felicity is the toughest on the expedition, with one of the best attitudes. So cool.
best one yet. The last few comments are quite profound.
Agree fully! My mind is a bit blown right now by that last one especially.
Best Beauty Uniform yet! I love the ones with makeup and skincare stuff, of course, but this focus on inner beauty is terrific!
Love love love this interview. What a cool person to feature!
Such a fascinating interview, thank you! Outdoor adventures combined with practical beauty – my favourite!
This was so beyond interesting! Thank you COJ, literally my favorite site for the past 8 years.
Yes Yes Yes. More of this!!
This was so interesting! Thank you! It added a book to my to read list and the tip about using zinc oxide to heal skin cracks is amazing! My hands are a mess from living under the Polar Vortex and it really works toheal up those stubborn, painful cracks!
I never comment but love her story and this is why I’m a loyal reader! You profile such interesting women and her line of work, especially her being in such a male-dominated field, is fascinating and admirable.
One of the most fascinating things I’ve read on COJ.
What an extraordinary interview. I think her comments about who you really are as a function of who you choose to surround yourself with will be chasing around in my head for a good long while. Thank you!
WOW! This is actually the type of content that has made a loyal reader of Cup of Jo for the past 5+ years. What a fascinating portrait! I love that you portray this fantastic woman and through the accessible “beauty uniform” format has me contemplating who I really am as a person and what impact the people around me have. Excellent post!
I want to be her when I grow up!
Wow, what a great interview! I really love the people you have profiled recently like Samin Nosrat. And if may suggest a blogger I really admire in many ways to profile for a beauty uniform- check out Annie from https://everydayannie.com or Deb from Smitten Kitchen.
Yes please, more interviews from women in male dominated fields! With streamlined, sensible, and few beauty products to define them
Just requested her book from my library. As a grad student I don’t have time to read non academic books but I think I will have to make an exception! Great interview and what an inspiration.
I ordered her book, too. She is very interesting.
This is by far the best in the series! What an inspiration. I love her less is more mentality and her beauty shines!
She is remarkable! A true beauty. Aside from admiring her character & accomplishments, I love the reminder that beautiful skin does not require expensive products.
I want to say so much more, but one little thing this reminded me of when she was talking about feeling like her personality was formless reminded me of my first real shroom trip. It was so terrifying yet thought-provoking, the similar feeling of having to reign in my emotions, and feeling totally alone and having to deal with myself (even though a friend was right next to me, they were on their own trip). I felt stronger for having overcame it, and although half the time I want to do it again, half the time I never, ever want to do it again. Similarly, it was an adventure fully of my own choice. And while I feel silly comparing it to a trek across Antarctica, the mental gymnastics of conquering your emotions and not going mad I can totally relate to. This was a big deal for a wimp like me who will maybe probably never go bungee jumping in my lifetime.
Such a wonderful profile! Felicity has also been featured on Apiece Apart’s Woman series (which I think most COJ readers would enjoy, if not already familiar). Thank you for always promoting many different ways of being a woman in the world.
Thank you! Amazing story of amazing woman. Very touching, especially the part about spending time alone.
I loved this! What an inspiring and brave woman. Can’t wait to read her book.
Love this! My favorite beauty uniform yet, because it’s so much about what she’s made of.
I never miss My Beauty Uniform posts but this is my absolute favorite one. Such an amazing woman!
Coolest beauty uniform, coolest woman, ever! Cup of Jo, you never cease to amaze me with the diversity of your content. PS. That lavender knit sweater Felicity is wearing with the skirt is so beautiful.
I loved this. Adding Felicity’s book to my to-read list!
This was definitely the best beauty uniform ever. I am blown away by her experiences and perspective. And, a beauty routine of chapstick and Nivea moisturiser and not much else is one that I can wholeheartedly get behind!
What a great read! I came for the moisturizer tips, but left with so much more
What a cool and inspiring woman!!! Thank you for featuring someone in a field outside the arts/fashion/journalism.
You know how there are some articles that you remember forever, that imprint themselves on your brain and you paraphrase them to friends for years after? This is going to be one of those. Brava.
This is by far my favourite Beauty Uniform! I religiously read your website and I was EXCITED to come home and read this on my laptop vs my phone. What an outstanding person and life! I am going to show my daughter….
I started crying while reading her response to the “As an explorer, what drew you to the polar regions, specifically?” I am a mother of 3 girls and I am raising them with an appreciation for the earth and adventures. I felt everything this woman spoke and also felt such encouragement to keep planning more adventures for myself and with my girls. This is the best beauty uniform you’ve every presented. This is true beauty. Beauty is what makes up who you are, not how you dress yourself up . Figure out what that is about yourself and there you will find your confidence.
So beautiful.
Best beauty uniform ever.
Hands down the best beauty uniform yet. What an inspiring woman! And now I’m off to buy some of that Nivea in a tin:)
Just make sure to get the Nivea made in Germany! Not Mexico!! Learned this from my German mother, Nivea is the cure all!
My favorite beauty uniform I’ve read!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Loved this one!! Keep ones like this coming!
This feature was next level!! An amazing, inspiring woman. I could read a whole book on her story! Thank you for featuring her!
Easily the coolest beauty uniform post ever!!! I’d love to see one of these about an astronaut.
Definitely my favourite – thank you for featuring Felicity!
She’s so cool! Pun intended… love this gem: “People often ask how I conquered the fear — but honestly, I don’t think I did. I found a way to keep going in spite of it, but the fear was always there. I learned a lot about myself during that expedition.”
Loved reading what she learned about herself in her time alone. I think about these things a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Oh thank god for this. As a woman that works in the outdoor field, this lit me up like a Christmas tree! I’m a daily CoJ reader, but don’t alwat relate to the professions and traditional ‘office attire’. This was an INSPIRATION in so many ways.
SAME! I love the idea of exploring knowing women in ALL aspects of life, not just the corporate world. YES to all the women movers and shakers in the outdoor industry!!
Same! While I’ve loved all the beauty uniforms, here is one I can really relate to. SPF and lip balm are so key for me as an Arctic field biologist.
Aaah I loved this! Such an inspiring woman. Plus, as someone living in Montreal, where our winters can get down to -40, I really appreciated the cold-weather skin care tips!
Woah, what a great post! Felicity, you have a new fan! I might even have a slight girl crush <3 Also: What a great reminder to use the lip balm more often when out and about. I always think "Yeah, once a day in the morning is enough" and then two days later I hate myself. If you are looking for an organic alternative for Nivea, maybe try Weleda's Cold Cream.
THANK YOU for this wonderful piece! What a lovely, inspirational woman. This is exactly the kind of beauty uniform I want to read.